Catamaran back in action

Steady as she goes: Team Philips edges closer to the water

The "superyacht" Team Philips is back on the water, six months after the catamaran's maiden sea voyage ended in disaster.

A 40ft section of the 120ft port bow snapped off during sea trials in March, leaving the revolutionary craft severely damaged and captain Pete Goss deeply demoralised.

But, after extensive repairs and major changes to her structure, Goss's dream boat has been relaunched on the River Dart in Totnes, Devon.

Pete Goss christens the port bow with champagne

A crowd of 10,000 turned out to watch the twin hulls of the gigantic carbon fibre craft lowered onto the water to a fanfare from the Royal Naval College band.

Pete Goss smiled broadly as he led his five man crew aboard. He went straight to the port bow which had caused so much trouble earlier in the year and poured a full bottle of champagne over it.

The ocean-racing craft then embarked on a 12 mile journey down to Dartmouth under engine power. She will return on Sunday to have her giant 135ft masts fitted.

Earlier Goss told BBC News 24: ""This is the moment that we've all been waiting for. We can't wait to get her out sailing again and show what she can really do. We have already sailed 1,000 miles in Team Philips and think she's now in better shape than ever."

Extra strength

On the outside, the catamaran has not changed much. She looks exactly the same as she did before the disaster in March. But the crew believe she is actually much stronger.

The broken section of the hull has been "stuck" back on, but this time special strengthening strips have been laid inside the entire length.

A sorry sight: The bow broke in sea trials

The designers believe it makes her far more capable of withstanding rough seas.

"I believe in Fate, and in a strange way maybe the accident in March was the best thing that could have happened. It made us go back to the drawing-board, and now we've got a much better and much safer boat", crew member Mike Calvin said.

The wishbones and sails will be attached before the six-men crew sail across the Atlantic to New York.

If everything goes to plan, Team Philips will then go to Barcelona to take part in The Race, a non-stop, round-the-world adventure that begins on New Year's Eve.