Today the Clipper Round The World Yacht Race left the sunny city of Geraldton to race through Indonesia to Singapore.

It was a stinking hot day in Geraldton but it didn’t stop hundreds of people from coming down to the dockside and beaches to bid farewell to their Christmas guests.

In the familiar Clipper fashion the boats paraded away from the dockside to the sound of their boat song and waving family and friends.

The yachts face tough and frustrating conditions as they race through strong and light winds whilst navigating through busy shipping lanes, fishing boats and the potential risk of pirates.

The departure atmosphere had the smell of anticipation and nervousness, a feeling I will never forget.

For me, it was a sad day. A day I had to stand on the dockside and wave farewell to my fellow and trusted crewmates as they disappeared over the horizon to face the ocean without me.

It has been an amazing experience! I am lucky to have had the opportunity to do this race, to say that I have sailed from England to Australia is an amazing achievement.

I have seen so much of the ocean and the world away from safe shores. I have learnt so much and experienced so much during the past few months at sea, but also the year leading up to the race.

The preparation time has been as fulfilling as the race itself. I want to say thanks to everyone who helped me out, to everyone who chatted enthusiastically to me, and to everyone who followed my progress on the race.

Thankyou.