Two Bradford sisters are attempting to break three world swimming records.

Liane and Dee Llewellyn from Odsal are today taking part in a cross-Channel marathon with four other women hoping to become the fastest team to complete an English Channel relay.

Not satisfied with breaking one world record the team of six will then attempt to beat the two-way record and the three-way record by swimming back from Calais to Dover and then going back again. If successful they will be the first all-female team to achieve a three-way crossing.

The women hope to complete the three-way distance of more than 66 miles and are hoping to break the current record of 31 hours and 23 minutes set by an Australian team in 1993.

Lucy Roper, 29, Pip Spibey, 25, Andrea Gellan, 46 and Julie Bradshaw, 39, are the four other women attempting the record. "We met the rest of the team through competing in other long distance events," said Dee, 26, who swam the English Channel last year in a solo attempt. She beat five international rivals to record the fastest Channel crossing by a Yorkshire woman.

She added: "Julie came up with the idea of the record and we were really keen to take part."

To complete the record each of the swimmers must swim for an hour in the same order throughout the attempt.

Dee said: "This record is different for us because it requires us working as a team and we have never done that before on a long distance swim. The most difficult part of this swim is that we will each have to spend long periods of time on the boat. If the sea is choppy we will all be suffering with sea sickness which could affect our performance."

They will each do approximately 15 miles.

Liane, 22, a physiotherapist said: "The total distance we swim will depend on the tide and that is why the weather conditions on the day are so important. If the tide is not in our favour we could end up having to swim extra miles which will add precious minutes to our time."

Liane is planning an attempt to break her sister's record of swimming the Channel solo next year.

The team aims to set off from Dover at 2am on Friday. They will be accompanied by the Viking Princess, a fishing boat. The record-attempt rules dictates that no wet suit can be worn.

"We are hoping for good weather so we don't get too cold but we won't be using the traditional method of applying grease because we are only in the water for short periods of time," explained Dee, a teacher.

As well as attempting the record the team are raising money for the Rainbow Children's Hospice, an organisation that cares for terminally-ill children in South Yorkshire and the East Midlands.

"Julie chose the charity because it was her idea to attempt the record. We hope to raise a few thousand pounds," said Dee.