A woman who has never sailed before is taking on the world’s longest ocean race.

A story of a badly injured sailor during an around-the-world-race is enough to turn most people off the high seas, but not Anne Jobbins, 43, from Sutton, who was inspired to take on the challenge after hearing such a story.

Miss Jobbins normally works as a personal advisor at the Jobcentre in Sutton but on Monday she flew to Rio, in Brazil, to join her crew on a journey across the South Atlantic to Cape Town as part of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

Asked why she decided to take on such a challenge Miss Jobbins said: "There was nothing to stop me really. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009. I don’t like to say that’s the reason I’m doing it but that kind of experience does make you a different kind of person.

"I do look at things a bit differently. I’m not in it for the challenge, don’t get me wrong it is a challenge but I’m really in it for the experience. It’s going to be absolutely awesome.

"Before I started this I had never sailed before. I’d never been on a boat unless you count the ferry to France and I have only done that once.

"The training they give you it really intense. You live on the boat for the week you are training."

Miss Jobbins is not the only person from Sutton taking on the race, Fred Mundle, 67, from Carshalton Beeches is flying out to Rio on October 4 to join his crew.

Retired consultant, Mr Mundle, has sailed before but not on a scale like this.

He said: "On one of our training courses we had severe gale force winds of 10 or 11 so we are prepared for anything. You just don’t know what you are going to get."

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Fred Mundle 

Both Miss Jobbins and Mr Mundle are taking part in the second leg of the race from Rio to Cape Town.

You can follow their progress with an online tracker.

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