 Devon's Alex Bennett will be on the starting line in Plymouth |
Some of the world's top yachtsmen and women are in London for the official launch of the 2008 Transat which starts from Plymouth in May. Competitors will leave Plymouth on 11 May on their 2,800-mile journey across the Atlantic to Boston.
The oldest solo yacht race began in 1960 as a bet between Sir Francis Chichester and Blondie Hasler.
That race took 40 days, 12 hours and 30 minutes to complete and was won by Sir Francis Chichester in Gipsy Moth III.
By comparison, in 2004 it was won by Michel Desjoyeaux in eight day,s eight hours 29 minutes 55 seconds.
About 50 skippers are expected at the start line at Plymouth's Sutton Harbout, including Alex Bennet from Devon.
The yachtsman from Torquay was forced to pull out of the Jacque Varbre race last year. The race will be officially launched in London by Dame Ellen MacArthur.
One-Minute World News 
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