THEY are facing a major physical and psychological challenge that will test the concept of brotherly love.

But New Forest rowers Jude Massey and Greg Bailey say their main feeling is one of excitement as they prepare to tackle the biggest challenge of their lives – a 3,000-mile voyage across the Atlantic.

The two half-brothers from Lymington are due to embark on their gruelling journey today after their original launch earlier this week was postponed due to Force 9 winds in the Canaries.

Their potentially-hazardous trip from Gran Canaria to Barbados in a tiny 20ft craft could take as long as 11 weeks and the pair will not be accompanied by a support boat.

They face a seemingly endless list of dangers, including capsizing, fire at sea and the possibility of being hit by a ship or a drifting container.

But Jude, 18, and Greg, 27, are determined to raise £100,000 to fund vital research into skin cancer.

It follows the death of businessman Peter Massey – Jude’s father and Greg’s stepfather – who died in 2015 after battling the disease for 16 years.

The two rowers have equipped their boat with a watertight cabin, a life-raft and other safety features.

Personal locator beacons will automatically alert coastguards if they capsize.

But the daring duo, who call themselves the Ocean Brothers, are only too well aware of the huge challenges they face.

Greg said: “It’s going to be incredibly difficult living in a tiny space for such a long period of time - the feeling of claustrophobia we’re likely to encounter is hard to imagine at times.“You can’t really tell how you’re going to cope until you get out there - knowing you’re not going to see land again for three months.

“There have been occasions when I’ve thought ‘what the heck are we doing?’

“Our bodies are the boat’s ‘engine’. Blisters and small wounds don’t heal very well at sea and can easily become infected, which could affect our ability to row.”

A water-maker will provide them with drinking water as well as enabling them to rehydrate freeze-dried meals while they take turns to row.

Greg said: “We’ll be rowing 24/7, seven days a week, which means neither of us will sleep for more than two hours at a time.

“What we’re about to attempt is pretty daunting, but we’re comforted by the fact that we’ve done a huge amount of preparation.

“The overwhelming feeling at the moment is one of excitement.”

Asked how he and his brother would cope with the strain of being confined to a 20ft boat for such a long time he added: “We expect to have a few fall-outs but we also expect to have no problem making up afterwards.“Although we are very different individuals we play to each other’s strengths.”