A daring team of rowers have reached the halfway milestone in their race across the Atlantic, while raising over £35,000 for charity.

Harry Hearn, 35, is the Battersea-based skipper of Oardacity, comprised of close friends Alex Soskin, Ed Batchelor, and Tom Phillips.

Billed as the world’s toughest row, he is leading the crew in the 3,000 mile-long Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge – a race from La Gomera in the Canaries to Antigua in the Caribbean.

Setting sail on December 12, Oardacity aims to reach the Caribbean island in around four weeks.

The team rang in the New Year on track, hitting the halfway point of 1336 NM (nautical miles) in 21 days.

Posing in Christmas hats for an Instagram photo, the four friends signalled to family and friends at home they were going strong.

Mr Batchelor has also kept those on land in the loop through a blog, which has charted the crew’s challenges with seasickness, serve weather and testing wind conditions.

Other moments include a visit from a pod of dolphins and the riddles and songs the team has recited to stay occupied.

The team is raising money for two charities: MIND (Mental Health) and the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation (an international NGO, dedicated to serving the world’s oppressed and marginalised children).

They have raked in over half of their fundraising target of £65,000 via their go fund me page.

Mr Hearn said: “Team Oardacity are determined as ever to get to the start-line to support the men, women and children whose mental well-being is suffering each day as the wider, more hidden impacts of Covid 19.

“Be it through Anxiety, Depression, isolation, domestic violence, substance use, eating disorders, financial stress and grief, the mental health impacts of Covid will outlast the virus.”

For more information on becoming a Sponsor or Donating visit their website at: www.oardacity.com