No stopping them: Intrepid couple set sail again three years after being kidnapped by Somali pirates

The couple attempted the feat three years ago but were kidnapped by armed Somali pirates near the Seychelles

Setting sail: Paul and Rache

Waving to well-wishers, Paul and Rachel Chandler take to the high seas hoping to finally sail around the world.

The couple attempted the feat three years ago but were kidnapped by armed Somali pirates near the Seychelles.

Photographer Andy Kyle, who saw them set sail, said today they seemed “ecstatic”.

He said: “They are heading off for warmer waters again.

"I suspect they won’t be going anywhere near the Seychelles.”

Heading off: The couple set sail from Dartmouth

Paul, 60, and Rachel, 57, were snatched in the Indian Ocean in 2009 and were held for 388 days until their family paid a £625,000 ransom.

Their beloved yacht, the 38ft Lynn Rival, was found drifting by a Royal Navy ship which brought it home.

The couple, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, are attempting the epic journey on the same vessel, which they have refurbished.

Freed: Pair after kidnapping

Mr Kyle added: “I imagine they are ecstatic to be back on the Lynn Rival. They have spent the past 18 months restoring it to its former glory.”

The couple set sail yesterday from Dartmouth, Devon, where they have been living since returning from Somalia.

Paul’s father Alfred, who died at the age of 99 during their time in captivity, had a house there.

Source: Daily Mirror, London, UK.