Sir Robin Knox-Johnston set sail once again in his beloved "Suhaili" this morning, bound for the Solent from Falmouth, and ready to compete in the Round the Island Race this Saturday 21st June.

By afternoon "Suhaili" was south of Fowey.

She was revelling in a breeze just aft of the beam, Force 2/3 gusting 5 and achieving what her owner claims to be her top speed of 5 knots.

In 1969 Sir Robin, in "Suhaili", was the first to sail solo, around the world non-stop but four years earlier the boat had been brought by Sir Robin and his brother Chris from Bombay, where she was built, to England.

Their passage was full of incident.

They nearly sank in the Arabian Sea and spent a month in Muscat effecting repairs.

Then their money ran out and they had to take jobs in Durban before completing the voyage via Cape Town to reach the River Thames on Christmas Eve 1966.

It will be a historic moment on Saturday when Chris Knox-Johnston crews for his brother once again during the race round the Isle of Wight, but he trusts that this time their voyage will be problem free! Today's sailing marks the first coastal passage Sir Robin has enjoyed in "Suhaili" since her refit in 2002 at the National Maritime Museum in Cornwall where she is now based.

"Suhaili" is expected to arrive at Shamrock Quay, Southampton, on Thursday and will leave for Cowes on Friday evening, mooring on a buoy off the Island Sailing Club.