It will be ten months of sheer hard work with none of the comforts of home. But as CAMERON RAMOS discovered, Pat Green can't wait to set sail on the race of a lifetime.

MALMESBURY yachtsman Pat Green will be braving the seven seas in a challenge of a lifetime when he takes part in one of the world's toughest yacht races next year.

The Global Challenge 2004 sets sail from Southampton and crews can expect a rough ride when they take on some of the harshest seas in the world including the notorious Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America.

Here the mighty Atlantic and Pacific oceans collide and sailors will have to endure storms, strong currents and icebergs.

Mr Green, who was made redundant from Lucent Technologies last year, decided to take the plunge to combat the strains of a divorce he was going through at the time.

The 57-year-old engineer, of Park Road, Malmesbury who signed up for the epic ten-month voyage two years ago, seems remarkably laid back about the challenges ahead.

He said: "I can't wait to get started although I have waited almost three years to race so I'm sure I can wait another year.

"I have lots of things planned for the next year and there will a lot of work to be done to get the boats up to racing standard."

The 72ft Global Challenge yacht has a huge 95ft mast and 17 crew members from all walks of life will be under control of a professional skipper.

It will mean cramped conditions for the sailors who will have to make do with bunk beds and a cold shower once a week. Mr Green says he may forgo the luxury of a shower just to keep warm, as temperatures could dip below freezing, made worse by icy waves and biting winds.

All 12 yachts are identical so it will be down to the skill and determination of each team to decide who will be crowned champions. Mr Green began sailing seven years ago and has undergone an arduous training schedule over the last year.

Crews have to undergo a five day induction sail, a ten-day development sail and a five-day consolidation to gain the expertise to circumnavigate the globe.

The training incorporates everything from man-overboard skills to sail rigging, repairing sails, fire and flood drills, ocean meteorology and climbing the 95ft mast.

Skipper Doggie Gillespie said: "Pat has been a very valued member of the team and brings a lot of experience to the crew. He has spent a great deal of time preparing for the race and practicing his skills when necessary, which will be a comforting thought to the rest of his team members."

The race calls at Boston in the USA, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wellington, New Zealand, Sydney, Australia, Cape Town, South Africa, and La Rochelle, France, before returning to Southampton.