Meet Simon Kane, the man getting ready to embark on the greatest challenge of his life. Mr Kane, 51, will be sailing two legs of the seven-leg Clipper Round the World Yacht Race 2009/2010 — the only round the world yacht race crewed by non-professional sailors.
The race started this week but Mr Kane, a freelance television director, will join the yacht in February from Qingdao, China. He will spend 35 days at sea, sailing leg five to San Francisco, and leg six to Jamaica via the Panama Canal, covering over 10,000 miles in the process.
He tells People: “I saw a newspaper advert for the race and took a photo of it as I thought it looked amazing. I completely forgot about it until I downloaded the pictures a month later. I called up and went for an interview.
“I am definitely worried about it and question myself all the time but I want this challenge. It’s about trying to do something drastically out of my comfort zone. I don’t want to look back at missed opportunities.”
Mr Kane, who lives in Hampstead Garden Suburb, admits his parents think he is “bonkers. My girlfriend is supportive, my kids think it’s amazing but can’t see the attraction and my friends also think it’s amazing.” Training includes a rigorous regime of three weeks on the water and one in the classroom.
North One Television is producing a six-part series on the race.
