A team of (fool?)hardy amateur rowers from Pembrokeshire will shun a lazy May Bank Holiday and instead flex their muscles in the longest sea rowing race in the world between Ireland and Wales. The team from Neyland Yacht Club is taking part in the gruelling 90-mile rowing race from Arklow to Aberystwyth, viewed as a test of rowing endurance. The biannual Celtic Challenge attracts long boat crews from as far away as Germany in what is viewed as the ultimate test of physical fitness. This extremely tough race sees competitors completely exposed to the elements in the Irish Sea, in a crossing that can take up to 26 hours. It usually attracts all male crews, but Neyland Yacht Club is fielding more women then men. Club chairman Richard Incledon can't praise them enough. "It is a very physical race and we have been out training in all weathers since January. The women in the team have incredible determination to match their male counterparts and in some cases are even stronger. Overall the team's endurance is incredible and I think that's helped by the number of women involved." And despite all coming from Pembrokeshire, the team reads like the United Nations, with three Spanish rowers, one Chilean, two Italian, one Scot and five Welsh. "We are a truly international team," said Chilean born Brenta Pearn, who lives in Hill Mountain. "It means we speak lots of different languages in the boat and sometimes we are shouting encouragements in Spanish as well as English and Welsh. We've even started teaching the rest of the crew Spanish too!" Rower Eva Berry from Spain came to Haverfordwest 12 years ago when her husband was posted here with the army. "I love Pembrokeshire so much that when the army sent us to England I begged my husband to get a posting back here. When I met the other Spanish girls in Pembrokeshire we wanted to do something other than go to the gym, so we took up rowing seriously and now we love it!" The Pembrokeshire team of 12 is raising money for National Children's Home. If you'd like to sponsor them, please call 07799 717898 or email [email protected]">[email protected]. The Celtic Challenge takes place tomorrow (Saturday). The fastest crossing took 14 hours and was made in 1997, the longest took 26 hours, so it really is for the tough ones only!