Man sees waves the 'size of houses' in sailing race

"It is man against nature, it's sailing a boat through 60 knots of wind and the waves are taller than the boat."

Bob Brown is more than six months into the adventure of a lifetime as he circumnavigates the world as part of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

Brown, 60, has travelled more than 20,000 nautical miles with his crew so far.

"[We have had] broken booms, all sorts of shenanigans going on on the boat. We have been at it hard," Brown said.

He said the journey so far had been "absolutely epic".

When asked what his highlights were so far, while speaking to the BBC from Tongyeong in South Korea, he said: "For me it has all been about the sailing, the big oceans and having waves the size of houses.

"The weather, the wildlife, dolphins, whales.

"And not being afraid, knowing that the boat will do the job and you just sail through it."

There are 10 70ft (21m) racing yachts taking part in the race and more than 700 crew members involved.

The full circumnavigation, which began in August, is set to take 46 weeks to complete.

Brown said the camaraderie with other crews was a big part of the adventure.

He added: "I know people in every boat and they're going through that journey as well.

"When we are all on dry land it is an arm around the shoulder and supporting each other."

Brown said the journey was not just about "who has won, who has come last" but added that was "part of it".

Brown, a plumber from Leicester, said previously that he was hopeful it would "scratch" his itch for adventure.

The route for the full circumnavigation is divided into eight legs, with the first starting from Portsmouth and taking sailors to Spain, before crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

Then, the boats sail towards Uruguay, South Africa, West Australia, East Australia, China, the west coast of the USA, and the east coast of the USA, in that order, before heading back to the UK.

In the latest stage of the race the crew is heading for Seattle.

Brown said: "We are on our way home now, we have turned a corner.

"We have got two big oceans to finish – the Pacific and the Atlantic.

"My partner who I [won't have] seen in seven months by then is going to be in Seattle.

"That is going to be mega emotional."

The fleet is raising money for UNICEF, with Brown's boat raising more than £48,000 for the charity.

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