HMS Oardacious say nerves are kicking in ahead of World's Toughest Row

A team of Royal Navy submariners called HMS Oardacious say their nerves are starting to kick in as they prepare to take on the World's Toughest Row.

They are tackling the gruelling Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, which is also known as the World's Toughest Row, crossing the Atlantic Ocean from the Canary Islands to Antigua.

The competitors will spend weeks at sea, battling sleep deprivation, salt sores and physical extremes as well as the mighty Atlantic.

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HMS Oardacious are not only aiming to win, but to break the records set in previous years - but have already have had to overcome an additional challenge even before setting off.

Their boat was damaged during transit to the start point, and had to be repaired, delaying their preparations.

Commander Michael Forrester of HMS Oardacious told Forces News: "Preps [preparations] are going as well as they need to be, but we would have liked to have been in the water sooner.

"But that’s sometimes what happens - you pick up issues and it's about how you work with everybody else and sort yourselves out as a team."