Pangbourne man is one of youngest skippers in one of toughest races

Matt Mitchell, aged 25, was picked from among 200 applicants to be one of 12 skippers in the Clipper Round the World Race.
Mr Mitchell, who will be 26 when the race starts in late summer, will be the second youngest skipper in the history of the race.
He said: “It’s the longest yacht race in the world and it’s the only one where amateurs can go around the world on some pretty hearty racing boats. I was absolutely elated, but I couldn’t let anybody know until it had been officially announced. I just took myself off to a private part of the country.”
The 40,000-mile challenge is a chance for professional and amateur sailors to put their skills into action in the same boat.
There will be 12 crews in the race, which circumnavigates the globe to and from the UK.
As well as skippering a 70-ft ocean racing yacht , Mr Mitchell will also be responsible for the crew – nearly half of whom will be on their first boat trip, and have little training.
He said that although they would be crossing the world’s largest oceans, it would be the first time in a boat for nearly half the crew.
“I’m a bit daunted, as I’ve always been involved in crossing oceans with experienced people.”
However, he added that he was “looking forward to getting stuck in. It can get cramped and tempers can flair, but as the skipper I’m going to have to deal with all these problems.”

The race should take about 11 months, with 15 stop-offs and each of the legs should take an average of a month.
After turning pro when he left school, Mr Mitchell has taken part in races such as The Rolex Fastnet Race, the St Maarten Heineken Cup Regatta and the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race.
He added: “It certainly would be nice to win but at the same time I just want to give the crew a great experience.
“If you have a happy crew, the boat is bound to go faster.”