Female sailors making their mark

Boats from Abu Dhabi and China - two nations with no great tradition in offshore racing - have emerged as the early front-runners for the sport's premier prize, the Volvo Ocean Race.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing edged Chinese rival Dongfeng Race Team by a mere 12 minutes after 25 days at sea last week in one of the closest finishes of the opening stage in the 41-year-old event's history.

But also catching many people's eyes was the all-women crew in one of the biggest and most high-profile round-the-world yacht races.