An MBNA bank worker is part of a crew who have just completed an awesome feat by rowing 2,400 miles across the Pacific.

Barry Hayes, 33, formerly of Farndon, is a member of Team Battleborn, named after The Killers’ album, who came runner up in the inaugural Great Pacific Race after a gruelling 45 days, seven hours and 20 minutes on water.

Their achievement is even more amazing given the crew, dubbed the “underdogs”, didn’t even have a boat six weeks before the start of race which began in California and finished at Hawaii in the early hours of this morning (Friday). Team Battleborn is estimated to have raised about £16,000 that will be split between four charities including Help for Heroes.

Barry’s partner Emma Raine, who also works for MBNA in Chester, said after speaking to her loved one by phone: “I am so unbelievably proud. I’m lost for words. There’s been such a build-up. He rang about 4am this morning. He said he felt drunk because he’s been at sea so long his sea legs have had to adapt to being dry legs again.”

She said his crew had been compared with the “Jamaican bobsleigh team’ featured in Cool Runnings movie because  four ‘average blokes’, who didn’t know each other beforehand, had come together to complete their challenge on “a shoestring” in a borrowed boat called ‘Patience’.

Barry and Emma, who has a nine-year-old son Jack, had moved from Farndon to Brymbo in Wrexham last year. She added: “He was just waiting to have his first pint of Heineken. I think it will be the best one in his life!”

Race organiser Chris Martin, of New Ocean Wave, said of the effort: “Team Battleborn have already inspired thousands who have followed their progress through their upbeat blog posts. I know that in the months and years that follow, their successful completion of the world's biggest baddest human endurance challenge, Team Battleborn will continue to inspire others not just through their charitable work but also in their humorous retelling of their encounters with the mighty Pacific ocean.

“They have continually shown good humour, determination and camaraderie which has, and continues to excite and interest their followers and supporters from around the world. It is an honour to be part of their journey as they set not one but two new Guinness World Records for the first Irishman and first Australian to row the Pacific.”

Other members of Battleborn are skipper Philip Cavanagh, 27, from Dublin, Darren Taylor, 42, from Oxford and Dan Kierath, 25, from Perth in Australia. 

The crew had been sitting in runner-up position pretty much since they set off on Monday June 9. Their boat was only released by US customs less than a week before the start date and they barely managed all of about eight hours’ training as a crew before setting off.

Among their well-wishers was Olympian Sir Steve Redgrave, winner of five gold medals at consecutive Olympic Games, who said: “Great effort so far. Keep it going. I am sure it is extremely tough, but stay with it – stay within the moment, session by session, stroke by stroke. I am sure you are going to achieve. What memories you will have to look back on.”

Winning team Uniting Nations, classed as being from New Zealand, were overtaken by Battleborn at one point but triumphed in the end.