"In the interest of the safety of all souls on-board Big Blue we have decided to postpone the expedition and sail directly to Natal in Brazil by the shortest route," Mr Hooper said.

"We are all safe and that Big Blue remains seaworthy and capable of completing crossing of the Atlantic ocean during the months of December and January.

"I reiterate that my attempt to become the first person to swim across the Atlantic Ocean, every single mile, remains but that it has been postponed for the time being.

"My crew have worked tirelessly to make this possible and this decision has not been taken lightly. Indeed, the easy option would have been to carry on at all costs. That would have been foolhardy and unnecessary.

"To quote Theodore Roosevelt, 'It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed'.

"We have not failed. We have achieved and gained the knowledge to succeed in the future. This setback will not prevent us completing this record in the future."