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The boat, named Hull and Humber, was welcomed to Hull in a ceremony in the city’s marina.

The Lord Mayor of Hull, Trevor Larsen, christened the boat with champagne in his official capacity as Admiral of the Humber.

The yacht is one of 10 competing in the 35,000 mile voyage. All are sponsored by cities and regions from around the globe.

The Admiral of the Humber christens the ship.

It will be manned by volunteers from the area. Over thirty locals will take turns crewing the ship in the 13 separate legs of the race. The circumnavigation will take over 10 months.

The 68-foot vessel has a distinctive bright orange paint scheme, with the name Hull & Humber written in large letters along the side.

The branding is an attempt to promote the region to the rest of the world. Sponsorship for the boat has come from the business development agency; Yorkshire Forward.

The race starts in September. However, all 10 boats will take part in a special race from Rotterdam to Hull in July. The event is a special race for the Wilberforce Challenge Cup, held to mark the 200th anniversary of the slave trade.