Former Trinidad and Tobago coast guard commander Reginald Williams embarked upon an historic voyage yesterday as he attempts to complete the transatlantic journey from T&T to the United Kingdom. The vessel The Legacy, will set sail for Antigua and then journey across the Atlantic Ocean to the Portuguese Azores, after which it will finish the journey, sailing to the Isle of Wight, England, where Williams and his crew will contest the Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week Regatta. Williams has been sailing for over 40 years and is continuing a family tradition that has spanned four generations. “This will be the last major campaign for The Legacy on our watch,” Williams told the Express yesterday. “We thought that there was no better way to send off The Legacy than to embark on this voyage.” The yacht will be sold to new owners after the voyage and the race. The sailor and his crew hope to create history. “This is the first time a team of West Indians will race on an indigenous boat in 180 years,” claimed Williams. It will also be the first time since 1960 that a voyage to the UK has been made by Trinidadians in a local boat. There are of course some challenges as according to Williams, the crew was not designed originally for short manning. “Everyone needs to have a critical specialisation on board,” he said. “We are short-handed; the boat is not going be manoeuvred so everyone will be doing double duty.” An enthused Williams hoped that with the journey he and his crew could inspire younger sailing fans. “The Atlantic run was something they were planning for a long time. We hope this race will inspire others in the sport,” said Williams. “We will do our best to make T&T proud of us.”