all at sea for 35,000-mile race

The current 2009/10 race is the seventh staging of the biennial event, which sees 10 identical, 68-foot yachts – each sponsored by international cities and regions – battle it out over 35,000 miles of ocean racing.

The 10-month event is the only global yacht race for non-professional sailors, and pits amateur crews, who receive basic training, against one another, although each boat is led by a professional skipper.

The race is divided into individual legs and races with points accumulated according to individual race positions. The yacht with the highest total at the finish wins the overall race.

Tens of thousands of people lined the banks of the Humber to watch the opening stages of the latest race in September, when almost 200 novice sailors set off for the French port of La Rochelle.

The 2009/10 route takes the fleet to countries including Brazil, South Africa, the United States, Ireland and Australia.