A CEREDIGION sailor is preparing for a round the world yacht race after reading about it online and thinking “I have to do this”.

Dafydd Hughes, of Talybont, is taking on the Global Solo Challenge, a single-handed without assistance around-the-world competitive sailing event.

An experienced sailor having already raced around the world as part of a crew, the 60-year-old admits this will be a “whole new challenge and what’s not to love about that”.

The Global Solo Challenge, which will have a rolling series of starts over eight weeks between September and October 2023, is perhaps best viewed in the organiser’s terms as a “fantastic personal adventure” for those who really want to achieve the feat of a circumnavigation without stopping and with the comfort of some safety in numbers.

For serious racers the staggered start format makes this something of a curiosity as does a dispensation to allow engine use within 500 miles of the finish line.

Dafydd is currently working on the boat he intends to use in the race: “I’ve found an S&S 34 that is completely stripped out and has been sitting in a dry barn in West Wales for the last 13 years.

“I started in March this year, with help from friends and some professional input, to refit specifically for the GSC 2023.

“The target to get out on the water is Easter 2022, followed by intensive training and tuning of systems.”

He added: “The first time I landed on the Global Solo Challenge website and read through the race format, my immediate thought was ‘I have to do this’, no hesitation. I completed the early applicant form and duly sent it off. When I think about the challenge ahead, which to be honest is most of the time, my emotions swing from panic to excitement.”

Dafydd is looking for sponsors to help with the refit and costs of taking part in the event and is offering companies, groups and organisations the opportunity to have their names and logos emblazoned on the side of the yacht.

Dafydd, who bought a small woodland north of Talybont in 2017 and is an advocate of the benefits nature can have on mental wellbeing, is hoping to fundraise for Coed Lleol (Small Woods Wales).

He is linking the personal challenge with a social message: “My overall mission statement for the campaign is: 1, complete the course; 2, zero emissions – to achieve this I would need a sponsor(s) onboard to assist with costs of an electric drive system and associated carbon zero charging (or if not possible, offset to zero); 3, without compromising safety or reliability, to use recycled/refurbished equipment during the refit as much as possible; 4, promote the link between nature and mental health, Small Woods Association, Coed Lleol, Coed Cymru and Woodland Trust.”

• To donate, contact Dafydd at [email protected] or 07712 653300.