#SailingArabia - Strangford Lough solo sailor Andrew Baker is following his role in Enda O’Coineen’s Vendée Globe campaign with a new job as skipper of the Averda Sailing Team in the EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour 2017.

‘Hammy’ replaces the injured Marcel Herrera as skipper of the team, and he’s joined by fellow Irish sailor and London 2012 Olympian, James Espey of Ballyholme YC, in the youngest squad to take part in the Gulf region’s only long-distance sailing event — which kicked off yesterday (Wednesday 15 February) and continues for the next two weeks.

The young upstarts will have their work cut out for them in an eight-boat fleet that set sail from Muscat yesterday and boasts top-ranking team sailing talent, from Volvo Ocean Race crew Dee Caffari to Dutch Olympic sailor Annemieke Bes, who skippers her own all-female German team DB Schenker.

The Averda Sailing Team Facebook page has video of action from the Tour’s first leg: