The mother of Hull and Humber's injured skipper has urged the crew to go on and win the race for him.

Skipper Piers Dudin, 31, broke his leg when he was hit by a huge wave on Thursday morning, as he guided the yacht through the ferocious Pacific Ocean.

Mr Dudin, the only professional yachtsman onboard, has since been rescued by the Japanese Coastguard and taken to a hospital on the east coast of Japan.

He may now need an operation on the open fracture and will have to retire from the contest.

The yacht was on its way from China to California in leg five of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race when the accident happened.

The Hull and Humber will now sail in tandem with the Spirit of Australia yacht, sharing its skipper, until they reach San Francisco.

Speaking from her home in Salisbury, his mother Kirsty Dudin said she and husband Roger feared the worst when she first heard what had happened.

"It was a bit of a shock.

"It was a bad break and an open wound, so he would have been in considerable pain.

"I cannot see any way he will be able to carry on with the race.

"The crew will have to do it for Piers now."

Mrs Dudin said the family would be at the finish line in Hull, when the crew arrived back in June.

She said: "Piers will be devastated and cross with himself.

"But he is a philosophical person and he will bounce back.

"He will be back sailing as soon as he possibly can. He does not like to be on dry land for too long."

She added: "He was really enjoying his time on the Hull and Humber. The crew were fantastic and he has made lifelong friends.

"We are so proud of him."