- After 4,000km and 30 days isolation, passengers cheer with Irish flag.
- Leads solo class by 80 nautical miles in 4,800km World’s Toughest Row.
- Raises funds for Debra Butterfly Skin charity and Irish Dogs for the Disabled.
- Anticipates family reunion in Antigua after departing Canaries on 14 December.
Galway businessman Daragh MacLoughlin, 42, described an encounter with cruise ship Queen Victoria during his solo Atlantic row in the World’s Toughest Row. Departing Canaries on 14 December, he covered over 4,000km without seeing others. The ship approached last week, with a Cork woman responding to his call. Passengers cheered from the deck, waving an Irish flag. The father-of-two rows carbon-fibre boat The Jasper to Antigua.
The moment followed 30 days of isolation, suddenly surrounded by around a thousand people. On Sunday, he led the solo class by 80 nautical miles. He aims to test personal boundaries in the 4,800km journey. Funds raised support Debra for Butterfly Skin disease and Irish Dogs for the Disabled. Daily satellite calls connect him to wife Suzanne and daughters Maeve and Saoirse.
An emotional reunion awaits in Antigua later this week.
Daragh MacLoughlin shared “I called up the ship because they were approaching a little bit tight and some lady from Cork answered! And she said, ‘do you mind if I pull up alongside, to give the passengers something to have a look at? When it pulled up alongside me, there seemed to be around a thousand people on the deck. It was amazing to have all these people screaming and shouting and waving an Irish flag at me. You’ve not seen anyone for 30 days and all of a sudden you are back in the thick of it. he signed up for the extreme race to test his own boundaries, and to raise funds for two Irish charities – Debra, which supports those living with ‘Butterfly Skin’ disease EB, and Irish Dogs for the Disabled. My wife and kids are heading over, so it will be absolutely super to have them there.”
