HAMPSHIRE solo yachtswoman Emma Richards yesterday left Salvador in Brazil on the final leg of a round-the-world yacht race.

If Richards, pictured, from Hamble, near Southampton, completes the leg, she will sail into the record books as the first woman and youngest competitor to complete Around Alone.

The yachtswoman is currently in third place in the race as she sails to Newport Rhode Island, in the United States, on the fifth leg of the 29,000-mile circumnavigation of the globe.

Richards, 28, now has only 4,000 miles left to sail in her 60ft yacht Pindar. She said: "I can't believe that this massive adventure is almost over, but I am very focused on this final leg and just want to sail to the best of my ability.

"I have had an overwhelming amount of support throughout this race from all sorts of people, so I just wanted to say thank you so much. I hope that I can repay their faith and do everyone proud."

The race started in New York last September. If Richards completes her voyage in May, she will have spent more than 160 days at sea on her own.

During this time, she has survived a hurricane, icebergs, a terrifying climb of her 80ft mast for four hours, and handstitching her giant Kevlar mainsail when it ripped in two.

She now has to do battle with her ten male rivals for the last time to try to keep hold of third place.

To keep herself going, she has written on her chart table a quote from TS Eliot - "Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go."