Women to row Atlantic naked

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BRISTOL, England, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Two British women attempting a world record by rowing across the Atlantic say they hope to shave a few days off the trip by completing the feat naked.

Mel King, 37 and Annie Januszewski, 40, of Bristol, England, said they are hoping to row 3,000 miles from Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua in the West Indies in only 70 days, to beat the previous 75-day record for a two-woman team, The Sun reported Wednesday.

The women, who planned to start the voyage Wednesday if the weather is favorable, said they originally planned to row for 15 hours a day in their bras and underwear, but decided to strip down completely to reduce chaffing from friction with clothing.

"I've just turned 40 but I'd like to get it straight that I'm not going through a midlife crisis," Januszewski said. "Hopefully being nude will allow us to shave days off our time."