Veteran sailor and grandfather-of-five Sir Robin Knox-Johnston today set off on a solo transatlantic race at the age of 75 – 45 years after he became the first man to sail alone non-stop around the world.

South coast sailing legend Sir Robin, who founded the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, has returned to his solo ocean-racing roots by entering his Open 60 yacht Grey Power into the Route du Rhum competition which started today in St Malo, France.

The pensioner, the oldest participant to have entered so far, last competed in the 3,500-mile race from to the Guadeloupe in the Caribbean in 1982 in his 70ft catamaran Olympus.

And this is his first solo race since his Velux 5 Oceans circumnavigation in 2006-7.

The inaugural race in 1978 was won by Canadian Mike Birch after a nail biting finish but was marred by the disappearance of French sailor Alain Colas, who was lost at sea.

The 2014 race was open to mono and multihull boats across four classes with almost 80 entrants and Sir Robin is racing in the Rhum class.

Speaking ahead of the race, Sir Robin, who lives in Portsmouth, said: “I am doing this because I bloody well want to. I have been working hard with the Clipper Race the last year. I did the Sydney-Hobart and loved it. I looked around to see what was coming up and here we are. It is a race I have done before.

“There are more people here now than in 1982, the age and profile of the people who visit is much the same. I don't know any other race that attracts this much attention. It is phenomenal.

“There are bound to be questions about my age. They ask what I think of doing this at 75 and I say I am still 45. That is how I feel. I think I am 45 and that is where I stay. I feel no different to when I last raced. I am pretty fit. I lead an active life. I think of myself as young and that is it.”