Dartmouth soldier Cayle Royce and his all military crew have survived a terrifying capsize and are still bravely battling their way across the Atlantic in a 3,000 mile rowing challenge.

Cayle and the Row2Recovery team are now more than one third of the way to the finishing line in Antigua as they face spending Christmas and New Year at sea in their tiny ocean going rowing boat.

The crew were rowing through 30ft swells last Thursday in the dead of night when their craft turned over.

In his latest blog, 27-year-old Cayle described how he had just taken over rowing duties when suddenly he was left struggling in the water as the boat rolled over.

'As soon as we were over it was like being in a washing machine,' he said.

'I hit something with my face and was ripped out of my seat. I swam to the surface and saw items floating in the water that had been ripped from the boat. I swam to retrieve them and then we quickly realised that we should focus on retrieving ourselves. Before I got out of the water I saw that some other kit was hanging over the side. I pushed it back in first and then got myself back in.

'Scott and Jenks tried to help and we told them to get back in their cabins in case we got rolled again.'

He said it had been 16 minutes past midnight when the boat was hit by a wave from the right hand side.

He said: 'And then a second wave came from our left. The boat felt like it was pretty much vertical in the air with the stern high out of the water I could see James way above me. It reminded me of a poster I used to have at home of one of those surf rowing boats being turned over by a wave, the slogan said ... "don't scream, you'll need the air". That was my last thought before I went under.'

Cayle, who was slightly injured in the capsize, said: 'We were very fortunate that the boat hadn't been damaged but I did discover the cause of the cut on my face – I had snapped an oar with my head.'

The incident has not halted the four-man team attempt to complete the row from the Canary Islands to Antigua. They are still in second place with 12 of the original 16 teams still in the race.

One team turned back while three had to be rescued and two of the abandoned rowing boats are still out in the Atlantic.

As far as spending Christmas out at sea is concerned, Cayle said: 'It doesn't feel very Christmassy at all because you are so disconnected out here. But we have got presents and treats for us to eat and drink on the day and while we aren't missing Christmas itself I think we are all missing our families.'

With Cayle in the Row2Recovery boat are Cpl Scott Blaney, of the Grenadier Guards, who lost a leg in Afghanistan; Cpt Mark Jenkins, a physiotherapy officer with the Royal Army Medical Corps; and team leader Cpt James Kyall, who served with Cayle in the Light Dragoons reconnaissance force in Afghanistan.

Cayle lost both his legs and suffered other major injuries in a Taliban bomb explosion 18 months ago.

To support the team, donate at http://www.bmycharity">www.bmycharity. com/R2Ratlantic2013.