A HAMPSHIRE sailor attended a party held in her honour prior to setting off to compete in a major transatlantic race.
Hamble based Phillipa Hutton-Squire is one of only three women competing in the Class 40 category in the four-yearly Route du Rhum.
The race starts from St Malo in northern France on November 2 and finishes in Guadeloupe in the Caribbean.
Hutton-Squire, who has been sailing out of Hamble for the last four years, was joined at the Hamble pub The King & Queen for a Bon Voyage party.
Miranda Merron, who is also based in Hamble, is one of the other two women competing in Hutton-Squire’s category.
There are different categories in the Route de Rhum, the biggest being the IMOCa 60 class.
It was in this class that Ellen MacArthur won the 2002 race onboard Kingfisher in 13 days and 13 hours.
Warsash’s Mike Golding was runner-up to MacArthur onboard Ecover, in 13 days and 22 hours.
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