An adventurous 53-year-old from Burnham has set out on a gruelling 3,000 mile race across the Atlantic to raise money for a charity which helps those with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).

Dave Dunk hopes to raise £100,000 for the charity, Debra UK, which is dedicated to supporting those with EB - a potentially fatal skin condition that causes constant pain due to external and internal blistering - and finding a cure for the disease.

Dave and his 33-year-old rowing partner Jayme Linker, from Colorado, set out on the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Rowing Challenge today (Sunday, 12 December) from La Gomera in the Canary Islands.

The duo, who face 40ft waves, storms and freezing temperatures, aim to arrive in Antigua, their final destination, in 40 to 70 days.

Dave's mission to take on the daunting challenge began in early 2019, when he cycled past "strange looking rowboats" in Burnham.

He said: "I wondered what they were all about and I wanted to find out more. An internet search revealed they were ocean rowboats and the seed was sown - I wanted to row the Atlantic.

"My wife would not let me do something this mad alone, so I needed a buddy. I put out a few feelers and have been lucky enough to find the perfect rowing partner all the way from the USA. She is full of passion and enthusiasm for the trip."

The father-of-two decided he wanted to raise money for Debra after seeing a TV programme about a young girl with EB.

"Her skin just seemed to come off at the slightest touch - I remember seeing her mum taking off the girl's bandages and the skin coming away with the bandage," Dave said.

"As you can imagine the girl was in agony. She was crying out in pain.

"It really struck a chord with me. I could not imagine how I would be if one of my girls became very ill and how I would cope."

Dave and Jayme's team is called "Tropical Blue Wave" after the butterfly species, as those with EB are often known as "butterfly children" because their skin is as delicate as a butterfly's wing.

The race will also be an emotional journey for Dave, who lost both of his parents this year.

His wife, Sandra, said: "Dave lost his dad to Covid in February this year and his mum to Parkinson's-related issues only a few weeks later.

"He is taking them with him to sprinkle their ashes in the ocean. They were so very proud of him."

Sandra will be posting regular updates on the Tropical Blue Wave Facebook page, which you can follow here.

To donate to the duo's appeal to fund Debra's pioneering research into EB, click here.