Emily Nagel and her team-mates on board the 69-foot yacht Naval Group are making good progress after setting sail in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in Australia yesterday.

The team got off to a strong start in Sydney Harbour and at press time were in fifteenth place in an overall fleet of 157 entries, the fourth largest number of entries in the race’s history.

Naval Group were travelling along just over 16 knots, some 32 miles behind race leader SHK Scallywag, the winner of the

Antigua Bermuda Race this year.

Bermuda sailor Nagel is among a vastly experienced crew handpicked by skipper Sean Langman, who is making his 29th appearance in the prestigious race and is regarded as one of Australia’s most experienced offshore yachtsman.

Naval Group finished eleventh in last year’s race in an elapsed time of two days, 11hr 14min.

“This year, our compact team of Naval Group employees and professional sailors are galvanised to deliver the best possible outcome for the yacht,” Langman said. “With the skills and collaboration of this crew, our aim is to finish the race and ensure a very good rank on corrected time for the Tattersall Cup.”

Naval Group was originally launched in 2008 under the name Moneypenny.

Nagel, who has a master’s degree in engineering with naval architecture, has considerable blue-water experience under her belt having also competed in other prestigious offshore races such as the Volvo Ocean Race, Rolex Fastnet Race and Royal Ocean Racing Club Caribbean 600.

The professional sailor made her offshore debut in 2016 when she sailed from New York to Bermuda in a 46ft foiling catamaran accompanied by Oracle Team USA pair Jimmy Spithill and Rome Kirby.

Nagel also serves as a data analyst for Great Britain SailGP Team that finished fourth among the six nations that competed in the inaugural SailGP Championship this year.

The team, led by helmsman Dylan Fletcher, the former 49er world champion, made history after breaking the sport’s elusive 50-knot speed barrier during training ahead of the Cowes SailGP event, which they hosted back in August.

Their 50-foot foiling catamaran, the racing class used for the 35th America’s Cup, which Bermuda hosted, was clocked travelling at a record speed of 50.22 knots.