Originally published June 1, 2008 at 12:00 AM | Page modified June 2, 2008 at 12:02 AM

Starting from NY, rowers try to cross Atlantic

Four men, one 29-foot rowboat -- and about 3,200 miles to go.

Scilly Boys North Atlantic Row 2008

NEW YORK -- Four men, one 29-foot rowboat -- and about 3,200 miles to go.

A team of rowers from the United Kingdom set out from the Hudson River on Sunday to try to cross the Atlantic Ocean. They hope to end at the Isles of Scilly, a group of small islands off England's southwestern tip.

The boat has an electronic tracking system, and a Web site dedicated to the effort says the rowers had gone 37 miles as of Sunday night. They hope to break a record of 55 days and 13 hours, set by two Norwegian-Americans in 1896.

The rowers are expected to take turns, with two people rowing in two-hour shifts and then switching off. They range in age from 19 to 43 and have been training for more than a year.

They are carrying about 1,500 freeze-dried meals and a device that can make saltwater safe to drink.

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