YACHTSWOMAN Mary Rook from Lyme Regis is heading east for a sailing adventure around Arabia.

The 25-year-old Lyme Regis club sailor is joining skipper Dee Caffari’s all-woman racing crew for their debut in an international contest organised by Oman Sail.

The Sailing Arabia – The Tour regatta features the Gulf nations’ and international crews in two weeks of racing around the Arabian coast.

Mary said she was thrilled to be in the all-women crew on the Al Thuraya Bank Muscat boat.

She said: “I was attracted to the women’s sailing programme because I was keen to bring performance sailing to women in new countries. Through my involvement I hope to achieve a better understanding of the culture and bring performance sailing to new women.”

Racing will include five offshore legs, each finished with inshore racing.

The contest starts in Bahrain before it traverses the Arabian peninsula stopping at Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and Oman before finishing at the end of the month.

Mary, who went to Exeter University, started sailing when she was 12 in a 420 two-person dinghy. She won the World and National Match Racing Championships in 2010 before being selected to trim for the all-woman crew. Mary missed out on the 2012 Olympics in the Match Racing class but hopes to be selected in 2016. The Al Thuraya Bank Muscat crew also includes the first recruits of Oman Sail’s women’s programme, launched last October.

Mary will sail alongside four Omani women who graduated from the 30-strong Oman Sail’s Women Sailing Programme, which aims to create a safe, informative and culturally-appropriate environment for the women and contribute to their development in the sport.

Other teammates are from France, the USA and New Zealand. World record-breaker Ms Caffari will also be joined by former Whitbread around-the-world racer Emma Westmacott on the crew.

Dee added: “Mary has been training with the Olympic squads. With her focus on match racing and keelboats she is a real asset.”

Dee Caffari's outstanding achievements

Dee Caffari was the first woman to have sailed single-handed and non-stop around the world in both directions.

She is also the only woman to have sailed non-stop around the world three times.

In 2006 Dee became the first woman to sail solo, non-stop, around the world against the prevailing winds and currents.

She was made MBE in recognition of her achievement.

Dee completed the gruelling Vendée Globe Race in 2009, crossing the finish line in sixth place out of an original fleet of 30 competitors.