Two Bristol women looking to bring a world record back to the city have been showing off the boat in which they hope to complete the mammoth task.

Annie Januszewski, 40, and Mel King, 35, will be joined by two men from London to become the first mixed four to ever row the 3,000 mile stretch between the Canary Islands and Antigua.

Last weekend, they displayed the 29ft hi-tech boat which runs all its equipment on solar power at the Bristol Harbour Festival and answered questions from people about their record attempt.

The Atlantic Rowing Race 2009 will see the plucky ladies having to use the toilet in front of their male colleagues as well as the large possibility of rowing naked to avoid salt water sores.

During their trip, which is expected to take between 45 and 60 days, the team will row two hours on, two hours off, day and night, right through Christmas and New Year.

The crew all face the dangerous prospects of sunstroke, sleep deprivation, salt sores, 35ft waves, probable capsize, sharks, oil tankers and blisters.

Mel, a yachtmaster, of Leigh Woods, and Annie, a rowing coach, of Eastville, and the other two rowers need to raise £20,000 each to pay for the challenge. Anything over the £80,000 will go to the Bristol arm of Macmillan Cancer Support.

Annie said: "We only have to complete the race to set a world record but we also want to finish in a time that is difficult to beat.

"We are hoping to get Bristol behind us."

The crew set off from La Gomera in the Canary Islands on December 6, arriving in English Harbour in late January or early February the next year.

Anybody interested in supporting Annie and Mel can contact them directly on 0785 219 8679 (Annie) or 0787 650 2951 (Mel).