Peter Bray successfully rowed across the Atlantic alone in 2001.

The amateur team will attempt to complete the 2,100 miles from Newfoundland, Canada to Falmouth in Cornwall in 55 days.

The record was set in 1896 and, although it was equalled 17 years ago, it has never been broken.

Peter Bray, who was the first to kayak across 3,000 miles of the North Atlantic, is part of the team.

Ex-SAS diver Mr Bray, 48, from Bridgend, south Wales, described the attempt as "an amazing challenge".

"At the end of the day, Mother Nature is the one who is going to say yes or no to it," he said.

We will row for 24 hours a day - two men on, two men off, rowing for two hours on, two hours off, Peter Bray

"The boat is capable and we are capable of doing it."

The other members of the team are firefighter Mark Stubbs, 40, from Poole, Dorset, Jonathan Gornall, 48, a journalist from London ,and digital mapping specialist John Wills, 33, from Farnham in Surrey.

They are flying out to Canada next month, and plan to set off in late June or early July, depending on weather conditions.

"We will row for 24 hours a day - two men on, two men off, rowing for two hours on, two hours off," said Mr Bray.

He added that their boat, the Pink Lady - named after the apple company sponsoring the trip - was a high-tech vessel.

"It has two very small cabins at the front and the back - when the weather's bad, we can get into them.

"It is very long and slim, and unstable unless you put the ballast in."

Mr Bray's solo journey across the Atlantic from Newfoundland to Ireland in 2001 took him 76 days.

An earlier attempt the previous year had nearly ended tragically after his boat sank.

After the Atlantic attempt, he is also planning to canoe across the Pacific.