Woman rower from Yorkshire set to clinch world record today for fastest solo row across Atlantic

Huddersfield-born Tori Evans is nearing the finish line in the Caribbean having rowed more than 3,000 miles on her own across vast tracts of ocean.

In all she has had to pull her oars more than 1.5 million times over an ocean in parts more than five miles deep and has travelled at tremendous speed - some days notching up more than 80 nautical miles in 24 hours.

Her mum Amanda Brawn and friends are awaiting her arrival in Port St. Charles, Barbados.

The 35-year-old, who hopes her achievements will help raise the profile of women in sport, set out from Tenerife on February 11.

The record for a female rower is 49 days, 7 hours and 15 minutes, but only 11 women have successfully completed the Trade Winds 1 route from east to west and Tori is days ahead.

Her spokesman said she had timed her departure from the Canary Islands very well, looking at long range forecasts and had put in "some serious mileage" but had had to endure "some challenging days" and cope with sleep deprivation.

Tori, who qualified as a commercial lawyer in 2012 and focusses on sport and media, had to train for nearly three years to do the event.

She, a partner at law firm Level, also had to gain qualifications in sea survival, first aid, navigation and as a radio operator.