After having seen the clipper yachts entering Den Helder harbour and thinking it would be cool to join them on their next trip in 2015/16, I have done some serious soul searching.

The family seems to think I should do the whole eleven month, 40,000 mile trip. Not sure if they see this as their opportunity to get rid of me for a year. But I completed the application form and got confirmation that I have an interview in Gosport on Friday 15th August, a 850 mile roundtrip from where I live.

I am still in two minds whether to do the whole circumnavigation or the two legs from Eastern Australia to the East coast of the US via China. Legs 5 and 6 will give me the experience of ocean sailing in a hot climate near Australia, sailing in the Doldrums (or not), cold climates near China and I will have crossed the mighty Pacific ocean a total of 13,000 miles. If possible I will wait with the decision until I have done my level 1 training, a six day familiarisation on a Clipper yacht.