On 24th June 2008 I signed up to take part in the final leg of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race 09/10. As I was signing on the dotted line I was thinking "it's a round the world race, you can't just do one bit of it". So after much soul searching, internal wrangling and scouring the darkest corners of my bank account to see if there was any money there (there wasn't) I thought "to hell with it" and signed up to do the whole thing!
These pages are here to document my progress from non-sailor to seasoned circumnavigator. Click on the links to find out about the race, how I get on with the training and preparations - The Beginning - and once I set sail, hopefully you'll come with me as I post updates from the ports around the world. I want to make this journey count not just for me but for other people too, so I'm raising funds for some charities that are close to my heart. I hope you'll join with me in supporting them -see Sponsor a Race Mile!
As I write this I'm still not entirely sure I realise the enormity of the commitment I've made but I do know it's going to be one hell of an adventure. There will be highs, lows and no-doubt woes but I know I'll also have a huge amount of fun and the best time of my life...so far!
I'm going on a journey where I'll be learning about how to sail, how to race under sail, visting new countries, meeting new people and hopefully making many new friends. Most of all I suspect it'll be a journey of self-discovery.
I have no idea what I'll learn and what I'll find but whatever it is will be shared with you here....
To find out about the Race, the route, the boats and what it takes to become a crew member visit:
Once the race starts you'll also be able to follow the progress of all the boats on the race viewer and see up-to-date photos and video. Who knows...maybe you'll be inspired to take part yourself...