WEST Mersea sailor Saskia Clark has come out of retirement to compete in the first-ever Women's America's Cup.

The 34-year-old three-time Team GB Olympian will take part in the event, which will run alongside the 37th America's Cup, in Barcelona.

Clark will reunite with Hannah Mills for the first time since they won gold in the 470 class, at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The events will take place alongside the 37th America's Cup in Barcelona, in September and October.

Clark said: "Very excited is an understatement. Hannah and I had a great Olympic career together and I'm looking forward to reuniting, taking all the learnings from our Olympic experiences and applying them into a broader team environment in a new class of boat."

Clark, who took part in the London and Beijing Olympics in addition to winning numerous world championships, will be part of a 12-strong squad that will move to Barcelona in April, ahead of the competition.

The squad have previously won six Olympic and 22 World Championship medals between them.

The team will use the Athena Pathway AC40 boat, which can sail at speeds of up to 100km/h (62 mph).

Mills said: "It's great to see the level of talent coming through. Athena Pathway is focused on supporting and developing this talent both on and off the water - with the longer-term aim of inspiring the next generation.

"This is an incredible milestone for our sport. These athletes represent a new era of inclusivity and excellence in competitive sailing."