Army Sailors Close In On The Finish Line

British Soldier, an ocean-going yacht crewed by Army sailors is expected to complete the notorious Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race within the next 38 hours.

Currently sitting in 10th position overall, 'British Soldier' skippered by Major William Naylor, has had to endure a variety of conditions since the race got underway on August 12 - including an upwind marathon as it passed the west coast of Ireland seven days ago.

With ten of the 28 yachts having already withdrawn, the race is seen as one of the toughest races in offshore sailing.

It has attracted the attention of teams from 18 different countries with entries coming from across Europe as well as one vessel from the United States of America.

Race Organiser, Eddie Warden Owen of the Royal Ocean Racing Club explained why the race had gained its fearsome reputation:

“It’s tough because of all the headlands and all the tides.

"As you move around the UK the weather changes and this has a big impact.

"It’s much tougher than a typical transatlantic race and that’s what the attraction is.”

With the treacherous coasts of Ireland and Scotland safely navigated, the team is currently due east of Hull.

Earlier in the race, Skipper William Naylor spoke to Forces Network's Jon Knighton - commenting:

"The crew onboard British Soldier have experienced virtually everything the weather and sea conditions have to offer over the past week"

Image: Paul Wyeth/RORC

The Army team is around 1,600 miles into the 1,800 nautical mile race and is expected to cross the finish line at Cowes on the Isle of Wight in the early hours of August 23.

You can track the crew's hour by hour progress as they close in on the finish line here.