Plymouth crowds cheer start of OSTAR race

The Royal Western Yacht Club in Plymouth once again played host to the start of the Original Single-Handed Transatlantic Race (OSTAR) yesterday (Monday 27 May).

It is the 14th time the club, based at Queen Anne's Battery, has been the starting point for the 2,700 mile race which is held every four years. The inaugural race was in 1960.

More than 20 yachts are taking part with the finish in Newport, Rhode Island. They left Plymouth today cheered off by a sizable crowd. The racers - both professional and amateur - are expected to finish towards the of June.

According to the OSTAR website: "The course of the race is westwards against the prevailing winds of the north Atlantic. The first edition of the race was from Plymouth United Kingdom to New York City; the editions from 1964 to 2000 were sailed from Plymouth to Newport, Rhode Island; the 2004 event sailed from Plymouth to Boston, Massachusetts."

The skippers try a variety of routes and strategies to compete against each other, making the OSTAR an intriguing and unpredictable race.