A north-east man who has become the youngest person ever to row the Pacific has revealed he was so tired he began to hallucinate about a waitress bringing him fish and chips.
Michael Prendergast, 23, who took up the sport while he was studying at Gordonstoun, completed the crossing from California to Honolulu with three American team-mates in 49 days, 23 hours and 15 minutes.
The adventure tested them to their limits both physically and mentally as they went days without a full meal but Mr Prendergast had a cause driving him on.
He said afterwards he had embarked on the challenge to raise money for Down’s Syndrome Scotland because his younger brother, Andrew, has the condition.
Mr Prendergast, who lives near Spynie Castle in Moray, confirmed that his school experiences had kept him going throughout the gruelling trek.
He said: “Mentally, it was the toughest challenge I could ever do. The two hours on, two hours off pattern was relentless.
“There was never a chance to relax and if I was lying down for more than an hour-and-a-half, I was having a lie-in.
“However my experiences doing team sports and expeditions at Gordonstoun really helped me.
“I knew that we all have good days and bad days, even though the nights at sea were the longest, hardest, wettest, coldest nights you could imagine.”
The Uniting Nations team was the first to cross the finish line of the Great Pacific Race in their boat, Isabel.
Along with American team-mates Robert Behny, Evan Buckland and Jordan Godoy, the Scot reached Hawaii at 14.15 local time last Friday.
And, as they turned the final corner into the marina, a single bagpiper played them in.
As they neared the shore, Mr Prendergast helped Mr Behny unfurl a banner asking his girlfriend to marry him.
After she said ‘yes’, they all celebrated on the pontoon and tucked into their first full meal in seven weeks.
All the crew members suffered hallucinations during the 3,000-mile journey as they dug deep into their reserves of commitment and stamina.
During a particularly difficult spell when the crew were rowing for two hours on and one hour off, the Moray man revealed he thought he was in a pub and a waitress was about to bring him fish and chips.
He has so far raised £7,000 for Down’s Syndrome Scotland and hopes his remarkable achievement will help him raise even more.
He added: “I am passionate about raising funds for Down’s Syndrome Scotland because of the support they have given my brother.
“Andrew is a very happy young man, but everyday simple tasks can be major obstacles for him.
“The daily struggles and pressure that my family is under to give Andrew the care that he needs is unimaginable. I would love to achieve my goal of raising £40,000.”
Anyone interested in supporting the cause can visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/michael-prendergast-rowingthepacific.
