By Tony Field
Forty-eight days after setting off, the trans-Tasman rowers, including Sir Peter Blake's son, are almost within sight of New Zealand and should round Cape Reinga at the top of the North Island tomorrow.
The team left from Sydney's famous bridge in late November on their 1400 nautical mile voyage towards Auckland’s Harbour Bridge, and the trip has been longer and tougher than anyone expected it would be.
Brutal seas saw them going backwards, not forwards, on many days during their trip and Nigel Cherrie, Martin Berka, Andrew McCowan and James Blake have been plagued by broken gear, bad weather and blistered feet.
The foursome are now less than 70 miles from shore, and hope to round Cape Reinga tomorrow, thanks to 20 - 25 knot westerlies, that are helping them surf downwind, covering 30 nautical miles in eight hours.
Once around the cape, they will head south, to Auckland.
Despite the challenges they have faced, they have not needed to have emergency supplies dropped off to them, unlike a group of British servicemen who are part of a trans-Atlantic rowing race and whose desalination machine has broke down, meaning they could not turn sea water into drinking water.
The British team know they will now be disqualified but are still determined to finish.
Team Gallagher also plan to pick up fresh supplies, when they stop briefly in Russell.
Reaching the Northland town will mean they have completed their trans-Tasman crossing - but the four men want to continue their voyage to their planned destination, the Auckland Harbour bridge.
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