Andy Perry, from Rainhill in the UK, is about to complete the last leg of her race around the world by climbing onboard Liverpool 08 for the race from Qingdao to Santa Cruz. It is a journey which has taken the Retail Operations Consultant two years longer than she originally anticipated.

       When Andy climbs onboard Liverpool 08 for the race restart on Sunday, the day after her 57th birthday, she will be a step closer to completing her ambition to race around the world. Having originally signed up for, and competed in the majority of the Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race, Andy has returned to Clipper to finish what she began over two years ago.

       As chief sail repairer and boat organiser, Andy was a valued round-the-world crew member on Liverpool 08 in the last edition of the Clipper Race. However, an illness picked up during the Subic Bay stopover in the Philippines prevented Andy from participating in one of the seven legs of the race.

       “Unfortunately I came down with shingles whilst the fleet was in the Philippines and therefore missed Leg 5 of the race across the Pacific,” explained Andy. “It was fairly severe and affected the left side of my face and then led to complications with my left eye.”

       Due to the highly contagious nature of the virus, Andy was placed in solitary confinement and was unable to join her crew for the cold ocean crossing. Instead, she was resigned to lying in bed thinking about her fellow crew racing on without her.

       “Realising that I would be unable to take part in the North Pacific leg was the harder that any part of the entire race,” said Andy. “When the boat set off I just wanted to be back onboard and I had this terrible feeling of letting the team down.”

       Following a full recovery, Andy flew out to Vancouver Island, Canada, to greet the crew at the end of their arduous four-week race across the Pacific.

       “It was wonderful to be there for the crew when they arrived in port at the end of the race from Qingdao,” said Andy. “However, when I heard how hard it had been I regretted even more not being able to be with them on the race.”

       At that time Andy knew that she would return to the Clipper Race to do the leg she had missed out on and complete her circumnavigation.

       “I always said I would do the Pacific leg of the Clipper 07-08 Race,” she said. “I’m a total completer-finisher and I need to be able to tick that box and say that I have raced around the world.”

       Therefore in August 2007 Andy found herself back at Clipper’s headquarters in Gosport for a week of training ahead of the Clipper 07-08 Race start, which took place on 16 September in Liverpool.

       “It was great to be back onboard Liverpool 08,” said Andy. “I had really missed the boat and it felt as though it was where I should be, a bit like coming home.”

       Liverpool 08 is currently berthed at the Olympic Sailing Centre in Qingdao, along with the other nine internationally-backed boats competing in the race. The Chinese stopover of Clipper 07-08 has been hosted by the Olympic Sailing Committee and has been a dress rehearsal for the sailing events of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which will take place there in five months time.

       “I’ve really enjoyed being here in Qingdao, said Andy. “It’s a fabulous city and the people are all really friendly. They’re obviously working hard to make a good impression ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.”

       The Clipper 07-08 Race will restart on Sunday 24 February for the 4,400 nautical mile stage across the Pacific to Hawaii. Following a short pit-stop in Oahu the race continues to Santa Cruz, with the Californian port marking the end of the fifth leg.

       “I think the first ten to 14 days are going to be particularly cold and wet,” said Andy about the race ahead. “I’ve equated this to around 40 watches, so that means I’ll need to be fully layered up to go on deck forty times for the first couple of weeks.

       “I know I probably should be nervous about the race ahead but honestly I’m not,” Andy continued. “I’m just really excited and can’t wait to get going!”

       Meanwhile Clipper crew members played a friendly football match on Saturday afternoon against representatives of the Olympic Sailing Committee. Before putting to sea, the teams had a chance to kick a ball around on dry land in a truly international football match in the Olympic Sailing City. With temperatures hovering around freezing, nobody was keen to hang about in the action-packed match.

       As the crews made the final preparations onboard the Clipper 68s including loading 1,400 litres fresh drinking water from large containers of mineral water into each of the yachts’ tanks, a trade delegation of more than 20 from Hull and Humber visited the yacht that represents their region around the world and toured the Olympic facilities. Speaking at a press conference this morning, Yorkshire Forward’s Head of Culture and Major Events Neil Jenkinson said: “We know that hosting major events plays a large part in developing a region and here in Qingdao you will soon be hosting the biggest event in the world. Hull and Humber is involved in this race for the economic benefit it can bring and that is why we have a delegation visiting to work on collaborations with the city. I also hope we will leave the people of Qingdao with a positive image of the Hull and Humber that will encourage you to visit for a number of reasons.”