A BLACKBURN woman is battling high winds, high waves and faulty equipment as part of a double-world record rowing attempt.

Helen Leigh, 26, a former St Wilfred’s High School pupil, is part of a six-strong, all-female crew aiming to raise £100,000 by sailing 3,000 miles unaided across the Atlantic in a tiny carbon boat.

The ‘Row for Freedom’ crew are have now completed more than 1,000 miles and have begun rowing naked.

Helen said that a ‘sore bum’ and problems with chaffing clothes has seen the whole crew strip off in a bid to ease the pain of near-constant rowing.

Speaking via a satellite telephone, she said: “Most of us are naked when we are rowing. It is not at glamorous as it sounds.

“Quite simply with all of the aches and pains that we have got it is more painful with clothes on.”

Helen has also been suffering severe sea-sickness and has not been eating properly since setting off on the challenge from the Canary Islands on December 7.

The team is bidding to reach the Bahamas before the end of January. They aim to complete the challenge in 40 to 45 days, rowing for 12 hours a day each, to break the female speed crossing record.

Before setting off the team received support from Olympic rowing legend Matthew Pinsent.

And so far in the challenge they have suffered due to choppy waters and strong currents and there has been flooding problems in their cabin thanks to a faulty hatch.

The crew’s ‘autohelm’ is not functioning efficiently and the crew are also having problems with their rudder, meaning they must steer manually Helen said: “We are still on course for the record. It has been a great experience so far, despite the difficulties. Everything seems to be going wrong in terms of the boat but we are still doing well.”