Sarah Young: British yachtswoman buried at sea after going overboard during around-the world race

The cause of death is not yet known but is suspected to be drowning or exposure

Sarah Young, 40, was a company owner from London (Clipper Race)

The British yachtswoman who died during the Clipper around the world race after being swept overboard has been buried at sea.

Sarah Young, 40, had been tidying the yacht's cockpit during gale-force winds at the back of the boat when she was hit by the wave in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

After being knocked back against the guard rail by one wave, she was swept under it by another wave, according to the IchorCoal boat's skipper Darren Ladd.

She had not been tethered to the boat at the time and was swept away in the winds reaching speeds of 40 knots.

Due to the extreme weather conditions, it took the crew over an hour to locate and retrieve her body.

Despite attempts to resuscitate her, she never regained consciousness.

Undated handout photo issued by Clipper of Sarah Young (centre) (PA)

Drawing upon centuries-old maritime traditions, her crewmates buried the body of Ms Young at sea early on Sunday.

Three readings were delivered, including the ballad Sea Fever by the English poet John Masefield.

As she was laid to rest by her team, sailors aboard the other 11 yachts gathered together on their individual vessels and marked the solemn moment with a minute's silence.

Clipper Race founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston said in a statement: "On behalf of everyone at Clipper Ventures, I am deeply saddened by the loss of Sarah.

"She was a very popular and integral member of the Clipper Race family and knew our boats well, having sailed with us since London last summer.

"The safety of our crew has always been and continues to be our main priority and we shall investigate the incident immediately in full cooperation with the authorities."

While the exact cause of her death is unknown, she is thought to have drowned or died from exposure.

Competing in the Clipper Race had been a lifelong dream of Ms Young, who ran a London-based personal lifestyle company for high net-worth individuals.

Paying tribute to Ms Young on Facebook, fellow IchorCoal crew member Elliotte Ashcroft said she felt "sick and shocked by this totally awful news".

She wrote: "Thoughts and prayers and much love and support go out to the onboard crew, Daz, Sarahs family and all who knew this witty, ballsy, caring lady. X".

Peter Thornton, skipper of the GREAT Britain yacht, another of the competing vessels, said: "Extremely sad news about Sarah and we are all quite shocked and suddenly acutely aware of where and what we are in this world.

"I cannot imagine what IchorCoal and her family are going through right now so our thoughts are with all who knew and loved Sarah."

This race has been running for nearly 20 years and this is the second fatality in its history.

Additional reporting by agencies