Around the world in 80 animals - Leatherback Sea Turtle

Thanks to their endangered status, I might not be lucky enough to see any Leatherback Sea Turtles during my circumnavigation despite their range covering most of the Clipper Race route. Still, fingers crossed - they saw one in the 13-14 Race!

Leatherback Sea Turtle fast facts

Type: Reptile
Diet: Carnivore
Average life span in the wild: 45 years (est.)
Size: Up to 7 ft (2 m)
Weight: Up to 2,000 lbs (900 kg)
Protection status: Endangered

Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man:

Did you know? The largest leatherback ever found was an 8.5-ft-long (2.6-m-long) male weighing 2,020 lbs (916 kg) that washed up on the west coast of Wales in 1988.

Did you know? Leatherbacks can dive to depths of 4,200 feet (1,280 meters) — deeper than any other turtle — and can stay down for up to 85 minutes

Around the world in 80 animals - Albatross

As I prepare to joint the Clipper Race 17-18, I'm building up a list of all the animals I hope to see during my circumnavigation. This week the spotlight is on an animal that I hope to see in Legs 2, 3, 4 and 6 - the albatross.

Albatross fast facts

Type: Bird 
Diet: Carnivore (mainly squid or schooling fish)
Average life span in the wild: Up to 50 years
Wingspan: 6.5 to 11 ft (2 to 3.4 m) - the longest of any birds
Weight: Up to 22 lbs (10 kg)
Group name: Flock
Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) human:

Did you know? Albatrosses have a special place in maritime lore and superstition, most memorably evoked in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Did you know? Albatrosses can circumnavigate the globe in just 46 days - that puts the Clipper fleet to shame!

Did you know? Mating pairs produce a single egg and take turns caring for it

Around the World in 80 Animals - Humpback Whales

Over the coming months I'm going to be building up a list of all the animals I hope to see during my circumnavigation. This week the spotlight is on The Australia Leg (Leg 4) from Western to Eastern Australia.

Humpback Whales

Fast facts:

Type: Mammal 
Diet: Omnivore (krill, plankton, and small fish)
Length: 48 to 62.5 ft (14.6 to 19 m)
Weight: 40 tons (36 metric tons)
Protection status: Endangered
Group name: Pod

Size relative to a  bus:

Did you know? Humpbacks are powerful swimmers, and they use their massive tail fin, called a fluke, to propel themselves through the water and sometimes completely out of it

Did you know? Females nurse their calves for almost a year

"But what about your career?"

Since announcing that I'm a signed up crew member for the Clipper Race 17-18 the question almost everyone asks is "But what about your career?" In response I tell them that taking part in the Clipper Race 17-18 will test my physical and mental strength in extreme conditions, when I'm sleep deprived, too  hot, too cold, sore all over and cannot take a break. This is no holiday - more people have climbed Mount Everest, than have sailed around the world. 

To me the Clipper Race represents a wealth of opportunity to test myself to my physical and mental limits (and find out where those limits are), learn new skills, and explore the world in a truly unique and exciting way. Taking part in the Clipper Race is also a chance for me to be part of something bigger than myself – working to support the invaluable work of British Red Cross and Official Race Charity UNICEF, and inspiring others in my local community and company to push themselves to take on new and exciting challenges every day.

Many of the skills I'll learn out on the world's oceans are transferrable and I hope will make me a better Editor. 

• Innovation and creative problem solving - when you're 2000 miles from the nearest land and something crucial breaks, you have to learn to think creatively about how to fix it
• Developing team tactics and strategy - it is a race after all!
• Dispute resolution - when you're stuck living in the bunk below someone for weeks or months at end, there is no room for lingering arguments or holding grudges
• Leadership - I hope to take on the role of Watch Leader for part of my circumnavigation, which involves taking responsibility for all the crew in a Watch and working closely with the Skipper
• Teamwork and collaboration - it is impossible to sail the yacht if you don't work together as a team and collaborate to achieve your collective goals
• Communication skills - in order for a crew to function effectively and safely, all crew members need to communicate clearly, well, and often
• People skills - living in close quarters with 20 strangers for weeks at a time with little contact with the outside world will certainly improve my people skills

These are all transferable skills that I will have for life. I believe that the lessons I learn out on the water will help me to improve how I do my everyday work and, ultimately, they will help me develop my career in publishing. That's why I'm happy to take time out of my career now - the investment I make now will pay dividends for the rest of my life.

If you or a company you know would like to join as one of my Crew Supporters and take advantage of being associated with this global event with a viewership in excess of 900 million people then please contact me for more information about the rewards I am able to offer my supporters and the types of support sought.

Around the World in 80 Animals - Bottlenose Dolphins

Sailing around the world isn't all waves and starry skies - I'll be seeing some amazing wildlife along the way too.

Over the coming months I'm going to be building up a list of all the animals I hope to see during my circumnavigation. These will range from birds, to mammals, to marine life, and will help open my eyes to the incredible variety of life out there in, on and above the oceans of the world.

This week the spotlight is on Leg 1, English Channel

The Bottlenose Dolphin

Fast facts:

Type: Mammal - they surface often, usually 2-3 times a minute
Diet: Carnivore - mainly bottom-dwelling fish, although they also eat shrimp and squid
Length: 10-14ft (3-4.2m)
Top speed: 18 mph (30kph)
Weight: 1100lb (500kg)
Global population: 600,000 approx.
Average lifespan in captivity: 45-50 yearsColouring: Grey (varies from dark grey to light grey on underside)
Group name: Pod

Size relative to a  6ft man:

Did you know? Bottlenose dolphins have been observed to breach (jump) up to 16ft (4.9m) out of the water, landing with a splash on their back or side

Mount Everest

While reading up on the Race (I'll admit it, I'm starting to become a bit of a Clipper Geek), I came across this startling fact - 

More people have climbed Mount Everest than have sailed around the world

Over 4000 people have climbed Everest, but just a fraction of that number have circumnavigated the world by sea. I couldn't believe it! I grew up thinking that hardly anyone climbs Mount Everest as it's so physically and mentally challenging, and never really thought about how hard it is to sail around the world in comparison.

Thinking about it though...

• Climbing Mount Everest takes around 2 months in total, while the sailing around the world takes about 11 months. 
• The temperature range on Everest only has a small variance, from pretty darn cold at -20°C to even colder at -35°C, while during a circumnavigation temperatures range from freezing cold at 0°C to the sticky energy-sapping heights of the tropics at 35°C and above. This kind of variance puts a huge strain on you physically (and mentally) as you adjust from hot to cold and back again, while coping with the consistently sub-zero temperatures of Everest is far more manageable. 
• On Everest, the furthest you will ever be from the nearest human will be around 2.1 miles. Sailing across the Pacific Ocean, the nearest human being will either be 248.5 miles away on the International Space Station (if it happens to be passing over) or around 2000 miles away in Japan or Alaska. 

Put it like that, and I'm not at all surprised more people have tackled Mount Everest than have circumnavigated the globe by sea.