I am joining the transatlantic stage of the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race for the challenge of a lifetime.  I will board the Northern Ireland team boat ‘Derry-Londonderry’ in Halifax, Nova Scotia on 15 June and will race 2,350 miles  across the Atlantic before arriving in the city of Derry-Londonderry between 29 June and 1 July.

 

I am a sailing novice but have been selected by the Clipper Race out of 70 candidates from my work (Hill Dickinson) to win a place on board the boat which is competing in the 13th race of the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race. (Hill Dickinson is sponsoring Race 13 and the winners of the race will be awarded the Hill Dickinson Cup).

 

This is a once in a lifetime chance to participate in something truly amazing, something I would never have had the opportunity to do under normal circumstances.   I can’t wait to set sail and I’m hoping to raise plenty of money for Marie Curie which has been such a support to my own family and especially my late mother.

 

I will be heading off to Portsmouth on 25 May to find my sea legs during one week of intensive training at Gosport. I will then depart for Nova Scotia on 13 June and join the ‘Derry-Londonderry’ yacht in Halifax before starting the race on Friday 15 June. I will be sending regular blogs and photographs which will be available to view on the Hill Dickinson website and twitter account (@HillDickinson) from 15 June. The yacht ‘Derry-Londonderry’ is skippered by accomplished yachtsman Mark Light and the crew of 18 will carry the 2013 City of Culture message around the world – Derry-Londonderry has been selected to be the first UK City of Culture in 2013.

 

The race finishes in Derry Northern Ireland between Friday 29 June and Sunday 1 July.

 

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