Hardly have Emma Richards' feet acclimatised to being back on land from the nine-month long Around Alone race and the Hamble sailor is talking of a Volvo Ocean Race campaign.

With her breadth of yachting experience, from the single-handed global circumnavigation, record attempts on Tracy Edwards' Maiden 2 and two legs on the last Volvo Ocean Race under her belt, the 28-year-old is suitably prepared to lead a campaign into the 2005/06 Volvo Ocean Race.

The first step was made this week with the backing of loyal supporter Pindar, leading British based international print and electronic media company, with the purchase of the Open 60 formerly known as Hexagon.

This acquisition in the short-term will enable her to continue her short-handed sailing career. In the long term the boat will act as a training and sponsorship raising platform for a Volvo campaign.

The Open 60 was built just two years ago at one of the top yards in Auckland. It is a very fast performer and will enable Emma to compete at the front of the fleet in a selection of high profile short-handed and crewed offshore races in the coming few years.

The downwind flyer will debut in Pindar's colours at the Transat Jacques Vabres start in northern France this November, a prestigious double-handed transatlantic race from Le Havre, France, to Salvador, Brazil.

Richards is also planning to compete in other crewed races next year such as the Quebec to St Malo double-handed race, as well as the Royal Western Yacht Club single-handed transatlantic race in June 2004.

She vows, however, that this will be her final single-handed race: "I am absolutely thrilled that we have managed to acquire such a good boat, enthused Richards. "We have a great race schedule planned for the next three years and we are also hoping that we could potentially use the boat for development and training purposes for a Volvo campaign. Either way, I am really excited as this is the first boat that we have actually owned and it will enable us to build a team that will be very competitive over the next couple of years."

The yacht is currently being shipped back to Europe from the southern hemisphere where it will undergo a major refit.

Asked whether Emma would lead an all woman team to the start line of a Volvo Ocean Race campaign, should a like-minded sponsor to Pindar step forward, it was inferred that gender would not take precedence. In any case the bubbly Hamble lass will surely have many sailors queuing up for a place onboard.