GREENFIELD’S Frank Rothwell has experienced drama as he tries to row across the Atlantic Ocean after his boat capsized twice.
But even though he ended up in the water, he is still set on making it all the way in his 3,000-mile trip.
The 73-year-old, owner of Oldham Athletic Football Club, is still eighth in the solo category of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge despite his experience.
As he raises money for Alzheimer’s Research UK, he is to the west of the Canary Islands having travelled 51 nautical miles in the last 24 hours.
But his son Luke revealed just how dramatic his father’s journey is becoming, and how sister Sue got an all-too-sudden update.
He has also lost family mementos and his stash of Mars bars ended up everywhere!
Speaking to Oldham Community Radio, Luke said: “The news is he’s OK.
“It was quite windy and the seas were quite high – two-and-a-half metres high and because we’ve got a Ferrari of a boat, it gets blown about quite a lot.
“He was on the phone to my sister and it capsized.
“Apparently there were Mars bars flying everywhere. Everything that was on deck got washed overboard, as did a few mementoes for Christmas.
“He went outside and thought, ‘I need to take a break’ and was going to put his storm anchor down. As he was doing that, the boat capsized again.
“He got thrown into the sea but he said he was surprisingly calm. He managed to get back in the boat and there were even more Mars bars everywhere.
“In his cabin, a Stanley knife was stuck to the ceiling.
“He called mission control and they’re not concerned, as few boats have experienced this weather – it’s unseasonal.
“But the good news is the weather looks like it will calm down. It looks like he’s gone through the worst of it – he’s not hurt in any way. He just needs to calm down a bit.
“He’s not fearful of it any more. All the procedures he’d trained for worked.”
Frank has already raised more than £100,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK after setting off from La Gomera on December 12.
He hopes to reach the Caribbean island of Antigua on or around January 12.
What an unbelievable and incredible bloke this guy is. Have you seen it hard done by kids! Mr Rothwell isn’t even doing this for himself.