GB rowers on course for a record

The rowers hope to raise £1m for charity

Four rowers attempting to become the first people to row non-stop around Britain are on course to sail into the record books next week.

The keen oarsmen, led by Lt William de Laszlo, 26, from Hampshire, could return to London's Tower Bridge - where they set off on 7 June - next Monday.

The rest of team are Lt Ben Jesty, 24, of London, Sgt James Bastin, 34, of Gloucs, and Will Turnage, 25, of Hants.

They hope to raise £1m for charity with their ambitious GB Row Challenge.

It's an amazing challenge and the team have risen to it brilliantly Mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington

Skipper Lt de Laszlo said: "It's a great morale booster to know we've crossed the border and are now off the North East.

"For the first time in nearly two weeks, the sun came out and we could see beautiful houses on the shore.

"We only have about 400 miles left to row to the finish in London."

Non-stop circumnavigation of the British coastline in a rowing boat has never been attempted before because of the treacherous tides and crowded shipping lanes.

The crew have been rowing 24 hours a day in their 23ft-long boat, Outward Bound, which has more than a ton of food on board - army rations which they have been "washing down with cold desalinated seawater".

'Fantastic achievement'

The Outward Bound charity and the Bud Flanagan Fund for leukaemia research will benefit from the funds raised by the 2,110-mile non-stop rowing challenge.

Mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington, a trustee of the Outward Bound Trust and chairman of the organisation's Risk Committee, said: "It's an amazing challenge and the team have risen to it brilliantly.

"I've been following their progress and I'm so proud of their fantastic achievement."