Rowers' round-Britain record bid

The rowers hope to travel about 50 miles every day

Four men have set off on a record attempt to row non-stop around the British coastline.

Led by Lt William de Laszlo, 25, of south London, the oarsmen left from London's Tower Bridge on Tuesday afternoon on their 2,000-mile trip.

Lt de Laszlo and two of his companions, Lt Ben Jesty, 24, of London, and Sgt James Bastin, 34, of Dursley, Gloucs, are Grenadier Guards based in Windsor.

They are being joined by Hampshire company director Will Turnage, 26.

The group hopes to raise £1m for the Outward Bound Trust and the Bud Flanagan Leukaemia Fund at the Royal Marsden Hospital, Surrey, of which £64,587 has been raised so far.

It's the first time a record of this nature has been attempted Craig Glenday, editor of Guinness World Records

Called the GB Row Challenge, the rowers plan to travel about 50 miles every day during the trip, which could take five to six weeks to complete.

The team plans to drop anchor for one hour a day to eat dinner.

Rowing in pairs, with two men on and two men off, they will each consume 6,000 calories a day and will have more than one ton of food onboard their 23ft-long boat, Outward Bound.

Lt de Laszlo said the challenge was an alternative to other, more popular record attempts.

"Crossing the Atlantic has been done so many times that it just didn't appeal to me.

"I wanted a challenge that had never been done before.

"Anyone who knows anything about ocean rowing will tell you that, compared to this, transatlantic rowing is easy because the tide often helps you.

Brave and courageous

"It will be the hardest thing any of us has ever endured but I'm confident it can be done."

Mike Ridley, of GB Row Challenge, confirmed on Tuesday morning that the crew would be rowing in their preferred direction around the coastline - clockwise - because wind conditions were favourable.

Craig Glenday, editor of Guinness World Records, said the attempt was very brave and courageous.

"It's the first time a record of this nature has been attempted," he said.

"Everyone here at Guinness World Records wishes the crew the very best of luck and we hope that they will be able to take their place in the Guinness World Records book."