Conditions have not favoured Oliver Hicks

Oliver Hicks, from Thorpeness, Suffolk, began rowing his craft Miss Olive 3,000 miles from New Jersey to Cornwall on 27 May to try and beat a 62-day record.

But since setting off he has been hit by unfavourable conditions.

Now Mr Hicks said the time was nearing when he could "start ditching excess and heavy stuff".

"The lighter we are the faster we go," he said.

Youngest person

Mr Hicks has already been at sea for 104 days, and has just under 620 miles to row to become the first person to reach the UK mainland by rowing boat.

Fewer than 150 people have rowed the Atlantic, and only 10 have completed the west-east trip from Canada or the USA.

The youngest person to cross the Atlantic is currently 29-year-old Emmanuel Coindre, who made the trip in 2002.

Mr Hicks is using the voyage to raise money for Hope and Homes, a charity that helps children worldwide who have nowhere to live due to war or disaster.