OCEAN oarsman Andrew Barnett's bid to row the Atlantic ran into a storm - before his boat even left port.

The 46-year-old Monmouth rower's epic 2,950-mile voyage to Antigua was supposed to start on Sunday in the Canary Islands.

But 60mph onshore winds, driving rain and strong seas that would have blown the entire Woodvale Atlantic race fleet back into La Gomera's San Sebastian harbour saw the start postponed until 11am today.

"It's very disappointing not to be able to go on time," said the father-of-two as he waited for the new launch time to be announced.

"We'd spent two years building towards starting on Sunday and were all fired up to get under way when the race was put on hold on Saturday afternoon.

"Apparently, there's a depression in the Azores caused by a tropical storm out to sea.

"Obviously, we're likely to have to battle through stroms once we get going, but it would be a farce if the boats started and all got blown back into port.

"It's very windy and it's hard enough walking down the street, let alone rowing across the Atlantic.

"In a previous race they started in a big wind, and one boat was blown on to the rocks and they had to be rescued by helicopter, so it makes sense to postpone.

Monmouth Rowing Club member Andrew, a veteran of marathon treks across Alaska and the Yukon, is doing the Atlantic row with fellow adventure racer Juan Carlos Sagastume from Guatemala.

Their 26-foot ocean boat MayaBrit, named as a combination of their national backgrounds, is one of 26 boats in the race, which includes double Olympic rowing champion James Cracknell and TV-presenter crewmate Ben Fogle.

If successful, Andrew will become the second Monmouth man to row the Atlantic after Rob Munslow helped set a four-man crew record time earlier this year.

l Monmouth RC's Matthew Stott produced a good performance at the GB long-distance junior trials in Boston, almost beating Monmouth School's GB world bronze medal star, Tom Lucy.

Matthew finished 23rd out of 168 starters for the Monmouthshire Building Society-sponsored club, covering the five-kilometre course in 19min 26sec, just three seconds and three places behind Tom. Monmouth School's James Cook was also a creditable 67th in 19min 51sec. "It was a great effort by Matt to get up there," said MRC coach John Jenkins. "Hopefully, this will put him in with a shout of getting a GB vest in 2006."

Monmouth School coach Rob Howe added: "Tom would normally be top ten, even top five, but he'd had no time in the single and been under the weather a bit beforehand. He'll bounce back."

In the girls' trial race, Haberdashers, Monmouth's Laura Lelievre was 44th out of 82 starters in 22min 38sec.

l There were two excellent performances at the British Indoor Rowing Championships from Monmouth RC father-and-son duo Jonathan and Griff Ferris.

Dad Jonathan covered the two-kilometre ergo distance at Birmingham's National Indoor Arena in 6min 44sec to place fifth out of 31 in the 50-55 class, while son Griff, 12, matched him with the same position out of 87 starters in under-13s, doing 811 metres in four minutes.