British sailor Dee Caffari to skipper 'Turn the Tide on Plastic' yacht in Volvo Ocean Race

Dee Caffari has been confirmed as the first female skipper for the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race.

The record-breaking Titchfield sailor will lead the Turn the Tide on Plastic vessel, which will highlight and raise awareness of the United Nations Environment's 'Clean Seas: Turn the Tide on Plastic' campaign.

Caffari told Sky Sports last month she was desperate to compete in the next edition of the 45,000 nautical mile round-the-world voyage after savouring her first taste of the Volvo Ocean Race as part of the all-female Team SCA in 2014-15.

And Caffari - the only woman in history to sail solo non-stop around the world in both directions - hopes to assemble a young mixed-gender team as she aims to make a splash during the eight-month race, which sets sail from Alicante on October 22.

"I'm absolutely delighted to get the opportunity to sail for a cause I am so passionate about," Caffari said.

"It's an honour to represent this landmark campaign, and to lead the team on such a prestigious platform is exciting.

"Seeing the amount of plastic in the ocean is heartbreaking. We're abusing our planet - and this campaign is about pushing people to proactively do something about it.

"We will be sailing with a youth-orientated team because the reality is, it's going to be the next generations who inherit the mess that we're making now. This is a major issue and we need to encourage this generation, and future generations, to step up.

"The Volvo Ocean Race is the ultimate test of a team in sport, and with the ambition to race with a youth-orientated international mixed crew, we are looking to make an impact on and off the water."