VOR fleet prepares for off

The Volvo Ocean Race fleet departs from Portsmouth later today on the eighth leg of the race. The route west will take the fleet round Ireland and Britain and back down to Rotterdam before the final sprint to Gothenburg for the finish.
Before reaching the open waters of the English Channel, the teams first have to tackle The Solent, the narrow strip of water which lies between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, notorious for its tidal quirks and sand banks.