YOU are in lockdown and your son turns to you over dinner and says: “I’m going to row the Atlantic.”

What’s a mum to say?

And what is she to think when his twin brother announces, bold as brass, that he’s going to join him?

What about the danger, the sharks, the storms, the massive waves .. ?

But if two young sons rowing 3,000 miles unassisted across the Atlantic is enough to get a parent thinking, what about a third and a fourth? For there are two more – believe it or not, another set of twins - and they are going along as well.

The four Friend brothers from Tiverton will be setting off on their adventure in 2022 and raising money for three charities, among them CHAT – a vital service for those struggling with housing issues in Mid Devon. They will set a world record by becoming the first four brothers to achieve the feat.

Cousins of George Friend, the former Exeter City footballer, the brothers have been brought up to aim high and never to shirk a challenge. One of them, Euan, plays rugby for Oxford University and played a key role in his side’s victory over Cambridge in the Varsity match in July.

The "boys" – Euan, Jack, Arthur and Hamish - took delivery of their boat in May and are now in training from their base in Exmouth. And as far as their mum, Judy, is concerned, she couldn’t be more proud.

On their website, the brothers give an insight into their motivation, writing: “Growing up together in the green hills of Devon, adventure has come naturally, as has the competitive need to push each other further, faster and higher.

"Now older and following different career and personal paths, this challenge is our opportunity to restrengthen the bonds of brotherhood and raise money and awareness for causes close to our hearts.”

Next on the agenda is the official launch of the FriendShip challenge and the boat-naming ceremony at the Quayside, Exeter at 12 noon tomorrow, Saturday, August 21.