Ocean rower Sarah Outen was today set to resume her bid to become the first woman to row solo across the Indian Ocean.

The 23-year-old's initial voyage across the ocean had to be aborted last week because of an electrical fault on board her boat, Serendipity.

Sarah, from Oakham, is hoping to leave from Royal Perth Yacht Club, in Fremantle, on the west coast of Australia. near Perth, this evening. According to forecasts, weather conditions should be more favourable than on her previous attempt, during which she was swept off course into a 400-mile detour and had to return to land after 10 days.

Speaking yesterday, Sarah said the conditions would be "perfect" for the restart of her 3,000-mile mission.

She said: "The weather can do strange things sometimes, but it looks like there is going to be a wide window of easterly wind that will help me across the current."

She will leave at sunset because the water is calmer in the evening.

A forecast spell of wind from the east lasting until Sunday should help her avoid the pitfall of being pulled south by the strong Leeuwin Current, which last time nearly swept her into the Southern Ocean. During her week on land, repairs have been carried out on her 22ft fibreglass boat, which was battered by storms in her previous attempt.

The biology graduate, who became a successful rower when she studied at St Hugh's College, Oxford, is attempting to become the youngest person and the first woman to row across the Indian Ocean alone.

She has set her sights on completing the voyage in less than 107 days, which would beat the record time set by British rower Simon Chalk.

Sarah took up the challenge in memory of her late father, Derek, who died in 2006.

The young rower was inspired to use the opportunity to raise funds for the charity Arthritis Care because he suffered from the condition.