British men become youngest to row Atlantic Ocean

Tom Rainey and Lawrence Walters arrived in Salcombe to a welcome from hundreds of well-wishers

Two British men have become the world's youngest to row across the Atlantic Ocean from the US to the UK.

Tom Rainey and Lawrence Walters, both aged 23, left New York on 3 May in their boat Yves, bound for Britain.

They landed in Salcombe, Devon, after rowing for about 3,800 miles and were welcomed by hundreds of well-wishers.

The Ocean Rowing Society described the route as the longest and most difficult of the Atlantic crossing records.

Team Ocean Valour is raising funds for the Brain Tumour Charity, in memory of Mr Rainey's father who died from the disease.

The pair, who survived capsizes and huge waves, also set an unexpected world record on route after they rowed 112.5 nautical miles (129 miles) in 24 hours at the end of May, breaking the record by nearly 10 nautical miles.

The first thing they did after they got out of the boat was to eat a bacon sandwich. Their on-board food would have run out on Wednesday,

A flotilla of boats accompanied the pair as they arrived in Salcombe

Mr Walters, from Hampshire, said the sandwich and a cup of tea was "all I had been dreaming of".

Mr Rainey, from Devon, said it was "scary the first time" the boat capsized but the pair then "got used to it".

They said everyday they thought they would not make it home and it was "so hard to fathom that we would actually get here".

Mr Rainey's mother, Anne, said: "Words won't tell you how overjoyed I am. They deserve all the recognition."

Both world records, for being the youngest pair to row the Atlantic from west to east to mainland Britain, and rowing the most miles in 24 hours, have been confirmed by the Ocean Rowing Society.

The pair see their families for the first time in three months as they arrive in Salcombe

The pair entered Salcombe estuary with less than a day's worth of food left

Lawrence Walters and Tom Rainey left New York on 3 May