THEY have spent three gruelling months rowing across the Atlantic in a tiny 23ft boat and are almost out of their food supply.

But Hampshire's Lawrence Walters, 23, and fellow adventurer Tom Rainey, 24, are poised to enter the record books today by becoming the youngest pair to complete the perilous crossing from mainland America to the UK.

The two friends will receive a heroes’ welcome when they step ashore in Tom’s home town, Salcombe in Devon, after 93 days at sea.

They have already made history after they covered 112.52 nautical miles on May 30-31, setting a new Guinness world record for the greatest distance covered in an ocean rowing boat in a 24-hour period.

The rowers are bidding to raise £250,000 for the Brain Tumour Charity, which helped Tom’s father Luke in the final months of his life.

During their 4,000-mile voyage they have battled 80ft waves, suffered jellyfish stings, seen their fibre-glass rowing boat encircled by sharks and have.

They also capsized twice but luckily they were strapped inside the cabin of their self-righting craft.

Last night they were on the final leg of their voyage after spotting the Lizard peninsula.

A spokesman for the two men said: “They have seen land for the first time since New York disappeared over the horizon at the beginning of May. The end is in sight and they’re clearly elated.”

Lymington-born Lawrence stepped in at the last minute after Tom’s original rowing partner was forced to pull out with an injured back.

Lymington’s mayor, Cllr Michael White, congratulated the pair on their “amazing achievement”, adding: “What Lawrence and Tom have done is fantastic.”

The two men are mentally and physically exhausted. Tom’s sister, Sasha Perry, said they were “starving”, having been forced to ration their remaining food limited supply of freeze-dried food.

She added: “Their food runs out this Wednesday, so I pray with all my heart that they’re home in time.”

Sasha praised the rowers for their “incredibly brave and selfless” attempt to raise £250,000 for charity, adding: “They have pushed their bodies and minds further than anyone I’ve ever heard of.”

Sarah Lindsell, chief executive of the Brain Tumour Charity, said: “They’ve put themselves through an extraordinary challenge to raise an incredible amount of money.

“Their commitment to helping us end the misery caused by brain tumours is genuinely awe-inspiring.”