Nigel Morris and George Rock of Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton, along with a Lincs and a Welsh rower, are hoping to finish the 2, 500-mile trip in 55 days.

BBC: NEWS | UK | England | Tees | Rowers' bid to beat world record

Nigel Morris is CEO of Aegis Media Americas and EMEA, one of the biggest media and marketing services companies globally, overseeing Carat, iProspect, Vizeum, Copernicus, Team Epic, Posterscope The Story Lab, ICUC, and RoundarchIsobar.

FORBES: Behind The Brand: Aegis' Nigel Morris On The Era Of Convergence

Nigel Parr, head of the competition group at City lawyers, Ashurst Morris Crisp, says there is clear evidence that high-level lobbying does take place.

ECONOMIST: Stephen Byers is making a mess of competition policy