11:13am UK, Tuesday November 18, 2003

An emergency rescue team is poised to reach an injured British ocean rower today, after he called for help east of New Zealand.

Jim Shekhdar, 57, on a non-stop solo journey from the southern port of Bluff to Cape Town in South Africa, reported that his vessel had capsized several times in severe weather.

Jim Shekhdar has already rowed across the Atlantic

Mr Shekhdar suffered a minor head injury in the storms which also broke his oars, swept gear from the deck, according to New Zealand's National Search and Rescue Centre.

But he told the centre via satellite phone he was "not in need of immediate medical assistance".

He had reported his position as about 750 miles east of New Zealand in the southern Pacific Ocean.

The New Zealand marine research ship Tangaroa, diverted to assist Mr Shekhdar, will reach him about 8pm local time tomorrow (7am GMT).

Centre spokesman Paul Harrison said an air force P3 Orion surveillance plane would probably be sent sent to assist the Tangaroa to rendezvous with Mr Shekhdar's 26ft rowboat Hornette.

It is the second time the solo adventurer has called for help since he launched his bid last month to row the 9,000 miles from Bluff, New Zealand, via treacherous Cape Horn at the stormy tip of South America, to Cape Town in South Africa.

Mr Shekhdar, from Northwood, Middlesex, was towed back to New Zealand on October 17 after having travelled just 50 miles, when his global positioning navigation system and wind-powered generator failed.

He has already rowed across the Atlantic and completed a solo row of the Pacific from Peru to Australia in early 2001.