Swell time in tough round-world race (From Barry And District News)

Swell time in tough round-world race

A BARRY man is competing in one of the toughest yacht races in the world.

The 2004 BT Global Challenge began on October 3 and will take 12 yachts the 'wrong way' around the world for ten months, while raising money for Save the Children.

Each yacht is crewed by 17 amateur yachtsmen and a professional skipper.

Rhod Phillips grew up in the Barry area and went to St Helen's Junior School and Barry Boys' Comprehensive.

He is among the crew on the Samsung vessel.

The 35-year-old said in his log: "The first 30 hours of this race really show you why this is the world's toughest yacht race. The first night out was spent fighting gale-force winds to try and beat westward along the English Channel.

"I'm on my daytime six hours off now and will be spending a pleasant five minutes with a couple of baby wipes in lieu of a shower, followed by a few hours' much-needed sleep. Even that's not easy. I'm on the top bunk of three, so getting up there is not so much Chay Blyth as Chris Bonnington. The trick is to try and time your leap with the swell of the waves and hope you don't stand on the two guys below you too much."

Rhod now lives in London and works in Algeria as a petroleum engineer. He has been training for the race for two years.

His mum, Anne Williams, of Lakeside, said: "As a child he was not interested in sailing at all. He became involved with the race when he saw one of the boats come into dock in London. He decided there and then that he wanted to go. He has resigned form his job to take part."