A FORMER SAS soldier and author is about to battle the ocean on a round Britain sailing challenge.

Rob Mackenzie, from Hassocks, will undertake a gruelling eight-week sailing expedition with a charity that helps veterans affected by military operations.

A crew of 17 veterans, many with little or no sailing experience, will set off from Falmouth in Cornwall on Saturday aboard a 92-foot tall ship in the Turn to Starboard Round Britain Challenge 2017.

Mr Mackenzie joined the SAS in Rhodesia in 1979 and went on to open an orphanage for child victims of HIV and Aids with his wife Hilary.

The couple have homes in Hassocks and Zimbabwe where they have helped more than a thousand orphaned children.

The father-of-two was awarded an MBE in 2015 for his services to the Zimbabwean community and was appointed a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society for his book on explorer David Livingstone.

Mr Mackenzie, 57, was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) last year.

He said: “I’ve been through a few difficult years but I’m looking forward to working with other crew members who have suffered with similar issues, because PTSD can be a very lonely place.

“I’ve gone from playing a fundamental part in many military campaigns to not being able to walk in to a crowded room without feeling like I’m going to have a panic attack.

“What appeals to me about the Round Britain Challenge is that the organisers and crew are people who don’t see themselves as victims – they want to just get on and get things done.

“I find it refreshing these people don’t want to live in the past. I feel inspired by their outlook and it’s made me keen to get involved.”

Turn to Starboard helps veterans with physical or psychological injuries by taking them sailing.

The 2,000-mile voyage is sponsored by The Endeavour Fund and is intended to help participants gain new skills while at the same time highlighting the challenges veterans can face when they leave the military.