An 18-year-old from Hamble is taking part in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, which set sail from the county on Sunday.
The biennial race sees amateur crews circumnavigate the globe in 11 specifically designed identical yachts owned by Clipper Ventures.
The ten-month endurance race sees professional skippers lead each team, with the yacht race beginning and ending at Gunwharf Quays Marina.
The youngest crew member taking part in this edition of the Clipper Race is Thomas Roy, 18, from Hamble.
READ MORE: Clipper Round the World Race: Southampton sailors take part
He said: “After my mum passed away, I had some funds and the opportunity to take part in the Clipper Race. I am taking a gap year between college and university, and I am a dinghy sailor, and my mother was always a sailor, so I thought I would go for it.
“All my friends are busy buying things they need for university – I am also packing but it’s a bit more hectic, it's very different things and my bag is a lot smaller.”
It was confirmed prior to the start of the race that the London Business School (LBS) became the first educational institution ever to partner with the Clipper Race.
Graham Hastie, associate director engagement at LBS, added: “LBS is proud to be the first educational institution to partner with the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.
“As a global business school with students and alumni in more than 150 countries, we see this as an opportunity to connect leadership and learning with a truly international adventure.”
The ten-month journey will see sailors leave Portsmouth and stop on land at the likes of Puerto Sherry in Spain, Uruguay’s Punta Del Este, and Cape Town, South Africa.
There will also be stops in Australia, South Korea, the United States, and Scotland, before sailors cross the finish line back on the Hampshire coast next year.
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