Greenhalgh follows in wake of Ellen

MacArthur has been lauded since she completed her 71-day voyage in the yacht B&Q.

Sussex's own Robert Greenhalgh admires the physical endurance, mental tenacity and technical skill shown by Britain's most famous yachtswoman in overcoming all Mother Nature threw at her.

But Greenhalgh, views his own quest in the Volvo Ocean Race later this year as something almost completely different.

The Brighton Marina club member, preparing in Portugual for six months until June, said: "To spend all that time on your own going non-stop is a great feat. Ellen is a household name and good luck to her. But it is horses for courses. She's done her thing, I'm doing mine.

"I'm not bothered if I become a household name or not, I just want the challenge."

MacArthur's major opponents were the elements and loneliness in her 75ft craft but Greenhalgh will take on Mother Nature as part of an eight-strong sailing crew in the £10 million state-of-the-art boat Volvo 70 and up to seven rival craft.

Also, the race is scheduled to last eight months from November and will include stop-overs.

He said: "It is a long time away training and racing. But I didn't hesitate in saying yes' when I was offered a place.

"It's one of the races I've always dreamed of doing. I remember watching it on telly as a kid. I've always enjoyed sailing. I love offshore racing and the Volvo is the pinnacle of off-shore racing. I'm lucky to get the opportunity.

"What excites so much is that the race will be between new and radical boats, big, powerful and fast, sailing at their limit, pushing all the time against the elements and featuring equally-matched teams."

Greenhalgh's CV made impressive reading for the selectors of the Dutch-backed Team ABN Amro.

He has won the World, European and National Skiff Championships in 14ft and 18ft boats. National and European 1720 Class titles have also come his way and he has topped it off with victory in the Fastnet, racing in the competitive Class Zero.

He said: "I'm proud of what I've done in the ten years I've spent competing as a senior especially my world title win."

Greenalgh, 27, from Rottingdean, believes his versatility earned him a place.

He said: "I've had plenty of experience in all sorts of classes, in small and big boats.

"I'm used to sailing. It's like a Formula One motoracing driver is used to whizzing around a circuit."

But he knows he is going into untried waters.

He said: "Instead of racing across a harbour in a skiff, I'll be racing from nation to nation, continent to continent.

But I believe I can face up to the whole thing.

"My roles are as a helmsman and trimmer but I'm sure I'll get involved in all sorts of other things. I will do what I think is best for the team. I'll have to focus on getting the most speed out of the boat in all conditions and that could also include the cooking and sponging the bilges."

Greenhalgh and his crewmates are likely to face hurricanes, huge waves and life-threatening situations.

But he straight bats any inquiry about concern for his well-being.

Greenalgh has to. If he started worrying about what negatives face him he might lose his focus. He said: "We'll face near hurricanes up to 50 knots, big waves and other stuff but you just have to deal with it all.

"It might sound like I'm treating all these things as every day occurences but in sailing they can be and you have to be prepared.

"You can't think about the dangers. You don't go in to it thinking you might die. I don't think anyone's died in the race for 20 years.

"It is like any sport. You don't think what is the worst that could happen?'.

"You must use the highs of your achievements to help you, to motivate you and you put the bad stuff behind you.

"My family understand. They've stopped asking when will I grow up. They all sail anyway."

Greenhalgh and his seven fellow sailors will guide themselves, with the help of navigation, across notorious seas around the Capes as they follow the old routes of the clipper ships, sailing eastwards around the world with the prevailing winds.

He has been in Portugual from the end of last year preparing for every eventuality.

Fitness, of course, is a key factor.

He said: "Fitness is becoming more and more important as the sport becomes more competitive.

"We need every little edge. It is a long event and will take its toll."

Six days a week he is out in the Atlantic off Portugual getting the sailing right for when the fireworks go off on November 5 at Vigo to mark the start of the race which journeys from north of Spain to Cape Town, Melbourne, Wellington, Rio de Janiero, Baltimore, Annapolis, New York, Portsmouth and Rotterdam to Gothenburg.

It will all be a long way from Piddinghoe Lake where six-year-old Greenhalgh, then a Newhaven and Seaford member, got to grips with the rudimentaries of a sport which has taken over his life.

But come June 2006 and he might be feeling the sense of relief and achievement experienced by MacArthur these past few days when the challenge is completed.