ARMED Forces personnel are to embark on an epic round the world sailing exercise.

Three 67ft steel yachts named Adventure, Challenger and Discoverer will set off from the start gate off Southsea Castle at 1pm on July 11.

Sailing under the banner Exercise Transglobe, the crews will change on most of the 13 legs, allowing more than 500 service personnel to experience the thrills of ocean racing.

Organised by the Joint Service Adventurous Sail Training Centre (JSASTC) in Gosport, the circumnavigation has been endorsed as a Major Adventurous Training project by each of the service assistant chiefs.

Each of the Armed Services will be allocated one of the identically equipped JSASTC Challenge 67ft STC and the respective individual Service will be responsible for providing the crew for each of the legs.

Those taking part span all ages and rank and range from senior high ranking service personnel to raw recruits, some of whom only signed up recently.

Everyone onboard will experience the highs and lows of long ocean passages and landfall in some of the most exciting cities in the world. The route includes two long Southern Ocean legs, the longest of which includes a rounding of Cape Horn. The year long exercise, which will finish back in Gosport on June 26, 2010, will include participation in the Sydney to Hobart Race in December and the Antigua Race week in April 2010.

The project leader, Squadron Leader Neil Cottrell said participants will develop their confidence, stamina and determination, along with physical and mental toughness.

“People will ask how can the MOD let 500 service men and women travel around the World on a sailing expedition. There are 500 answers to that question,” he said.

“Every individual lucky enough to participate in Transglobe will take away something positive and life-enhancing from their experience.. Some will face the elements and prove their mettle by going on deck time and again in the worst of conditions. Others will inspire and lead their peers when needed.

“When they return to their units, those 500 will pass on their experiences and the effects of their personal development during Transglobe to the people they lead and work alongside.”

The qualifier for the Sydney to Hobart Race will be a tri-service offshore race using the three Transglobe yachts in May. This is when the Joint Services Sailing Associations will also be selecting their racing crews.

For leg 11, in May 2010, between Antigua and Charleston, each yacht will include service personnel recovering from wounds suffered in recent military operations.

On arrival at Charleston they will be conducting joint land-based adventurous training with members of the US Forces Wounded Warrior programme.

It is 11 years since the last tri-services Transglobe sailing event took place and the boats used then were Nicholson 55s.