GUERNSEY’S record-breaking rowers have begun to come home. Four of the 16-strong crew arrived yesterday evening, barely 24 hours after smashing the world record for the London to Paris row.

And as they stepped off the boat from St Malo, Colin Robert, Andy Chapple, Stephen Pipe and Geoff Gavey were greeted by jubilant and emotional family and friends.

‘It is a fantastic feeling to come back and see family and friends, having broken the record and made a contribution to the MS Society,’ said Mr Robert, 48.

Mr Pipe, 43, a Fitness Factory challenge veteran, returned to be with his wife, Vanessa, who is expecting their second child in the next month.

‘I’m glad to be back for the baby. On the way, I was scared I was going to miss the birth. I really do have mixed emotions at the moment. It was good to break the record but we also wanted to do something for the charity and also do the row for ourselves; a personal achievement.’

The team completed the 480-mile challenge – a fund-raiser for the MS Society – at 8pm Guernsey time on Sunday, 79hrs 9min. 23sec. after setting off from Westminster Bridge.

The previous record of 90hrs 33min. 33sec. was set by a Jersey crew in September 2000.

Mr Robert, a Sark to Jersey record holder and a member of a crew to circumnavigate the Channel Islands in a fixed-seat coxed boat in 21 hours, said he experienced the worst night of his rowing career on Friday.

‘There was more pressure on us this time because we were up against a time and so we knew we had to keep going, even during the especially bad period on Friday.

‘It was so bad. It was the worst night of rowing I have ever experienced and, at times, we seemed to be going backwards.’

Mr Chapple, 42, is a former Atlantic rower and British record holder with 22 years’ involvement in local rowing.

‘It was a good row because it was so varied. It was calm then rough and then went calm again which, in a strange way, actually helped because when you row for four days, it can get monotonous.

‘It was really good to get the challenge done. You get so up when you think you are going to do it, but then it all goes up in the air and becomes unsure and you really just want to get on and finish it.’

Mr Gavey, 40, said that he was now retiring from rowing challenges; the other three were non-committal about their futures.

‘I’ve had a good time and enjoyed it but I am now retiring. I will still keep rowing for pleasure but no long challenges like this,’ said Mr Gavey.

He added that breaking the record was fantastic, but the MS Society was much more important.

‘We all wanted to break the record, but had it not been for the cause, the challenge would not have started. We wanted to help the MS Society and it has backed us all the way.

‘The organisation and the support has been fantastic; the option of letting them down was never available.’

Mr Robert said that during the final leg of the challenge, team leader Colin Fallaize had turned down an opportunity be in the boat when it crossed the finishing line.

‘He declined, simply pointing to the rota and saying because it was not his turn, he was not going to do it – that says a lot about the man.’