Four teenage rowers will set off from Tower Bridge in London tomorrow in an attempt to break the world record for rowing non-stop around Britain.

Nick Bevan, 19, Will Homer, 18, Rob Pickering, 18, and Dave Gough, 19, all from the Midlands, are the youngest crew to attempt the challenge.

Sponsored by British Gas, which provided them with their boat and equipment, the crew hopes to row for 24 hours a day to break the record for non-stop rowing of 26 days, 21 hours and 14 minutes, which was set in 2005.

They intend to raise £100,000 to help to pay for research by Orchid, the charity that supports the study of cancers that affect men.

The crew members, who have never rowed professionally, intend to cover 70 miles a day, taking it in turns to rest and eat. They will carry more than 400kg of food.

The four began training in September, going to the gym and consuming more than 8,000 calories every day to achieve peak fitness.

“We all went to school together and as a distraction from work we hatched a plan to set ourselves a massive personal challenge. Once we made up our minds, that was it,” Mr Bevan said.

The crew’s position will be tracked via satellite.

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