BBC Countryfile pre-race interviews with the Seagals, June 13: view on BBC iPlayer (item starts 38 minutes into the programme)
 

14.00 FRIDAY JULY 23 LATEST

The Seagals are home at last...to a heroine's welcome and a new World Record after 51 days 16 hours and 42 minutes. The all female crew of Go Commando completed the Virgin GB Row Challenge at 10.23BST today.

They arrived at Tower Bridge in London to a fanfare welcome from a fireboat.

The girls began celebrating the end of their incredible 2000 mile journey the moment Go Commando's nose went under the historic bridge.

Later they were reunited with their families at HMS President and presented with the Virgin Trophy.

The World Record tracking data and photographic evidence will be presented to Guinness for validation as a Guinness World Record.

11.00 FRIDAY JULY 23 LATEST

They're home!

The Seagals passed under London's Tower Bridge at 10.23am this morning, setting a new Guinness world record of 51 days 16 hours and 42 minutes for an all-female crew rowing unaided around Britain.

The exhausted but jubilant crew - Belinda, Angela, Bev and Laura - are now reunited with their families at HMS President just downstream from Tower Bridge.

They will shortly be presented with the Virgin Trophy for their valiant efforts in setting a new record in their 2010 mile journey.

There will be more news and photos shortly!

04.30 FRIDAY JULY 23 LATEST

Your Messages 'are the power behind the boat..' The Seagals

The Seagals will be arriving at Tower Bridge on Friday July 23 at 10.00 approx.

The final day! The Seagals will be home today after an astonishing 51 days at sea rowing around Britain.

Later this morning they will take their place in history as the first females ever to row the 2,000 miles around the country in the Virgin GB Row Challenge.

The Haigh Lyon Seagals and their tiny boat Go Commando are anchored near Belvedere about four miles downstream from the Thames barrier waiting for the tide to turn to take them on their final leg to Tower Bridge, where they are expected at around 10am.

Go Seagals!

21.00 THURSDAY JULY 22 LATEST
 

The Seagals are on the last leg home…Despite what the tracker is showing, the Haigh Lyon Seagals have left Canvey Island behind and are making their way up the River Thames on the flood tide.

They hope to be at Woolwich by 6am to be interviewed live by GMTV on ITV 1 in the morning at around 06.40.

They are also booked to do interviews with radio stations as they continue up the river past the Thames barrier.

We expect the Seagals to reach Tower Bridge sometime around 10.00, when their unbelievable journey will finally end after an incredible 51 days.

More than seven weeks after the left London, the Seagals will be reunited with family and friends who will be at HMS President, situated just below the bridge, to help them celebrate their amazing achievement.

The Seagals truly deserve their place in the annals of rowing history for winning the Anglo American Boat Race: Virgin GB Row 2010 – officially the toughest rowing race in the world. 
 

10.23 THURSDAY JULY 22 LATEST
 

Organisors of Virgin GB Row 2010 have confirmed that the Haigh Lyon Seagals will now finish their epic round-Britain row tomorrow morning (Friday, July 23) at between 10.00 and 12.00.

We will monitor Go Commando’s progress up the Thames during the day and revise the expected finish time.

The boat will go through the finish at Tower Bridge, then come back down the river for photos with Tower Bridge as the backdrop, before mooring on the pontoon at HMS President.

 

 06.30 THURSDAY JULY 22 UPDATE

On what should have been the day of their return, The Seagals are at anchor near Southend –on-Sea at the mouth of the River Thames waiting to begin the final row in to Tower Bridge.

 

The Haigh Lyon Seagals are running low on water because a power failure on board Go Commando means they have not been able to make water since Tuesday.

The electrical problems also mean it has been difficult to contact the boat as mobiles are turned off for long periods but race organisors expect to make contact with the Seagals at around 0800 and we should have an update on when they are now likely to finish.

 

 

19.09 WEDNESDAY JULY 21 LATEST
 

The Seagals will NOT be arriving at Tower Bridge (Thursday).

Finish DELAYED by a day until FRIDAY, July 23 at 12.30 approx.

They have been battling 20mile an hour head winds all day today and missed the tide that would take them into the Thames in time for the tide that would take them to Tower Bridge for tomorrow.

They are disappointed.

More follows later….


1800 WEDNESDAY JULY 21 LATEST
 

Without power and running low on water, the Seagals are heading for the mouth of the Rover Thames on their incredible 2,000-mile row around Britain.

