TWO British doctors have set sail from Western Australia aiming to set a world record for crossing the Indian Ocean.

Ted Welman and Jack Faulkner rowed out of Geraldton harbour on Thursday, despite rats eating some of their supplies beforehand.

Ahead of them lay almost 3,700 miles of ocean to their destination of Mauritius.

Their departure was delayed by a day due to poor weather but yesterday they were making steady progress, travelling at 2.7 knots.

Dr Welman, 26, from Petworth, and Dr Faulkner, 26 from Brighton, have spent 14 months preparing for the epic journey.

Dr Welman, who worked at St George’s hospital in London, said the rats had eaten a lot of their supplies but had left them with just enough to last the journey.

He said: “It’s made the boat a little lighter.

“We’ve basically replaced that space with all sorts of fun things... we got a nice bottle of whisky...and lots of fishing stuff as well.”

The two men rowed competitively at school and at Imperial College London, where they met while studying medicine.

They intend to row the 20ft long boat in two-hour shifts, 24 hours a day, and need to consume 8,000 calories a day each while taking part in the challenge.

To achieve this, they plan to eat three freeze-dried meals a day plus a daily snack of nuts, dried fruit, chocolate, cereal bars and beef jerky.

Dr Faulkner, who previously worked at hospitals in Kent and London, said: “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t absolutely terrified.

“It’s all a bit of an unknown but hopefully we’ll be alright.”

The two doctors recently completed eight years of medical training and are completing the challenge to raise money for a cause close to their hearts, Médecins Sans Frontièrs (Doctors Without Borders).

Their target of £100,000 will help provide emergency medical care in areas affected by armed conflicts, epidemics and natural disasters.

The current record for a pair rowing across the Indian Ocean is 85 days and was set in 2012 by two Frenchmen, Laurence Grand-Clement and Laurence de Rancourt.

To keep up to date with their progress, follow Doctors Adrift on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit doctorsadrift.com.

To support them by donating, visit pledgit.net/campaign/9RTdql.