SEATTLE -- Four Seattle rowers are back in town after winning an incredible race across the Atlantic Ocean that involved 71 days of rowing.

The group -- called Ocean Adventure Racing Northwest -- is the first crew of Americans to row from the U.S. to Great Britain.

For more than two months, they were knocked around by the wind and waves in a boat that is 29 feet long and 6 feet wide.

FUNDRAISER When: Thurs., Sept 28, 1 PM Where: Lynden Air Freight, Inc. 18331 - 8th Ave. S Seattle, WA 98148 More at oarnorthwest.com

They rowed across the entire Atlantic, covering nearly 3,000 nautical miles.

Jordan Hanssen, Dylan LeValley, Brad Vickers and Greg Spooner came out on top.

"Being able to do an American first is something, really. I mean, I don't think the full significance has really hit us quite yet," said Brad Vickers.

To cross the Atlantic in such a confined space with just the bare essentials was a daunting task to say the least.

"We had days and days where we would go nowhere or backwards," LeValley said.

"Everything is uncomfortable on that boat except rowing. Well, rowing is uncomfortable too, but it's the most comfortable things that you will do on that boat," said Jordan Hanssen.

There was the psychological struggle, an eerie feeling of being completely surrounded by water -- with no land in sight.

The four rowers will celebrate their victory Thursday at 1 p.m. at Linden Air Freight, located at the southwest corner of Sea-Tac Airport.

It is a homecoming and a fundraiser. The rowers have raised more than $40,000 for the American Lung Association and they hope to add to that amount on Thursday.

View the crew's blog and pictures of the journey at www.oarnorthwest.com.