Yachting Brummie heads RTW

In August this year Birmingham man, Peter Smith, will set out on the challenge of a lifetime – to race 40,000 miles around the globe with the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race. The circumnavigation will take the telecoms professional eleven months to complete on board one of the ten stripped down 68-foot racing yachts that will contest the event and, having no previous ocean racing experience before he signed up to take part, will present him with a challenge quite unlike any other.

The Clipper Race is unique; it is the only event where people from all walks of life, regardless of previous sailing experience can race around the world under sail. A comprehensive, 32-day pre-race training course ensures that even the most inexperienced novices are equipped with the skills they need to live and race safely on board the ocean racing yachts.

It was taking part in some corporate events that whetted Peter’s appetite for the adventure. “I’ve wanted to do this from 2000,” he explains. “I just got a real bug for the big boat stuff. I can recall the defining moment now; it was bringing a 72-footer back in on a beautiful day when a squall came up. Everybody hid downstairs and I was on the helm in t-shirt and shorts. We had two sails up, we were doing eleven or 12 knots, the boat was heeled over and I was the only person on deck. I get goose pimples just talking about it! And that was it – it was probably only two or three minutes before everybody came back up but I thought, ‘That’s it – that’s what I want to do!’”

Each of the yachts is sponsored by a city, region or country from across the globe and each of the teams is led by a professional skipper. Almost 500 people will take part in the event, between them representing more than 40 nationalities and 250 different professions.

Peter, who now lives in Solihull, will find out who he will be racing with when the teams are announced at an event in Southampton on 30 April. There he will meet his team mates who will be a mixture of those, like him, taking on the entire circumnavigation, or one or more of the eight individual legs of the race.

The 59-year-old has been training hard for the race, including embarking on a gym regime to improve his upper body strength for the very physical challenge that lies ahead.

Peter says, “I’ve done three levels of Clipper Training so I’ve actually completed 1,063 miles so far. I’ve lived in closed quarters, I’ve been seasick and on Level 3 I spent all day in the galley and did breakfast lunch and dinner for the first time and I kept things down!

“Before I started training I had two anxieties – one was I’m not very good with enclosed spaces, so I wasn’t sure how I was going to cope and that was fine. And I was unsure of my own body strength to do hand over hand on the spinnaker pole and I’ve done that on every single training course without a problem. On the last course I was in the harness twice and went half way up the mast. So I’ve confidence in the kit, I’ve confidence in the crew and I’ve confidence in myself.”

Now in its 15th year, the Clipper Race was founded by legendary sailor, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail single-handed and non-stop around the world in 1968-69.

Sir Robin says, “Peter will be joining almost 3,000 people who have made the Clipper experience a turning point in their lives. We want people to finish the race thinking that’s the best thing they have ever done. Anyone can join these people and reach the pinnacle of sporting achievement. Anyone over the age of 18 can apply – there is no upper age limit – and no sailing experience is required as we provide full training.”

In addition to working with a trainer Peter has chosen to study for the internationally-recognised Yachtmaster Offshore qualification at Clipper’s Yachtmaster Academy in order to get the most out of his participation in the event.

“The interesting thing for me, after 42 years working in a position to get somewhere else, is I have no idea what next year brings me and I have no intention of worrying about it. So for the first time it’s an open book. When I get back I may never want to set foot on a boat, I may never want to see corporate life again – I don’t know. It is absolutely fabulous!

“I have had a progressive, successful career; I could always see where the next goal was. I’m not setting my expectations or those of anyone else for the first time in my life. My biggest concern at the moment is passing my Yachtmaster and that is the biggest anxiety I have in my life at the moment!”

Peter is using his adventure to raise money for the Ellen MacArthur Trust which aims to support and enrich the lives of children with cancer or leukaemia by introducing them to the joys of sailing.

He met Dame Ellen during a VIP sailing day when he was considering signing up for a leg of the Clipper Race and has not looked back since.

“We had a discussion about what drew us to the sea and I explained that I was looking at signing up for a leg. She gave me so much encouragement and said, ‘You should go for it. And if you do it, it’ll be different to anything else you’ve ever done. And she said, once you’ve done one leg you WILL want to do another one. And I can tell you, you WILL want to go around the world!’

“And I said, ‘Don’t be silly!’”

Peter has already raised more than £1,000 and donations can be made via http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/PRS777

Those inspired by Peter’s story can find more information on the race on the official website, www.clipperroundtheworld.com. With places all but sold out for Clipper 11-12 berths have now been released for the Clipper 13-14 Round the World Yacht Race which will see the launch of a brand new fleet of sleek 70-foot race yachts.

Against the Tide, the six-part TV series about the Clipper 09-10 Race is currently being shown on QUEST (Freeview channel 38, Sky channel 154, BT Vision channel 38 and Virgin Media channel 179) at 9pm on Wednesday evenings.