Book Launch

Having moved to the beautiful Island of Guernsey with her husband in 2008 for his work, Anne, who had grown up with horses and riding, was looking for a new interest.
Eventually she decided to try her hand at sailing. This is when she heard about The Clipper Round the World yacht race. This race, incredibly, gives people who have never sailed before, the chance to train and race around the world. She thought this was an unmissable opportunity. 

 She signed up for a single leg of the 2017/18 race, sailing from Seattle to New York via the Panama Canal and this was enough to encourage her to do the whole race. Sailing with a skipper like Jeronimo Santos Gonzalez and first mates Ryan Barkey and Nano Antia Bernandez and the crew of Punta del Este, it was a complete joy. It was never just about the sailing but also about the people you meet and the friends you make and the bonds you form during life on a 70-foot boat racing around the world in all conditions. A fantastic adventure.

I have signed up to do the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) towards the end of this year, racing from Gran Canaria to St Lucia and hopefully avoiding any laggard hurricanes, as the season should be over by the date of the start of the race.

Many of my friends consider this to be madness at my age of 74 and, on reflection, I am inclined to agree with them!

I am hoping not to experience the mighty storms my wife encountered on her race, with 20-metre waves and 100mph winds.

The current 2025/26 race concluded on the 25th July 2026, with Team Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) winning by a record margin with 153 points. The race ended at Gunwharf in Portsmouth with a large crowd of supporters welcoming the ten raciing yachts home, after eleven months circumnavigating the globe. 

The skipper of GOSH is Oliver Irvine and his Additional Qualified Person (AQP) is Otto Kulow. Otto stayed with my cousin Amanda Dreyer in Cowes for several weeks before the race start in September 2025, while gathering the necessary qualifications and experience, so we have followed GOSH with extra interest.