The Global Challenge fleet of 12 identical yachts will set sail from Plymouth early tomorrow morning, following their multi-million pound refit. Each yacht will be crewed by 17 men and women from all walks of life, some of whom will never have sailed before. The 48 hour maiden voyage from Plymouth Yacht Haven to London’s St. Katharine’s Dock provides the first extended opportunity for these crews to work together to form an efficient team, culminating in the fleet sailing in formation under Tower Bridge at 0840 on Saturday morning.

The Global Challenge race started in 1992, with the aim of providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for people of all backgrounds and nationalities to participate in the ocean yacht racing scene. Following in the footsteps of Sir Chay Blyth, the yachts set sail every four years to circumnavigate the world the ‘wrong way’, fighting the trade winds and even the rotation of the earth to encounter some of the harshest conditions known at sea. This year’s race will leave the UK in October to set out on the 30,000M voyage via Buenos Aires, Wellington, Sydney, Cape Town, Boston and La Rochelle, arriving in Portsmouth ten months later.

For more news of the voyage from Plymouth, keep visiting the Yachting Monthly news site. Our correspondent Dave Pugh will be aboard Challenge 46 ‘Save the Children’, skippered by 27 year-old Paul Kelly, and will be posting daily reports.