Low power has meant we have not been able to communicate with Go Commando for much of the day and we’re all hoping they reach the mouth of the Thames in time to take advantage of the tide that rips towards London in excess of eight knots in places.

They are heading in towards Southend, where they may be able to make contact on the mobile phone that thy are using sparingly.
 
We are keeping our fingers crossed that they will arrive at Tower Bridge at high tide in 18 hours’ time - after 50 DAYS AT SEA.

 

0700 WEDNESDAY JULY 21 UPDATE

At the start of their last full day at sea, the Haigh Lyon Seagals are at anchor about ten miles from Southend-on-Sea.

After managing to row five miles during the night, the all-female crew are waiting for the tide to turn to help them in the mouth of the River Thames to begin the final leg of their incredible 2,000-mile journey.

With electricity down to a minimum, following problems with the boat’s solar regulator, which converts power from the on-board solar panels into Go Commando’s battery packs, it has been difficult to communicate with the crew.

But we still expect Belinda, Angela, Laura and Bev to reach the finish line at Tower Bridge tomorrow morning at around 11.30.
 

20.30 TUESDAY JULY 20 UPDATE
 

Electrics are still causing problems for the Seagals on board Go Commando, where the crew have introduced water rationing.

With energy from the boat’s solar panels unable to reach the batteries, the Haigh Lyon Seagals have taken the decision to reduce all but the most essential power on the boat.

That includes cutting power to the water maker and the on-board tracker. Luckily, they had just made a batch of drinking water by putting seawater through the water maker and with rationing will have just enough water to get to them to the finish.

Tracking is now from a back-up hand-held tracker, which means our tracking on the website is slightly out of date.

At the moment the tracker, kindly supplied by MarineTrak, is showing the Seagals are doing 0.00 knots but in reality they are rowing well and are south of Clacton in Essex.

In light easterly winds, they are heading out to sea to try and avoid the treacherous Maplin Sands, near Southend, where the 2005 round-Britain crew ran aground and were forced to waste six hours.

The Seagals have no time to waste to stay on track for their planned finish at Tower Bridge in London at high tide on Thursday, which is at just after 11.30


12.30 Tuesday July 20 LATEST

Problems with the electrics have developed on Go Commando this morning, which means the Seagals have had to dramatically reduce their power output for the time being.

They are switching to a stand-by tracker, which will continue to monitor their progress.

The previous tracker is still showing the all-female crew are at anchor but they are in fact rowing past the mouth of the River Deben just north of Felixstowe.

Low batteries mean that communications with the boat could be limited this afternoon.

Angela is trying to sort out the problem with the solar regular, which means the power collected by the boat’s solar panels is not being transferred to the batteries.


 

06.30 Tuesday July 20 UPDATE

The journey home continues for the Haigh Lyon Seagals. The all-female crew in their boat, Go Commando, rowed another 15 miles during the night and are now less than 10 miles north of Europe’s biggest container port at Felixstowe.

With light southerly winds forecast today they should stay on target for finishing at Tower Bridge in London at around 11.30 on Thursday.
 

22.00 Monday July 19
UPDATE
 

The Seagals are at anchor near Dunwich waiting for the tide to turn again.

According to a new video in today, which is on our YouTube Channel, the all-female crew expect to be heading towards the container port at Felixstowe during the night.

17.00 Monday July 19 UPDATE
 

The countdown to the finish has begun…the Haigh Lyon Seagals passed the pretty Suffolk seaside town of Southwold on the final leg of their journey home.

The calculations have been done and the all-female crew of Go Commando are planning to bring their tiny boat across the finish line on Thursday on the flood tide at around 11.30.

Their epic journey will finish when they go under Tower Bridge – an astonishing 50 days after leaving London at the start of their incredible 2,010-mile journey around the coast of Britain in the Virgin GB Row challenge.

Loved ones will gather at HMS President near St Katherine’s dock to welcome home the amazing Seagals.

Keep watching our on-line tracker to chart their progress on the last 100 or so miles to the finish.

And keep your messages of support coming....
 

This message is from Bev's grandad.

I have been following you all along on my map of Great Britain. When I find out where you are I have to look it up on the map and I am so proud of what you have achieved already. I came down to see you at John O'Groats and was amazed to see you going through the firth. I hope the last miles go speedily for you once you get going and I will be thinking about you and egging you on.
Lots of love
Grandad xxx

08.30 Monday July 19
UPDATE 
 

So near yet so far…. The amazing Haigh Lyon Seagals are so tantalisingly close to the finish but the southerly wind is still causing problems for them.

