ACCRINGTON-born yachtsman Andy Hindley could soon be back "sailing" the troubled catamaran Team Philips -- while it is out of the water.

Preparations are under way to enable Andy and his fellow crew members to continue their sail development programme at the same time as investigations are carried out into why the £4million boat broke up at sea.

One of Team Philips' revolutionary 135-foot unstayed masts will be secured into a nine foot mast bearing adjacent to the build site, so the sail development programme can go ahead.

The crew hopes they will be able to take the vessel, currently in Dartmouth, the final 12 miles back to Totnes, Devon, on Wednesday -- weather permitting.

They are still planning to have the boat ready for the round the world challenge The Race in December.

Skipper Pete Goss said. "The research into what caused the problems is going well. Like a family in a crisis, we have all pulled together. We are determined to fully understand what went wrong, put the right solution in place, but also to use the time ashore to help us in our goal of winning The Race.

"One area of the boat we really need to understand more fully is the mast and sail combination -- effectively our powerhouse. So that our sail development programme carries on despite the damage to the bow, we are going to secure the masts upright so that we can sail without being at sea. "

On reaching Totnes, Team Philips will have her wishbones and masts removed, and then be hoisted by crane onto the same cradles that were used in her launch just over a month ago.

At the factory, preparations are under way to receive their giant patient next week.

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