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Last Updated: Saturday, 3 November 2007, 17:07 GMT
Two sailors start 4,000-mile race
Transat Jacques Vabre 2007
Yachts set off from Le Havre in France at 1400 GMT
Two South West sailors are on their way to Brazil in the Transat Jacques Vabre yacht race which started in France.

Alex Bennett from Devon and Ifor Pedley from Cornwall are up against some of the world's best yachtsmen.

Both sailors are racing in the Open 40 class as part of the Fujifilm team in the prestigious trans-Atlantic race.

The pair left the start line when the gun was fired at 1400 GMT and are heading off on a 4,000 mile (6437km) journey to South America.

New breed

Alex Bennet said: "I'm glad to say Fujifilm is as prepared as we could be.

"We're very much looking forward to getting out there."

Alex Bennet has been sailing since the age of three and is considered one of a new breed of competitive professional yachtsmen.

He is the record holder for the Class 50 Transat Jacques Vabre which he did in 2001.

The final destination is Salvador Bahia in Brazil

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