The all-female crew of Go Commando are again at anchor, just south of Lowestoft, waiting for the southerly head wind to drop enough to let them continue rowing. They made well over 20miles during the night.

Meanwhile, thanks for your messages of support…keep them coming, folks! They give the Seagals such a boost at the end of their incredible 2,010-mile journey rowing around Britain.
 

21.00 Sunday July 18
UPDATE 

The Haigh Lyon Seagals are still at anchor, waiting for the wind and tide to come back in their favour.

Meanwhile, we’ve received a video blog from Bev, filmed just before the big storm that held up the Seagals for 48 hours.

In her video blog she reveals that messages from their supporters ‘are the power behind the boat’.

Please keep your messages coming and we’ll pass them on to Seagals on Go Commando – and get them home as quickly as possible…

 

 

 

18.00 Sunday July 18
UPDATE
 

Apologies for the radio silence over the last 48 hours, due to a poor dongle signal. Normal service has been resumed.

The Haigh Lyon Seagals have made amazing progress over the weekend, since upping anchor on Friday night to make the crossing from the Humber to the north Norfolk coast.

At times they were travelling at more than six knots in their tiny ocean rowing boat, Go Commando.

They reached the coast near Sheringham and today have made their way south towards Great Yarmouth.

This evening they are at anchor close in to the shore near Horsey, just north of Yarmouth.

Skipper Belinda Kirk reported that the wind had got up again and the Seagals were out in choppy water and they were coming close to the shore to get protection from the westerly wind.

A debate has begun on whether the Seagals’ epic 2,010 mile journey will end in London on Wednesday or Thursday.

The crew and the Anglo American Boat Club, organisors of the Virgin GB Row Challenge 2010, are poring over charts and weather maps to try to give an accurate estimate of the time the Seagals amazing adventure will end.

Look out during the evening for new blogs and video from the all-female crew who are about to make history.

PS Happy Birthday Belinda from everyone following the incredible Seagals.

 

19.30 Friday July 16
UPDATE
 

And they’re off! The Haigh Lyon Seagals have caught the tide at the mouth of the Humber just right and they’re rowing at nearly nine knots – well over 10mph.

After two days stuck at anchor they’re making the best of the dropping wind to head south towards the finish as fast as possible. Go Seagals!

 

15.30 Friday July 16
UPDATE
 

After two days at anchor near Hull, we expect the Seagals to start rowing again in about three hours.

They have been buffeted by horrendous 50-knot winds and huge swells for 48 hours, but last night the storm was so bad that Belinda, Angela and Bev crammed into the miniscule aft cabin to shelter from the waves crashing over the boat.

Belinda says: “It’s really wet in the aft cabin and it was very cosy but the storm and the waves were so bad it was impossible to sit out in the open, which we managed to do every day since we started our journey.”

The Segals are now hoping to reach the finish at Tower Bridge in London by high tide on Thursday afternoon.

 

06.30 Friday July 16
UPDATE
 

As the Haigh Lyon Seagals prepare to spend yet another day anchored just to the north of the Humber Estuary, plans for their homecoming are being revised.

The southerly wind that has kept them trapped on the east Yorkshire coast, is expected to abate this evening, which will allow the all-female crew of Go Commando to cross the Humber and continue south.

But the winds are expected to increase again on and off during the next few days, which could slow progress again.

It now looks like, the Seagals could finish their remarkable journey at Tower Bridge next Wednesday, July 21st.

 

RNLI Crew from Eyemouth visiting the Seagals

21.00 Thursday July 15
UPDATE

Humber coastguard has issued a storm Force 8 warning for the east coast of Yorkshire.

The Haigh Lyon Seagals are safely at anchor just north of Spurn Point near the mouth of the River Humber.

After rowing hell for leather for the last two days, the all-female crew are using the time to catch up on sleep ready to make a last dash south as soon as the wind drops, possibly tomorrow.

In a brief phone call from Go Commando, Bev Ashton said the Seagals’ own weather expert did not expect the wind in the area to reach Force Eight but would most likely peak at 25knots (Force 5-6) before dying back down on Friday night.

With at least four days rowing ahead of them, the Virgin GB Row organisors are re-scheduling the finish, which was expected on Monday, until Tuesday at the earliest.

Said Bev: “We seem to have an uncanny knack of anchoring in spots with poor mobile reception. We have lots of blogs and video ready but we can’t send them, yet!”