A Ledbury woman is in training for what is billed as the world's toughest yacht race.

Sasha Peake, aged 31, of West Hill, Worcester Road, aims to raise hundreds of pounds for St Michael's Hospice by sailing east to west against the prevailing winds and currents in the Global Challenge event.

The race is so extreme that she must follow a strict training regime until next January, when she will be matched with 16 other crew members and one professional skipper for the race starting in September 2004.

The 12-strong fleet of 72ft yachts will set sail from Southamton, calling in at Boston, Buenos Aires, Wellington, Sydney, Cape Town and La Rochelle before returning to Southampton ten months and 30,000 nautical miles later.

Miss Peake said: "My dad, Tony, used to own a boat so I've always sailed and it's something I love.

"I'm getting on well with the training and sailed to St Malo, in France, a few weeks ago."

Miss Peake is also planning to tackle next year's London Marathon as part of her fitness training, again to raise money for St Michael's Hospice. She chose the charity because she is a friend of hospice chairman Rev Carl Attwood, the Rector of Colwall.

The Ledbury woman has earned the respect of training skipper Alex Phillips during a recent ten-day training sail from Southampton, the longest period she had ever spent on a yacht.

He said: "We need to instil safety and seamanship and get the crew to take more responsibility for themselves, each other and the yacht.

"It's been no easy ride for Sasha who's had to get up at the crack of dawn every day, climb up the mast, get her head around ocean meteorology and practice man overboard drills, all topped off with four-hour night watch rotations.

"Sasha was an asset to have on board and a real team player. I'm confident that she will not only have the adventure of her life but will also be a very valued member of her yacht when they race around the world next year."

Anyone wishing to sponsor Miss Peake should phone 01531 635484.