Thomas Cremona and his crew have gone past the halfway point in their quest to break the Mid-Atlantic Rowing Speed record, when on Saturday at 6 a.m. they reached the 2,550-kilometre milestone of their journey from Morocco to Barbados.

However, the rowers are currently struggling against heavy currents which are making it difficult for the boat to keep up its pace.

There is no sign of the other two competing boats, Hallin Marine and Big Blue, which are also chasing the record set by La Mondiale on January 17, 2008.

The crew’s expedition food consists of high energy ration packs amounting to about 5,500 calories daily, but Mr Cremona’s father said they celebrated the halfway mark with a bar of chocolate.

The team, made up of two Irish, two British, an Icelandic and Thomas is on its way to breaking the record which currently stands at 33 days, seven hours and 30 minutes.

The six participants are divided into two teams, taking it in turns in two-hour shifts. When not rowing, they do some maintenance on the boat, including cleaning the solar panels which generate power for the satellite phone and reverse osmosis system on board.

For the Sara G – a six-person 11.1-metre-long sculling boat with a 1.8-metre-beam was built in 2007 – this is not its first record-breaking challenge. In December 2007, the boat busted the 67-day record set for crossing the Tasman Sea, by making it from New Zealand to Australia in 32 days.

With a small cabin at the front and a slightly larger one at the back, the crew try to keep the weight aboard Sara G to a minimum, using only the bare necessities.

An accountant by profession, Thomas Cremona, 22, survived Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia when aged four and his Row4Cancer campaign aims at raising awareness that there is life after cancer. It is also helping raise funds for Puttinu Cares.

Donations in support of Puttinu Cares can be made by SMS on 5061 7380 for €2.33, 5061 8939 for €6.99 and 5061 9225 for €11.65.

There is also a Bank of Valletta account: 400 1812 2134.

Donations can also be made online on www.puttinucares.org.