Three sailors from the Bristol area taking part in the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge are expected to complete their 2,600-mile journey on Monday.

Kerrie Jones, 23, Amy Sharp, 18, and Heather Bell, 17, are part of the first all-female crew to take part in the race.

They set off on 85ft-high vessel the Rona II from Tenerife on May 16 and are expected to reach Bermuda on Monday.

However, most of the ships taking part in the race across the Atlantic are completing the last few hundred miles under motor rather than sail because of a lack of wind.

Organisers Sail Training International made the decision to cut the race off early on Tuesday following days without wind due to a high pressure system over the Atlantic.

They were worried the slow progress would mean the vessels would not arrive in time for Bermuda's four-day Tall Ships Festival starting on June 11, when the ships and crews will be the centrepiece of the island's 400th anniversary celebrations.

However, the Rona II is one of only three ships continuing to sail towards Bermuda and is expected to reach the island in time for the festival in third place out of the four vessels in its class.

Kerrie, Amy, Heather and 17 other women from across the country make up the crew on the Rona II and they went through a tough selection process before being picked for the race. They are due to return to the UK on June 15.

The course of the tall ships race circles the North Atlantic Ocean, following the traditional trading route of sailing ships over the centuries. It is made up of five race legs – Vigo in Spain to Tenerife, Tenerife to Bermuda, Bermuda to Charleston in America, Charleston to Boston, then Halifax in Canada to Belfast in Northern Island.

The race began on May 2 and is expected to finish on August 15.