The idea was conjured up by the Langstone Cutters rowing club while they were enjoying a pint at their local, the Royal Oak pub in Langstone.

They have encountered everything nature could throw at them on the 417-mile journey – from river rapids, to ferries, to high waves, to oars snapping and the exhilaration of dolphins jumping alongside the boat.

They were even stopped by French river police, who wondered what on earth they were doing rowing up The Seine.

The team of 10, all from the Havant and Emsworth areas, have raised thousands to help save lives, contributing money to Hayling Island RNLI, Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation.

Rower Mike Gilbert, 60, more used to sketching architectural plans, said: 'I think we are all going to be smiling for the next month.'

The rowing race started on the River Thames at Westminster Bridge and The Cutters were competing against Le Figaro, a rowing club in London.

The race was completed over 10 legs, with the teams going neck-and-neck to the finish line. The Cutters completed the race in 95 hours 16 minutes and 55 seconds – convincingly beating Le Figaro, who finished the race in 104 hours 15 minutes and 58 seconds.

Mr Gilbert, who competed with his wife Deborah, 32, said: 'It's been the most unbelievable experience which we will never forget.

'Imagine spending a week eating, sleeping and working with the same people in a caravan – only one that's moving on water.'

Six rowers worked at any one time for four hours, grabbing one to two hours sleep at any one time on the support boat.

Six bananas a day and a diet of beef stew and rice kept the team going as they battled seasickness and agonising cramps.

Support team member Steve Sagrott, 52, from Emsworth, said: 'There were some pretty special moments like when we were rowing along the coast of France at 3am, the sea unusually calm, when suddenly this wave came over us and we had a pod of dolphins join us.'

Mr Gilbert said: 'I will never forget crossing the Channel seeing huge ferries pass us by while we were in a little rowing boat.'

The team say the secret to their success was their camaraderie – thanks to a song no less.

Mr Gilbert said: 'The Portsmouth Shanty Men wrote a song for us called La Belle Paris (see above).

'We sang it before and after every leg and I think it helped team spirit,' he added.

The £10,000 raised by the race will go towards the Langstone Lifesavers Fund – which is aiming to raise £50,000 to help various life-saving charities.

The team used a 34-foot long, six oared, fixed-seat, traditional Thames Waterman Cutter rowing boat for the race.