NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — The U.S. entry in the Volvo Ocean race has left Newport for a trans-Atlantic training leg to Southampton, England, marking one of the final stages of preparation for the round-the-world classic.

Skipper Charlie Enright and crew on Team Alvimedica left Narragansett Bay on Wednesday. They lined up with Abu Dhabi, which also has been training in Newport, in a promotional start and short leg.

The next time Team Alvimedica will be back in the United States will be May 5-17 for the Newport stopover.

Enright says it’s tough to leave friends and family behind “but it is time to get out and go sailing.”

The team will compete in the Round Britain Race.

The 38,000-nautical-mile race starts in Alicante, Spain, on Oct. 4. It will stop in 11 ports around the world.

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