A PAIR of dentists, including one from Newton Abbot, are planning to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic in one of the world’s toughest races. They’re raising funds for the crisis hit Rowcroft Hospice.

Justin Marney and Azud Irshad will be racing some 15 other teams of rowers in the annual Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge. They expect to take at least 50 days to complete the course from La Gomera in the Canaries to Antigua in the West Indies.

They’re in training now and set off on December 15. They will be spending Christmas at sea in their 23ft two-man boat stocked with freeze-dried food, a supply of chocolate and a Christmas cake to celebrate Christmas Day.

Justin, 48, has been a dentist at the Pure Dental Care surgery in Totnes for almost 20 years. His partner in the rowing marathon is 30-year-old Azud, from Newton Abbot, who’s been at the practice for the last three years.

When Azud stepped up to the challenge this year he admitted it took him two months to tell his mum.

He said: ‘After Justin’s original partner pulled out in February it basically started out as a bit of a joke in the staff room that I could do it. Then, after about 15 minutes, I was stepped up.

‘Although I’m not a great swimmer I felt confident. But then later I thought about the impact on my family. If I’d taken that into account and addressed it with them first I probably wouldn’t have gone for it.

‘So I kept it to myself for a bit and didn’t tell my mum until the April after I’d done the paperwork. I needed to be 100 per cent sure I wanted to do it before I told her so that she couldn’t talk me out of it.

‘She’ll be very happy when it’s finished but would also be very happy if I didn’t start it. I’m scared but I’m not going to stop doing it.’

The pair will largely be unsupported out at sea. They’ll have a satellite phone and GPS and will need to make their own water and power with solar panels.

Justin said the aim was to raise money for Rowcroft Hospice which has cared for his terminally ill 80-year-old father.

The hospice recently announced it was facing a cash crisis and is looking at cutting some services to save £1 million over the next four months.

The duo’s boat, the Fresh Dental Challenge Atlantic, was built last year and is currently berthed on the River Dart at Dartmouth.

Justin, an Ironman veteran, said the pair were already in training completing 100-mile runs and 100-mile bike rides. They plan to get in some rowing training on the boat both on the River Dart and out at sea.

He said: ‘Before we can even compete we have to have had a verified 72 hours at sea in the boat. That includes 12 hours of night sailing.

‘We have to go through quite an arduous scrutinising exercise here and again when we get to La Gomera before we can even put the boat in the water.’

The pair hope to complete the row in 50 days although they will be carrying enough supplies to last them 70 days. They have both been on sea survival, ocean navigation and first aid courses to prepare them for the trip.

Details of the rowing trip can be found at www.freshatlantic.org and people can sponsor the duo at www. justgiving.com/freshatlantic.