TWO rowers from the New Forest will receive a hero’s welcome today as they return home following their epic 3,00-mile voyage across the Atlantic.

After arriving in Southampton aboard the P&O cruise liner Britannia, Jude Massey and his half-brother, Greg Bailey, will climb back into their 20ft boat and row up the Lymington River in triumph.

A large number of spectators are expected to line the waterfront as they make their way up the river, accompanied by a flotilla of other small craft.

It promises to be the biggest party Lymington has seen since 2012, when sailing hero Sir Ben Ainslie proudly displayed his fourth Olympic gold medal.

Jude and Greg, who call themselves the Ocean Brothers, took 53 days to row from Gran Canaria to Barbados.

They are bidding to raise £100,000 for the British Skin Foundation following death of Peter Massey - Jude’s father and Greg’s stepfather - who succumbed to skin cancer in 2015.

Last night Greg, 26, revealed that they had already raised £96,000, leaving them with just £4,000 to find.

Jude is 19 and has become youngest person to row across an ocean as part of a two-man team.

He and Greg will enter the river at 2.25pm and row as far as the Royal Lymington Yacht Club, stopping near the public slipway and possibly lighting two hand-held flares before making their way to a reception at Lymington Yacht Haven.

People planning to watch the homecoming are being advised to gather near the slipway or the seawater baths, which overlook the entrance to the river.

The refreshment kiosk outside the entrance to the baths will be selling Ocean Brothers Ice Cream, with proceeds going to their fundraising appeal.

Both brothers are nursing injuries caused by weeks of round-the-clock rowing.

Speaking from Britannia Greg said: “Jude is on crutches and I’m having difficulty closing my hand because I’ve damaged the tendons in my fingers.

“But I don’t think we will have any long-term issues.”

Asked about today’s homecoming he added: “It’s going to be incredible. There are going to be a huge number of boats in the water.”