A ROUSING send-off was given by volunteers and members at the Bolton Lads and Girls Club to the four men set to row across the Atlantic in a charity race next month.

On December 2, the team will take to the seas for an estimated six to seven week voyage to Antigua, racing against 17 teams from all over the world.

The race is the climax of 26 months of strenuous training for Mark Brocklehurst, aged 52, Matt Nuttall, aged 44, Nick Griffiths, aged 42 and Finn Christo, aged 32, who will be a apart from their families over Christmas.

Club members gathered on Tuesday evening to wish them luck ahead of the trip.

The group will tackle the Atlantic on a specially-designed ao.com boat and leave for their starting point in Spain on Saturday so that pre-race safety checks can be carried out.

Mr Griffifths suggested the idea after Mr Brocklehurst had completed a cycle ride from John O’Groats to Land’s End.

Since then the group has given up weekends to train in various locations and in different water conditions.

They will encounter 10-foot-high waves, freezing winds and will almost certainly be flipped upside down several times in during the harrowing voyage.

Mr Brocklehurst is a board member at the Lads Club and managed to win approval and arrange sponsorship for their trip.

Mr Griffiths said: “It will be very tough leaving my wife and two kids at Christmas for the first time and they have been very supportive in letting me do it.

“All the hard yards have been put in now and I think we’re all nervously excited and looking forward to the challenge.

“When all is said and done we still want to win, against a few UK teams, and ones from the US, Sweden and elsewhere.”

Mr Griffiths, Mr Brocklehurst and Mr Nuttall took part in this year’s Ironman in Bolton as a “warm-up” for the race and the four men have completed other endurance challenges in the past.

An fundraising target of £250,000 has been set by the team, with all money they raise to be used to support club’s junior mentoring project, which offers one-to-one mentoring for youngsters aged eight to 12.

Mr Brocklehurst added: “It’s hard to say exactly what we’ve managed to raise so far because donations are still being made. I would imagine it’s now roughly £130,000 to £150,000, but I’m not sure. The race will probably raise £2 to £3 million for good causes from all the teams.”

Rowing legend Sir Steve Redgrave has offered support to the team sending a letter of encouragement to them.

The team is hoping to finish the challenge, which is sponsored by Talisker whisky, in less than 45 days — by January 16 — which they believe will leave them in contention for victory.