The Seagals on board Go Commando off the Scottish coast.

by Graham Tutthill

Dover rower Laura Thomasson and her colleagues are battling against more strong winds off the east coast of Scotland in their bid to become the first all-female crew to row around Britain.

The Seagals spent Wednesday night and most of Thursday at anchor near Banff in Aberdeenshire. On Friday, they stayed close to the shore to keep out of the south-easterly wind and anchored near the fishing port of Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire.

The wind dropped enough in the early hours of this morning, for them to leave anchor and row south towards Aberdeen. But they may have to anchor off Petershead again if the southerly wind increases to 21 miles an hour as forecast.

The wind could become even stronger - around 30 miles an hour - on Sunday causing them more problems.

A spokeswoman for the team said: "Being at anchor near fishing ports has become dangerous as fishing boats appear to deliberately steam at full power close to the tiny 24-foot-long rowing boat to scare the all-female crew."

Skipper Belinda Kirk said the weather pattern they had experienced in their four weeks at sea had been unusual for this time of year.

Normally in June and July, there is a southerly wind in the Irish Sea and northerlies in the North Sea, which is perfect for an attempt on the world record of 26 days and 14 hours set in 2005.

This year, the weather has been the opposite … battling against northerlies in the Irish Sea and now struggling against southerlies and they make their way south to London.

They have covered more than 1,400 miles and have just over 600 miles left to the finish of the first-ever Virgin GB Row Challenge 2010.

They are in line for a prize of £15,000 and the Virgin Trophy if they can cross the finishing line at Tower Bridge, London.

Former Dover Grammar School girl Laura and her team, with their boat Go Commando, are raising money for the Help for Heroes charity.

Laura, 24, who lives at Kingsdown, is a member of Dover Rowing Club and a Royal Navy nurse.

Further information can be found on their website at www.seagals.co.uk

Follow their progress on http://www.gbrowchallenge.com/index.php