All-women crew in Tall ships race

Zoe Redmill will be taking part in the race as a watch leader

Two Hampshire girl guides are to set sail as part of what is thought to be the first all-female Tall Ships crew.

Hampshire West guides Zoe Redmill, 29, of Southampton, and Hannah Hutchings, 19, from Winchester, are part of a 40- strong crew from Girlguiding UK.

The Class A (square-rigged vessels more than 40m/131ft) team will embark on the five-week race with 59 other vessels aboard the STS Lord Nelson.

They are currently heading from Liverpool to Northern Ireland.

The ships, from more than 18 countries, including Brazil, Poland, Oman and Germany, will then embark on the first race leg to Maloy, Norway.

Auto-immune disease

After Maloy, they will head to Bergen, also in Norway, for the second leg of the race to Den Helder in Holland.

Eight professionals, also female, from the Jubilee Sailing Trust (JST) will join the girl guides on the Lord Nelson, thought to be the first purpose-built ship which enables a mixed-ability crew to work alongside each other, regardless of whether they have a physical disability or minimal sailing experience.

Ms Hutchings said: "Am I excited? I probably can't get more excited.

"I have a disability - myathenia gravis [an auto-immune disease which is characterized by fluctuating, sometimes fatal, muscle weakness] - but I am so pleased I could be included and, if the training weekends are anything to go by, I think this is going to be a truly amazing experience."

Hannah suffers from an auto-immune disease which cause muscle weakness

Ms Redmill said: "I am excited to be taking part in the race as a watch leader, I am especially looking forward to the challenge of working as a team with my watch for the two-week voyage."

Janet Parker, county commissioner for Girlguiding Hampshire West, said: 'We are so proud of Hannah and Zoe for taking on this immensely exciting challenge."

A spectacular parade along the River Mersey marked the end of Liverpool's Tall Ships Festival on Monday afternoon.

HMS Argyll, a Royal Navy frigate, led the Parade of Sail, which got under way after the ships gathered in the river.

Almost 500,000 people visited the ships while they were docked in Liverpool.