Hero rower Frank notches up the speed

The brave grandad who is rowing solo across 3,000 of the Atlantic Ocean said he’s been notching up more than 60 miles in a single day thanks to favourable winds.

Talking to me on an international link from his boat 'Never too old’, intrepid traveller Frank Rothwell said: “I’ve been making great progress.

“I’ve clocked 75, 60 and 62 miles in the last three days. Marvellous.

"The wind has been bowling me along.

“To be honest rowing a boat solo means you make no progress at all if the wind is against you.”

Oldham-born Frank, who now lives in Greenfield, expects to reach the half way point of his marathon mission to raise a million pounds for Alzheimer’s UK by the weekend, weather depending.

And he hopes to make landfall in Antigua by Valentines Day, February 14, to be reunited with Judith, his wife of 50 years.

“We were childhood sweethearts,” he explained.

“She’s my best friend and I speak to her three times a day.

“Why, she’s even got a list of things for me to do when I get home - that will keep me from travelling for a while,” he quipped.

He said her has seen hundreds of dolphins on his deep sea journey “and I've been bombarded by flying fish, really boney things.”

Frank is keeping to a strict regime of rowing through the day and sleeping for up to eight hours at night.

“I’m deeply touched by all the support I’m getting from people back home," he said.

"Knowing they are there means a lot - it helps keep me going. I cant thank them enough.”

Said his son Luke: “Dad is very focussed and is adopting his own strategy for finishing the race. It’s all about finishing.”

Frank is bidding to raise one million pounds for the Alzheimers UK charity.

You can support his cause by donating to his JustGiving page here

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