West Norfolk councillor on a life-changing odyssey across the high seas

A West Norfolk borough councillor has returned home after sailing 4,112 miles across the North Atlantic and around Ireland.

Sandra Squire, who represents Wimbotsham and Fincham wards, sailed the final leg of the Clipper Round The World Yacht Race as a member of Team GREAT Britain.

The teams left New York on June 25, stopping in Londonderry in Northern Ireland to take part in the Foyle Maritime Festival, before returning to Liverpool on July 28.

While West Norfolk basked in a heatwave, the Clipper Race teams experienced a range of weather including hail, snow, fog and thunderstorms.

Mrs Squire said: “At race start in New York we were surrounded by whales, the boats all had to take avoiding action to make sure we didn’t hit any of them and one day we were followed by a pod of pilot whales for over an hour.

“Nothing raises morale onboard like a shout of ‘whale’ or ‘dolphin’ from on deck!”

The crews are split into two watches with six hours on and six hours off during the day and four hours on and four hours off at night.

One person from each watch becoming “Mother” for the day having to cook for everyone onboard and keep the boat clean.

She added: “It’s a very simple uncomplicated life really, being heeled over makes everything so much harder, even getting dressed is difficult but it really does just boil down to ‘Eat, Sleep, Sail, Repeat’.

“The only thing we have to worry about is keeping the boat going and trying to make it go faster if we can.

“The ocean is really incredible, it looks different every time you see it. The wildlife is amazing, we saw dolphins and sea birds most days.

“Every time I came on watch there was something different, from the weather to the size and colour of the waves.”

Now Mrs Squire has crossed the Atlantic once, she is turning her attention to her next challenge as a member of Norfolk’s first ocean rowing team, the Norfolk BrOARds.

The team of three ladies intend to compete in the 2019 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, rowing 3,000 miles from the Canaries to Antigua, starting in December next year.

They are currently looking for sponsors to help with the cost of buying their custom-built ocean-rowing boat.

Mrs Squire said: “They tell you Clipper will change your life, I’m just not sure how
yet.

“I’ve made some amazing friends but I still can’t believe we did it. We crossed an ocean together.

“The experience teaches you a lot, I’ve learnt I can do more than I ever thought possible, that fear is a state of mind, that the only limits we have on achievements come from ourselves.

“That life is about the experience, the memories and the people. Not things. We can live without so much that we take for granted.”