Originally published Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 12:00 AM

4 row, row, row their boat 3,000 miles

Four Long Islanders trying to break a world record for rowing across the Atlantic Ocean were beaten by a larger crew of more than a dozen...

By Newsday

MELVILLE, N.Y. — Four Long Islanders trying to break a world record for rowing across the Atlantic Ocean were beaten by a larger crew of more than a dozen Britons, Scots and Irishmen.

The winning boat landed Friday in Barbados, 33 days, seven hours and 30 minutes after leaving the Canary Islands on the 3,000-mile trip.

The 30-foot Long Island boat, the ORCA, however, did break the record by four minutes for the fastest four-man rowboat to complete the journey, according to the U.K.-based Ocean Rowing Society.

The men — including Roy Finlay, 46, and Denis Richardson, 33, both of Shelter Island; Ronnie Desiderio, 45, of Southampton; and Chris Cuddihy, 54, of Riverhead — made the trip in 36 days and 55 minutes. They had hoped to break the old record of 35 days, eight hours and 30 minutes.

The men said the trip went relatively smoothly, although one wave short-circuited their satellite phone in late December while another washed Cuddihy overboard briefly.

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