Clipper Round the World Challenge
KATE WHYATT OCEAN STARS TRUSTEE SETS OFF ON THE CLIPPER CHALLENGE
OceanStars :: Monday 7th September 2015 :: This Story
To follow Kate's progress please go to:
Katewhyatt.blogspot.com/my round the world adventure
This is one of the biggest challenges of the natural world and an endurance test like no other. With no previous sailing experience necessary, it's a record breaking 40,000 nautical mile race around the world on a 70-foot ocean racing yacht. All that is asked of participants is a good level of fitness, an age over 18 - and a thirst for adventure into the unknown. Divided into eight legs and 16 individual races, you can choose to complete the full circumnavigation or select individual legs. It is the only race in the world where the organisers supply a fleet of twelve identical racing yachts, each with a fully qualified skipper to safely guide the crew.
To support Ocean Stars through Kate's voyage please go to:
http://uk.virginmoneygiving. com/KateWhyatt
My Round the World Adventure
Last December I made the decision to join the Clipper 15-16 race and to race around the world in a 70 ft racing yacht. I had come to a time in my life where I needed a change in my day to day routine. I was thoroughly enjoying my GP14 sailing, helping out with Sailability at Frensham on Thursdays and Saturdays, and volunteering for Ocean Stars Trust, a charity that works with children in Sri Lanka, but my heart was not in my work anymore and I felt that it was time to take a break.
Why sail around the world you may ask? Because it's there, is one reason, but I also want to see the world from a different perspective. I don't think I have appreciated the size of the planet as I have travelled around at 30,000 ft so it is time to really understand how large and powerful the earth is as I go around at mean sea level. To experience sailing in the Southern Ocean, to watch the stars rise and set while on night watch, and to see the birds and sea life I have never seen before, are all reasons to make this trip. Fewer people have sailed around the world than have climbed Mount Everest – this is my Mount Everest.
What is the Clipper 15-16 race all about? This is a bi-annual race that was first launched back in 1996 by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, this one being the tenth. The boats are a matched fleet of 70 ft ocean going vessels that have been specially designed to circumnavigate the world with an amateur crew. The course takes the boats more than 40,000 nautical miles right around the world, from west to east, and crew can either sign up for the complete circumnavigation or for one or more of the eight individual legs. This is a serious race and points are scored in a similar way to F1; 12 points for first, 11 for second, etc, with extra points for reaching a gate first, but also points deducted for, for example, rule infringements and equipment damage.
The skipper is a professional sailor and is responsible for guiding his/her amateur crew through the vagaries of the weather and sea states, and safely back to England. Ages vary from 18 to 70+ years with a mix of men and women from all walks of life. Amazingly, approximately 40% of those who sign up have never sailed before. Now that needs courage!!
As I travel the world I am hoping to raise money for two charities close to my heart, Ocean Stars Trust www.oceanstars.org.uk and Frensham Pond Sailability www.frenshampondsailability.org.uk To this end I have set up a Virgin Money Giving page http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/KateWhyatt and all donations will be split 50:50 between the two charities. Please support this epic adventure, a journey that is going to take me 45,000 miles around the world over 11 months, that is going to challenge me both physically and mentally and that will, at times, be terrifying.
Finally, in order to keep friends and family informed as to what I am up to as I prepare for and take part in the race I am writing a blog, so please have a look at www.katewhyatt.blogspot.co.uk