DESPITE his experience gig rower Nigel Le Gassick from Lyme Regis is very nearly the 'baby' of a crew planning to put its strength and endurance into one of the toughest rowing challenges around the British Isles.

Nigel, 32, who captains the men's team for Lyme Regis Gig club, is taking up the challenge with three others - Jez Webb, 46, who rowed the mid Atlantic setting a new mid Atlantic 24 hour distance-speed record, Duncan Tebb, 35, who has completed six Ironmans, five ultra marathons and one Pacific Ocean row and the untried 20-year-old Rhys Deane.

The challenge is aiming to raise money for Honeypot, a charity which provides respite care and outreach support for young carers and vulnerable children aged 5-12. Currently the boat is being fitted out by Axminster boat builder Justin Adkin of Seasabre.

Nigel said: "Ultimately we are trying to break the record for the unassisted non stop rowing around the British Isles."

Nigel moved to Lyme five years ago and joined the gig club where he met members of the trans-Atlantic rowing team from Lyme who completed their historic challenge in 2011.

History teacher Nigel added: "I got chatting to them and that's where the ambition came from for the endurance row.

"Endurance rowing is attractive just because of the physical and mental challenge but going around Great Britain has an extra dimension with things like tide and currents which are slightly more unpredictable than those across the ocean.

"On top of that seeing all of the British coastline from the sea that's got to be quite a lure in itself."

Nigel's school is letting him have the last few weeks of the summer term off for the record-breaking attempt which starts from Southampton on July 8.

They hope to break the current record of 26 days, 9 hours and 9 minutes set from Tower Bridge in 2013.

Nigel added: "So if I am not back by September something has gone very wrong.

"I have never done anything like it before I imagine the hardest thing is going to be a mixture of the physical challenge of rowing on two hour shifts and not getting more than two hours sleep for nearly a month and just living on something that is about 10ft by 6ft essentially with three other people I've met a few times."

As if gearing up for the challenge isn't enough Nigel has a 10-month old daughter and is preparing to take part in The Cambridge historic boat race which takes place just before the annual Oxford Cambridge battle.

Nigel added: "I also have a very understanding wife. She knows it is something I have always wanted to do and knows that I'll be unbearable if I couldn't do it."

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