A MAN born and raised in Okehampton was part of a historic row of 3,370 nautical miles. Hamish Khayat, 23, was part of a four man team that rowed from Exmouth, Western Australia to Mahe in the Seychelles in 71 days, 14 hours and 51 minutes, setting a new world record for the fastest crossing of the Indian Ocean by a four man crew and the youngest crew to cross any ocean. He was joined on the crossing by Jamie Sparks, Angus Collins and Alex Simpson. Of the 20 row boats to have successfully crossed the Indian Ocean, only three have crossed in a faster time, two of which had crews of seven or eight rowers. Hamish said: 'It was an unmissable experience. I've run marathons and done extreme motorbike journeys but this was up a level or two. Two hours rowing followed by two hours resting — repeated for 71 days —is tough.' The Fast Row West crew, who are raising money for Enham Trust, a UK charity supporting disabled people to live the lives they choose, received no assistance whilst on the water. The Indian Ocean presents a very different set of challenges from other ocean crossings. Fast Row West were due to finish in Mauritius but took the decision on August 9 to change their finish destination to Mahe, Seychelles, because of concerns about heavy weather and the strain on the boat and equipment. Fast Row West's principal sponsor was Fortnum & Mason and shore-based support/weather-routing was provided by Tony Humphreys of Ocean Pursuits.