Belfast mum to spend Christmas on the high seas in round the world sailing race – Belfast Live

A Belfast mum will be sailing the high seas instead of tucking into Christmas dinner with her family this December 25.

Jacqueline Kavanagh says she will miss her husband Terry and children, Bailey, 18, and 16-year-old Megan over the festivities .

Because while the rest of us are tackling turkey dinners or nut roasts, the 48-year-old novice sailor will be battling all the Southern Ocean has to throw at her team as they embark on the fourth of eight legs in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

The former volunteer, who has been sailing for just two years, said: "It's the hardest but most amazing experience of my life."

The mum-of two, who is originally from Dundalk but lives with her family in Belfast, left London on September 1 for the 40,000 mile race around the globe.

So far they have braved storms and waves taller than buildings as well as ice-cold conditions, 70mph winds and extreme heat on the race.

"I started sailing a couple of years ago and went over to see the start of the previous edition of the Clipper Race in 2017, which left from Liverpool," she explained.

"I thought it looked amazing but I put it out of my head because I thought only crazy people would do it!

"Then I met somebody who had just signed up for the race and she said I should do it, and then kept going on about it. So I signed up for one leg, which turned into two legs... then three, and then it was five of the eight legs.

"I was thinking five was a big achievement and then everyone was like 'why are you doing just five?' So then I found myself signing up to the entire thing! Before I knew it, I was at the start line thinking 'what am I doing!?' I am still kind of thinking that now Im in Australia!"

Jacqueline and her 20 teammates are racing Vietnamese-sponsored yacht the Ha Lon Bay Vietnam against 10 other identical yachts in the Clipper Race.

Already half way round the globe, she recently got to spend some time with her family down under before they headed off on the next leg.

She said from Australia: "My husband Terry and my son Bailey and my daughter Megan have all come out to see me. It was super emotional when they arrived.

"Im sad to say goodbye to them but I will see them in Derry when the race calls in next summer. It was so nice for them to come and see the boat and meet the team so when they read the blogs they have more of an idea who we are talking about. Everyone here has been so amazing to them."

Eleven months away from her family might be tough, but Jacqueline said her loved ones have been incredibly supportive and that she is relishing the challenge.

"My family are proud I think! They tell me they are. I hope they are," she added.

"As well as the amazing opportunity to sail around the world, I am getting the chance to meet some really, really fantastic people who all have totally different stories and backgrounds.

"Steering the boat in big weather has been a highlight. Just being out there and feeling that I can do it - that I can control the boat. The sea is a pretty mad place and it teaches you that you have to respect it.

"I just count myself really lucky that I am able to do this."

This Christmas, Jacqueline will be racing in the Southern Ocean during the aptly titled Australian Coast-to-Coast Leg, a 3,400-mile race from Fremantle to Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays and the fourth of eight stages that forms the global Clipper Race route.

The route takes around 20 days with her team expected to reach dry land between January 9-12.

"I cant think of any other adventure that is anything like the Clipper Race," added Jacqueline.

The Clipper Race is the only event of its kind and gives everyday people, regardless of previous sailing experience, the chance to race the worlds oceans with 40% never having sailed before they signed up.

Almost 700 crew will take part in the 41,165 nautical mile circumnavigation which takes eleven months to complete and crew can choose to race around the world or take part in one of more of the eight individual stages with the global route.

Each team is led by a professional skipper and first mate and is crewed by everyday people from 43 different nationalities.

So far the race has taken them to Portimao, Portugal, Punta del Este, Uruguay and Cape Town, South Africa and Fremantle, Australia.

After reaching Australia's Whitsundays Islands they head for Sanya in China; Subic Bay in the Philippines; Zhuhai and Qingdao in China; Seattle and New York in the USA and Hamilton in Bermuda. They will also dock in Derry before finishing back in London in Summer 2020.

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Belfast mum to spend Christmas on the high seas in round the world sailing race - Belfast Live