Making a special appearance on the water on the Sunday of the Regatta will be the four members of Team Tyne Innovation, who will be taking on the 2018 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge this December and rowing the 3000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean.

Guy Clack, Dave Higgins, Claire Hughes and Phil Kite are looking to complete the challenge for the adventure, and to support the North East of England, in particular its businesses and universities by showcasing innovation generated in the region, and to raise funds for their selected charities.

The first charity they chose was Daft as a Brush, which provides custom-made vehicles to transport outpatients who are undergoing cancer treatment to and from hospital. The second was the Stroke Association.

Having acquired their boat in January the team, one of 13 fours who will contest the race, is now in training, and they will be showing the boat at various locations around the north-east over the summer. They plan to row past during a break between the long course races on the Sunday of Durham Regatta.

The team will also be taking part in the prizegiving at the Gala Theatre on Sunday evening.