THREE brothers who bet their dad £5 they could row across the Atlantic faster than he did 20 years ago now must put their money where their mouth is.

Felix, Louis and Finn Ambrose of Lymington will take on the 3,000-mile challenge aiming to reach the other side of the ocean in 40 days – 19 days quicker than dad Hugo did in 2003.

When he paddled the distance with a colleague 19 years ago their boat was made of wood.

His children, meanwhile, will row 24 hours a day in their hi-tech boat named Ambrosia.

Bournemouth Echo: Hugo Ambrose during his trans-Atlantic crossing in 2003Hugo Ambrose during his trans-Atlantic crossing in 2003 (Image: Deep South Media)

Their team – called Ambrose Buoys - will take part in the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge in December. It is believed to be the first time that children of a trans-Atlantic rower have embarked on the same challenge.

Louis, 27, Felix, 25, and Finn, 23, are raising money for the conservation charity Tusk.

Finn said: “We made the bet as a bit of a joke and it all got rather out of control and now we’re committed to row the Atlantic.

“It’s not something you do lightly and we’ve put in a lot of training and have secured a boat – but we’re still looking for sponsors.

“I’m not sure dad ever thought we’d do it but he has got behind us and given us lots of advice – but he’s hoping we take longer than he did. When dad did it, he was only the 111th person to complete the crossing so it was pretty big news and a fairly big deal.

“We’ve been planning it for about two years but it only got real a year ago when we got the boat.

Bournemouth Echo: Felix, Louis and Finn Ambrose of Lymington with their boat AmbrosiaFelix, Louis and Finn Ambrose of Lymington with their boat Ambrosia (Image: Deep South Media)

“Mum is behind us but naturally a little worried that she’ll be waving her three children off on the voyage.”

Felix and Finn have just finished Masters’ degrees and Louis works as a software consultant.

Dad Hugo, who runs the seawater baths in Lymington, said: “The bet was a bit of a joke. I never dreamt they’d ever organise themselves into a proper crew, but they are surprisingly well organised and have trained a lot more than we did on our boat.

“The race really will test them, both physically and mentally, but they’ll never forget it.”

The boat will leave from La Gomera in the Canary Island on December 12 to the final destination of Antigua in the Caribbean.