Retro yachts set sail from Cowes for round-the-world race

Two hundred sailors in retro yachts have begun an eight-month race around the world.

Teams from across the globe set off from Cowes on the Isle of Wight for the Ocean Globe Race.

The 14 yachts have no computers, GPS or other modern technology and their crews will use sextants to navigate the 27,000-mile (44,000km) journey.

The race began when they passed the Royal Yacht Squadron start line off Cowes at 13:00 BST.

Under the race rules, entrants' boats must have been built before 1988 and even music onboard has to come from cassette tape players.

The first stop on the circumnavigation will be Cape Town in South Africa.

Ocean Globe Race founder and director Don McIntyre described it as "an epic challenge" and "a unique human adventure".

"The boats are racing under a handicap system which means the smallest boat could win," he added.

The British entry is Maiden, a yacht which made history in 1990 when its all-female crew became the first to take part in the Whitbread Race, crossing the finish line second overall in their class.

The restored 58ft (17m) yacht has a new female team and skipper Heather Thomas hopes they can inspire other women.

She said: "I want to show young women around the world what they themselves are capable of with hard work and determination."

The race marks 50 years since the first Whitbread round-the-world race, which was the predecessor to the Ocean Globe Race.

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