A ROSSENDALE woman is sailing the globe to raise money for a bowel cancer charity.

Care manager Solina Clegg, 45, is taking part in the Clipper Round The World Yacht Race, which begins in July.

She has been undergoing intensive training since December 2011 but prior to that she had never sailed at all.

The 40,000 mile race lasts 11 months, features eight separate legs and takes in 13 countries in six continents as well as the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.

Solina, who lost her brother to bowel cancer and suffers from irritable bowel syndrome herself, said she was delighted to have made it through the organisers’ tough application process.

She said: “I never really thought I would be offered a place. Needless to say I was so ecstatic when I received an email just six weeks after I applied congratulating me for passing the interviews successfully.”

She views undertaking the challenge as not simply something that she is doing for herself, but also for her family - both her parents are disabled and last year she almost lost another brother to Crohn’s Disease.

Having completed an initial course in dinghies at Elton Sailing Club in Bury, Solina will soon start level two training for offshore sailing, sea survival and racing skills at Clipper’s UK training headquarters in Southampton.

She is beginning to collect sponsorship and has already been approached by a yoghurt company eager to fuel the sailor’s mission.

She said: “They have supplied me with multiple yogurt makers and boxes of products to help maintain the wellbeing of the crew on five yachts whilst out at sea for weeks on end.

“These are invaluable as we have no fridges and that means we quickly run out of dairy products. Fresh milk alternatives, yogurt and cheese can all be made by it.”