AND they're off!

Two Hampshire students yesterday made history as the youngest ever male and female competitors to start the Original Singlehanded Transatlantic Race - the world's oldest solo sailing challenge.

Oscar Mead, 18, and Katie Miller, 21, congregated with 34 other international skippers for the start of the gruelling 3,000-mile race from Plymouth to Newport, Rhode Island.

The Solent University students only sat their end of term exams on Friday - but were yesterday facing an altogether different challenge.

Hundreds of spectators took to the water of Plymouth Sound to see off the sailors, who will be at sea for around three weeks.

After saying their goodbyes, the skippers made their way to their boats shortly after 11am and slowly motored out into Plymouth Sound.

With final checks being made by their teams, the yachts sailed back and forth in preparation for the 12.30pm start.

Oscar Mead and Katie Miller talk to SailSolent ahead of the race

Through the melee of yachts came a regal motorboat with a very special passenger - onboard was HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip.

His Royal Highness was taken to the start boat, THV Galatea, from which he was to fire the starting gun.

Click to watch the start of the OSTAR

With a gentle breeze running through the Sound, and the grey clouds clearing, it shaped up for a pleasant - if not too exciting - start to the OSTAR.

But a weather briefing yesterday revealed the skippers could expect gusts of up to 40mph with the first 24 hours of racing.

The ten-minute warning gun was fired and the skippers made their way towards the starting gate, between THV Galatea and the Melampus buoy east of Drakes Island.

A four-minute warning saw the yachts edge closer to the line, sailing up and down jostling for position while trying to keep their speed.

Precisley on 12.30pm, Prince Philip fired the starting gun - and they were off.

With the breeze building to around eight knots, the yachts had ample wind to power them across the start line and out towards the Breakwater.

In a brave move, Oscar opted to hoist the spinnaker onboard King of Shaves, a move which saw him lead Katie's blue and red-hulled BluQube out of the breakwater by a few boatlengths.

Not far behind, 25-year-old Lymington yachtswoman Hannah White steered Pure Solo to a good position in the middle of the fleet.

The first of the 36-strong fleet is expected to arrive in Newport within two weeks.

For all the latest news from the OSTAR, log on to sailsolent.co.uk