Nine two-handed Open 60s left Barcelona on Sunday to battle around the world and into uncertainty in the notorious Southern Ocean. When raced single-handed these Formula 1s of the sea are not pushed as hard as when they have two crew doubling the ability to drive them on.

And the only Brit in the race, Alex Thomson, knows only too well what the conditions at the bottom of the world can mean for a powered-up all-out racing machine. Just a year ago he was rescued by Mike Golding when his keel failed in the Velux 5 Oceans race and three years ago the deck opeed up in the Vendee Globe. Before that he was dismasted.

This 25,000 mile race, the Barcelona World Race, is organised by Ellen MacArthur and Mark Turner.