A Teignmouth watersports instructor is preparing to set off on the arduous ‘World’s Toughest Row’ – Atlantic Challenge.

Tim Cox, who has been training transatlantic rowers for many years, is due to leave La Gomera in the Canary Islands with friend Andy Purvis on Wednesday (December 11)

‘This is a day earlier than expected, but still within the start window,’ Tim said. ‘It’s all about the weather conditions,’ he explained.

The pair hope to complete the gruelling 3000-mile crossing to Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua in around 40-50 days.

Over the past week, Tim and Andy have been plotting their navigation courses, getting their gear inspected and checked by race officials and preparing and loading their boat – a 7.3m fibreglass Rannock Adventure Boat.

Tim is no stranger to the challenge and has been providing safety instruction and weather routing services to participants in the World’s Toughest Row since 2012 through SeaSports SouthWest, the Teignmouth-based watersports company he runs with his wife Sue.

After 17 years based on Teignmouth’s back beach SeaSports SW closed the doors to its quayside premises earlier this year as the couple plan to focus on the specialist ocean rowing and shore-based training side of the business.

Tim has trained around 60% of the ocean rowers who have ever taken part in the World’s Toughest Row.

Tim and Andy will take it in turns to row with two hours on and two hours off, although the two hours off won’t always be for resting; there will be maintenance tasks to complete as well as refuelling the body with food.

As well as overcoming a challenge completed by fewer people than have climbed Mount Everest, the pair hope to raise £50,000 for charity. Their chosen beneficiaries are Dementia UK and Abigail’s Footsteps. Donations can be made via the Oar Mighty Mates 2C GoFundMe page.

Apart from the challenge of learning to face backwards in a boat - Tim jokes that he’s normally used to facing forward – the pair agree that capsizing is likely to be the scariest part of the trip. ‘But if it’s not scary, then what’s the point of doing it?’ Andy stated.

However, the isolation, seeing the stars in the sky at night, ‘being a speck in the ocean’, and seeing wildlife like whales, dolphins and turtles will make. ‘I want to enjoy it. It’s a once in a lifetime experience,’ Tim added.

Both agree that the trip is likely to change them. I think we’ll see life differently because we will have spent so long out in the middle of the ocean. I think we’ll appreciate life more,’ said Andy.

This year’s World’s Toughest Row comprises 38 teams, 111 rowers and 21 nations.

In the pairs category, Tim and Andy will be among 11 teams. Other Brits taking part include: Team Cheerfulness with Lee James and Peter Sage; 2Stroke with Karl Austen and Ed Shaw; Scholarship with Paul Hawkins and Josh Hawkins; and The Entrepreneurship 2024 with William Lomas and Adam Hardman.