Four-year-old Rebecca Coulson showed skills beyond her years during a Transatlantic sailing trip with her father.

Rebecca, who turned five in August, took the yacht's wheel as dad Kevin, 46, repaired damaged sails.

Mr Coulson, of Bromley Road, Catford, said: "We were close to rocks as I repaired the sail and she kept asking what about the rocks, daddy?' I said don't worry about the rocks, aim for that buoy over there'."

The former bike courier who teaches his daughter at home added: "People on Grenada harbour were watching and when they saw Rebecca had been steering, they were really impressed. I'm very proud."

The November 2003 trip from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean was part of the amateur Atlantic Rally for Cruisers and took three-and-a-half weeks.

After an extended stay in the Caribbean the pair retraced the 2,880 miles to return home two weeks ago.