A contingent of 50 Australians is about to embark on a sailing odyssey in the Clipper Round the World yacht race.
Starting at St Katharine Docks by the Tower of London on Sunday evening (AEST), the 11-month 40,000 nautical event will span six continents and take in nine countries, including Australia, before finishing in July.
Underlining the sheer scope of the event is the fact that the iconic 628-nautical mile Sydney to Hobart is the shortest of its 16 individual races.
The event also includes races from Cape Town to Albany in Western Australia, Albany to Sydney and Hobart to the Whitsundays.
Points are awarded for each race, with the winner being the boat with the highest cumulative score.
People of 44 different nationalities will be aboard the 12 competing 70-foot yachts, with Australia boasting the second biggest contingent behind Britain.
Sydneysider Wendy Tuck will be the first Australian female skipper in the history of the event, which is being held for the 10th time.
The crews are comprised of mainly amateur sailors with a fully qualified professional as the skipper.of each boat.
A staggering 347 occupations are represented across the 12 crews, with the Australian contingent including a midwife, soldier, student, carpenter and engineer.
Among the Aussies is the race's first double circumnavigator, 58-year-old Queenslander Ross Ham.
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