Our sailing journey to Bergen

Follow my exciting sailing adventure from Portsmouth to Bergen, Norway, as we raise awareness of Yorkshire’s cancer problem.

Our route: Portsmouth to Bergen, Norway

My incredible journey begins in Portsmouth, a historic naval city in the south of England. From there, we will navigate the seas all the way to the breathtaking fjords of Bergen, Norway. This challenging and rewarding voyage is undertaken to highlight a brilliant, innovative charity, Yorkshire Cancer Research. Every nautical mile brings us closer to our destination.

The Challenger racing yacht is named for a reason. She is challenging. To just walk inside you sometimes need to hold on with your body at 45 degrees angle to the boat. And constantly pitching. This leads to seasickness and achey muscles. There are no electric winches or simple sail ropes. All sails need to be manually put on the masts and winched by hand. We had to work in teams of 2-4 to get anything achieved. Fortunately we were all great helpers!

Connecting our journey to vital research

Sailing Through International Waters

Just as our racing yacht sails from the English Channel and into the North Sea, heading through international waters, our research has attracted national and international interest.

Firstly the Leeds Lung Health Check has been so successful through using lung screening to identify early stages of cancer, leading to subsequent treatment. The NHS is now using this strategy in other parts of the country to help target those with possible lung problems.

The Foxtrot trials results show that trials using chemotherapy before an operation, followed by radiotherapy, can lead to better outcomes for patients.

Challenger 3

Luxury Accommodation

Challenger 3 - The 5 Star Experience

No expense spared on the luxury accommodation.
Thin hammock through which your spine can feel every slab of wood.

Gordon Ramsey inspired kitchen - swearing optional.

En suite toilet to share with 15 others. Showering optional over the sink - impossible when sailing.

Sofa for 16 of us to share.

The Journey

We set off from Portsmouth and were blessed with sunny, calm weather. Within the first hour we had practiced a ‘man overboard’ procedure and got the offending body back on board. We were then split into two groups of ‘watches’.

‘It’s hard to tell the night-time from the day’

The Eagles - Desperado

Thereafter whilst sailing to Norway, the day was split into 4 hour chunks so you’re cleaning, cooking or sailing until it’s your turn for a 4 hour rest. Then at night you are working on a 3 hour rota so the mind numbingly cold wind doesn’t completely finish you off. At night you still have to steer the boat and change sails, all in the dark.
And no showers- not enough hot water and washing at an angle is hard enough!

Non stop sailing for 5 days and showers when we finally reached Stavanger. Blissful hot water.
At the end I have no idea what day it is or even what time.

The Crew

4 professionals and 12 enthusiasts. All hungry.

Living the Life

How to cure seasickness.

Destination Norway

Stavenger proved to be my favourite stop. A lovely small town with coffee shops, pubs and restaurants. After two nights there we cruised around the fjords - submarines, warships as well as beautiful scenery.

Cruising the Fjords

A few snaps

Around the Fjords, we met a few Vikings.

Bergen - the end of the journey

We made it!

What Have I Learnt?

Always say yes to a cup of tea, particularly on night watch.
You can do anything you want to do; the only thing holding you back, is you.
If I can sail to Norway in a few tricky conditions, then I feel as though I can do anything.
When booking a holiday, read the small print. No bedroom -no beds - hammocks - a shared bulkhead with 15 others. Seriously?

If you’ve enjoyed my journey, have a look at the Yorkshire Cancer Research website to be inspired by the £75 million invested benefitting 182,000 people with 750 cancer specialists working with Yorkshire Cancer Research.
www.yorkshirecancerresearch.org.uk