The race was delayed by an hour and 18 minutes as the ship waited to clear the sea fog for the start of the ninth edition of the Wendy Globe Solo.

The worldwide event kicked off at 2.20pm local time near Les Sables de Olon on the French Atlantic coast.

The Wendy Globe has been completed by over a hundred people, of which only seven women have a 31-year history.

The fact that more men have walked the moon than women have completed the Wendy Globe is a great inspiration to Pip ahead of the race.

Speaking before the launch of the Wendy Globe, Pip Hair said: “This is a long way to go – I’m been dreaming since I was 16 years old.

“So, I need to pinch myself that I am actually here and that I am going to leave the world, non-stop, on my own. Doing so on a ship that includes such incredible sailors – including five other women – is amazing.

“I have a big thank you to everyone who helped bring me to this position – I can’t do without them.

“So now Medalia and I have to do our best in this iconic competition and make everyone proud – and I can’t wait to do it.”

The Wendy’s Globe, founded by Philippe Gintot in 1989, is named after Wendy’s department in France, where the race begins and ends.

All 33 captains won their PRC Covid-19 Tests, which took place 48 hours before the start of the race, securing a boat entry to the Wendy Globe.

Leaving France, Pip and other rivals will endure the elements of the Atlantic Ocean and head for the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, south of Spain and the west coast of Africa.

From there, they will cross the Pacific Ocean and head east to South America in the direction of Australia and New Zealand.

Once they reach the waters off the coast of Cape Horn, an archipelago off the coast of Chile, they begin their journey north to France for completion.