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Sunday, 12 March, 2000, 21:06 GMT

Giant yacht sets sail

A Ł4m giant catamaran yacht, built to smash the round-the-world speed sailing record, has set out on its maiden sea voyage.

The Team Philips vessel, which is the size of Wimbledon Centre Court, was towed out to sea from Dartmouth in Devon, with her 130ft sails fluttering in the wind.

Hundreds lined the shore cheering skipper Pete Goss, 38, and his crew who will sail the 40-knot vessel to London.

She is due to be officially named by the Queen at St Katharine's Pier in the capital on Tuesday.

Goss, who describes the boat as looking "like an intergalactic spaceship", will then attempt to break the Jules Verne round-the-world record, which currently stands at 71 days.

After doing so, he intends to enter Team Philips in a no-rules round-the-world contest called The Race, starting from Barcelona on 31 December.

His main competition in the 'global drag race' is expected to be American Steve Fossett in another giant catamaran.

The vessel's maiden voyage was delayed by a day while a build team carried out final preparations on the catamaran's wishbones at Totnes in Devon.

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