TWO North-East men made waves yesterday when they unveiled the boat they plan to row across the Atlantic.

Brothers-in-law George Rock, 39, and Nigel Morris, 38, from Ingleby Barwick, on Teesside, will make their world record-breaking attempt in June in the British Waterways-sponsored 30ft boat, named Atlantic Spirit.

Yesterday, the vessel was officially launched at the Tees Barrage by rower Colin McClean, who has crossed the Atlantic single-handedly twice.

It was also blessed by South Tees Mission to Seafarers chaplain Colin Worswick.

Mr Rock and Mr Morris, married to sisters Julie and Elaine, will form part of a four-man team, rowing from Newfoundland, Canada, to Falmouth, Cornwall.

They hope to complete the 3,000-mile trip in 32 days, setting a new world speed record.

And by continuing the voyage into Falmouth, the quartet will become the first ocean rowing boat team in history to complete a record in Great Britain.

On Wednesday, the pair joined team-mates Mark Stubbs and Robert Munslow for a practice session at the Nutec Centre for Safety, at Haverton Hill, near Billingham, Teesside.

"We had a brilliant day there," said Mr Rock, a BT customer service engineer, who completed a rowing trip from Tenerife to Barbados five years ago.

"We capsized the boat and stayed in the cabinet where we would be if there was a storm and we managed to self-right it. They simulated different weather conditions for us, including wind, rain and waves, which gave us much more confidence in the boat."

From now until June, the men will undergo tough training sessions to prepare them for the gruelling trip.

"We'll each row for 12 hours a day when we're actually out there - two men at a time," said Mr Rock. "We'll live on dried foods, as we want to keep the boat as light as possible, and just get across as quickly as we can. We're all really excited about the trip."

Mr Rock said that he and his brother-in-law, both fathers-of-two, have the full backing of their families.

"My wife wasn't too happy at first," he said. "But she's slowly coming round to the idea."