The women who spent 51 days at sea in a tiny boat the length of two minis ended their epic 2,000-mile journey this morning at Tower Bridge in London.

By becoming the first women ever to row around mainland Britain their time of 51 days 16hours 42minutes has been accepted for a Guinness World Record.

Belinda Kirk, 35, from Bristol, Royal Navy nurse Laura Thomasson, 23, from Dover, IT support manager Beverley Ashton, 29, from Wantage, Oxfordshire and Angela Madsen, a wheelchair-bound 50-year-old grandmother and former US marine from Long Beach California are raising money for the services’ charity, Help For Heroes.

When they set out from Tower Bridge in London on June 1, they were taking part in Virgin GB Row 2010 - the world’s toughest rowing race.

They were racing a team of four men around the British mainland.

But when the male team gave up after less than two weeks, the women carried on alone and without any assistance for five more weeks.