WHEN Andrew Montague crosses the Atlantic it will earn him a place in the Guinness Book of Records - Andrew is only 19 and his ship is a mere flat pack plywood boat.

The former pupil of Ermysted's Grammar School, Skipton, is taking part in the 2,900 nautical mile race from Tenerife to Barbados.

If he completes the course, he will become the youngest person to row across an ocean.

His partner in the race will be childhood friend 19-year-old Pippa Hartley, of Kildwick, who used to go to Skipton Girls' High School.

The duo are taking part in what has been billed as the longest rowing race ever staged.

They will compete against teams from all over the world, but they think they are in with a chance of not only completing the course but winning it.

"If you are not going out to win it then there is no point taking part," said Andrew.

He is not ignoring the fact that the race will be the most physically challenging quest either of them would ever face. Every day there is the chance they will have to battle against 80 foot waves and face killer sharks in their 23 foot plywood boat called The White Rose.

They have begun intensive training. Andrew spends six days a week in the gym covering about 5,000 miles a day on the rowing machine.

"Pippa is already a lot fitter than me," said Andrew. She has already had international rowing experience by taking part in a canal race in Canada, and competes for Newcastle university's first team at rugby union and squash.

"To have a chance of winning we must row non stop, one will take a short break while the other rows on," said Andrew.

The team will be hoping to complete the course in about 40 days.

Andrew heard about the race through his brother Richard, 20, an army cadet who will be racing against them partnered with a friend from university.

Their first obstacle though is to raise the entry fee of £11,000, the cost of the £2,350 boat which they have to assemble themselves, and then the rest of the competition costs totalling £50,000.

The race is due to start in October 2001, and the money raised will go to the Centre for Alternative Technology in the Congo.

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