JUST months after hitting a South Pacific reef, the legendary yacht, Gipsy Moth IV will soon be continuing her round-the-world voyage.

Last April, Gipsy Moth IV was holed partway through recreating a historic global circumnavigation, organised by Isle of Wight based UK Sailing Academy.

The vessel, recreating the famous circumnavigation, suffered a 23 inch hole in her starboard side when she struck the reef at Rangiroa atoll 130 miles from Tahiti, on April 29 She was slid off the reef on May 6 and shipped for repairs to Auckland, where she arrived on May 24 and was taken to the Emirates Team New Zealand World Cup yacht complex.

The ketch undertook sea trials in New Zealand last month after repairs were completed, and she was shipped out to Australia on July 3.

An Academy spokesman said today said that on arrival in Australia, Gipsy Moth IV would be unloaded and rigged.

The 53ft ketch first made maritime history when in 1967 she was sailed into to Plymouth, Devon, by Sir Francis Chichester after the first solo, one-stop round-the-world trip.

On Sunday, accompanied by a flotilla of vessels, she will sail into Sydney Harbour for the first time in 40 years.

She will then continue her global voyage on July 16, making six stopovers on the Australian coast - the last at Darwin, Northern Territory - with youngsters from UK and Australia among the crew.

Last September the refurbished ketch set out from Plymouth on the 22-month, 32-stopover, 30,000 nautical mile voyage recreating the famous 1966-67 Chichester voyage.

Each leg of the voyage was being crewed by teams of three 16 to 23-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds, or suffering from learning difficulties.

The yacht had completed the 11th leg of the voyage - from the Marquesas to Tahiti - when she went aground on the reef.

As a result of the grounding, the yacht's next two legs - from Tahiti to Tonga and from Tonga to Auckland in New Zealand - were cancelled.