A fundraising event and auction to raise money for Teignmouth watersports instructor Tim Cox and crewmate Andy Purvis to row across the Atlantic later this year has raised over £3,500.

The pair held a fundraising party at Teignmouth yacht club on Saturday (July 20) along with an auction and online auction, which is due to close this Saturday (July 27).

Lots included a bottle of House of Commons champagne and a tour of the House of Commons, donated by recently elected MP Martin Wrigley, which generated £330.

Tim, who runs SeaSports South West in Teignmouth, and crewmate Andy are due to set sail from La Gomera in the Canary Islands on December 12. They hope to row the 3000 miles to Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua in around 40-50 days.

The pair, who are racing as ‘OarMighty Mates 2C’, will be using the challenge to raise money for Dementia UK and bereaved family support charity Abigail’s Footsteps.

‘Training has been going really well and we have experienced all weathers day and night of the Devon coast. We have also seen dolphins, seals and just missed out on a whale sighting by about 10 minutes,’ said Andy. ‘The people of Teignmouth have been amazing and we thank them for their support. Any donations or sponsorship would still be gratefully received,’ he added. Sponsors can donate £50 to ‘feed a rower for a day’, buy space on an oar or the boat, or donate useful equipment for the crossing.