A TEAM of intrepid travellers have set out on a mission to conquer the Atlantic and raise money for a sea protection charity backed by Mornflake Mighty Oats.

One Ocean Crew, four female friends in their 30s, are spending Christmas and New Year in a boat as they test themselves against Mother Nature in the 3,000-miles Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.

The four, who had little rowing experience until they started training earlier this year, have set themselves an ambitious goal to be the fastest all-female team past the finish line while battling the physical and mental extremes of weeks out on the open ocean.

After setting off from the Canary Island, La Gomera, skipper and medical lead, Buckinghamshire-based physiotherapist Jennifer Cullom, spoke of the "buzz" of competing against around 30 rowing teams from across the globe.

Jennifer and friends will end their voyage in about a month's time on reaching the Caribbean island of Antigua.

Undertaking the challenge with her are London-based landscape architect Emily Woodason, corporate investigator Janette Potgieter and Cornwall kayaking and wilderness expedition guide Erin Bastian.

They are rowing to raise money and awareness of the Sea Ranger Service which is dedicated to restoring ocean biodiversity by managing and implementing marine protected areas.

The charity carries out vital work creating "national parks of the ocean! giving the sea a chance to recover.

The friends had a difficult task finding sponsorship up against the economic difficulties of the pandemic and were delighted to find support from Mornflake, who are recognised champions of sustainability.

Jennifer said: "We were thrilled when Mornflake agreed to be our headline partner. Their mill is powered by a wind turbine and they believe there is no excuse for waste. We love that their values match ours and are excited to have them on our team."

To power their row, the team mates are starting each day with energy-boosting Mornflake Superfast porridge oats, which has been pre-prepared for the voyage in sealed vacuum packs.

Jennifer added: "To row two hours on, two hours off, 24 hours a day for more than 40 days, we need some serious fuel. We are consuming more than 4,000 calories a day, so breakfast is a key meal for us.

"Facing sleep deprivation and 20ft high waves, we need this energy and resilience in bucket loads."

Mornflake Managing Director James Lea said: "Supporting One Ocean Crew was a good way of highlighting how passionate we are about saving the planet and our "Waste Not, Want Not" approach to running our business.

"In this day and age we believe there is no excuse for waste. We recycle and reuse everything we can and any by-product of our oats is used as feed for local livestock.

"We are proud to be behind One Ocean Crew with their brave effort to raise awareness of ocean protection and encourage people to live more sustainably."

Mornflake is charting the team's progress on its social media. For more on the mission go here.