Yacht a lot of fun for daredevil Amy

Sailing on clear blue seas in the height of a baking summer is most people’s idea of paradise.
Amy Dickinson from Lytham, on the World yacht race.Amy Dickinson from Lytham, on the World yacht race.
Amy Dickinson from Lytham, on the World yacht race.

But when you are doing it on four hours sleep during one of the most gruelling yacht races in the world, opinions may differ.

But not for Amy Dickinson, a 24-year-old osteopath of Henry Street, Lytham, who was attracted to the challenge of a lifetime onboard the 70ft clippers during her time as a student in London.

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Over the last two years since spotting the poster, Amy trained in cold and warm climates in Gosport.

Amy Dickinson from Lytham, on the World yacht race.Amy Dickinson from Lytham, on the World yacht race.
Amy Dickinson from Lytham, on the World yacht race.

This included intense sessions on the boat and survival training in the swimming pool.

After completing the rigorous course and forking out £12,000 of her own money, she joined up with the crew in Australia.

She said: “It was one of the best things I’ve ever done.

“It was very challenging but looking back it was amazing.

Osteopath Amy Dickinson at Lytham.Osteopath Amy Dickinson at Lytham.
Osteopath Amy Dickinson at Lytham.

“I saw a poster of everybody sat on the yacht and next to each person was their job, like a taxi driver, doctor, builder and it seemed accessible and I’ve always been interested in yacht racing.

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“There was a lot of teamwork and learning how the boat works, which was quite interesting for me because I felt like all the ropes and mechanics of it were quite like the human body.”

After completing her training on the Solent in Gosport, Amy linked up with the One DLL team in Albany, Western Australia, and sailed on the Indian Ocean and during the Rolex Sydney to Hobart race against 96 yachts last month.

“There was 20 of us onboard at one point,” added Amy, an osteopath at Lytham Clinic.

“The first race was 10 days which was better because it was easier to get into, but the next race was four days and extremely intense. We were living in a confined space and doing four hours on, fours hours off, so teamwork and dealing with people were a must and something I took back to work with me.”

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