Burnham sailor nears finish line of world famous Ocean Race

But the draw of the Ocean Race, one of the most prestigious global competitions for elite sailors, is too hard to resist for 45-year-old Simon Fisher, who was raised in Burnham in the 1980s.

It was then that Mr Fisher, who now lives with his family in Barcelona, got swept up in the thrill of the competition, going on to race in the prestigious America’s Cup before undertaking his first Ocean Race in 2005.

The competition, which has run since the 1970s, is as intense as it is gruelling, and there is no room for luxuries on board the yachts, which are helmed by four-man crews.

This year's race consists of five teams taking on seven legs, the first of which started in Alicante in January; the final leg, expected to finish next Sunday, will see the crews from the five different teams finish in Genoa.

Experienced – Simon Fisher is now competing in his sixth Ocean Race (Image: 11th Hour Racing Team)

Of course, the sailing does not take place non-stop, month after month – crews do manage to have a break during the stopovers at the end of each leg.

Given the legs last for weeks on end, though, there is no questioning the human challenge which is faced by the crews, particularly during the marathon leg which runs from Cape Town, South Africa to Itajaí, Brazil.

Measuring 12,750 nautical miles in length – which amounts to just under 15,000 miles – that route alone exposes crews to brutal and dangerous conditions.

It may sound like an adventure, but is the Ocean Race particularly appealing, as such?

Mr Fisher, now participating in the race for the sixth time, can rationalise the competition’s appeal.

“There’s always something new to learn and develop,” he said.

“That’s what keeps me coming back – it’s a challenge.

“It’s the best racing you can do because you sail as a team for days on end, and the people you sail with you’ve got to get on with – being part of that team is very special.”

As for cabin fever, members of each crew all seem to be simultaneously single-minded enough to, almost by some sort of glitch, get on with the challenge at hand.

“A big part of building a team is finding people to work with and it’s important that you get on very well,” Mr Fisher added.

Long distance – the race runs a total of 40,000 miles around the world (Image: 11th Hour Racing Team)

“We push each other to perform and it’s about getting everyone to raise their game and work hard – it’s a good human challenge.

“It’s a tough race and you will have bad legs – even when things aren’t going well, you need to pick yourself up and keep going.”

The crew has to rely on each other, as there is certainly no such thing as comfort food on board; in fact, one might say that there’s no such thing as comfort, full stop.

“With any sort of sailing boat the lighter it is the faster you go," Mr Fisher explained.

“We try to manage weight on board, so there’s very little in the way of creature comforts – all our water is desalinated, as opposed to us carrying tanks of water.

“The cooking can leave a bit to be desired – you only take what you need, and there’s no shower on board.

“We only really have freeze-dried food, because the lighter the boat is, the faster it is – we do all this for performance.

No rest for the wicked – there aren't enough bunks on board for all the crew because someone will always be on deck (Image: 11th Hour Racing Team)

“You take what you need and no more – there’s no time to clean up or have a shower, and you might change your clothes once or twice during a leg.”

There seems little time to do anything except help steer the ship – and given there is a watch system in place so there is always someone manning the deck, there is not seen to be any need for a full complement of beds.

“The competition and the intensity is full on, and it’s a 24/7 race so you have a watch system of working with four hours on and four hours off; if there’s something happening then it doesn’t matter if you’re sleeping or not.”

Working late – Simon Fisher has the role of navigator on his team's yacht (Image: 11th Hour Racing Team)

As the navigator, one suspects Mr Fisher won’t get much sleep even in calmer waters; but even though it’s his sixth Ocean Race, he is unlikely to turn down the offer of a seventh.

“I don’t want to feel like I want to stop – it’s an incredibly brutal race but there is a lot of magic and adrenaline in it and it’s a very special race.

“There’s always a bit of me that wants to go again.”