TWO Army doctors are hoping to set a new world record for rowing around Great Britain.

Captains Hamish Reid and Nick Dennison, of the Royal Army Medical Corps, aim to become the first pair to row non-stop and unsupported around the British mainland.

They are taking on the challenge in a 24-foot ocean rowing boat and will battle fierce winds and strong tides on a journey of more than 2,100 miles in 45 days.

The pair are part-way through their attempt, having set off from Lymington, Hampshire, on May 12. They are rowing for up to 20 hours a day, alternating every two hours.

Speaking before he left, Capt Reid, 28, originally from Sibford Gower, near Banbury, where his family still live, said the pair were at the peak of fitness.

The Regimental Medical Officer of 22 Royal Engineer Regiment, in Tidworth, Hampshire, said: “The row demands prolonged physical endurance and in order to complete it we had to achieve an elite level of fitness prior to departure.

“We had to condition our bodies to deal with fatigue, discomfort and prolonged exertion.”

Capt Reid, who is hoping to train in sport and rehabilitation medicine, followed his father, Dr Nigel Reid, who until last month worked at the Banbury Medical Surgery, into a medical career.

They hope to raise £20,000 for the Army Benevolent Fund and Help For Heroes.

To sponsor the men, see rowforheroes.com