FORMER Thomas Hardye student Lois Bickerton is counting down the days until her Clipper sailing adventure begins.

The plucky 28-year-old has packed in her job as a physiotherapist to take part in the once-in-a-lifetime voyage.

This Bank Holiday Monday Lois will set off onboard the 68ft yacht Qingdao from Gosport to the race starting line in Hull, Yorkshire.

The 10 Clipper race boats will be given a ceremonial departure as they leave Portsmouth for the warm-up Pilgrim’s Cup race.

Once in Hull, Lois and her fellow crew will live on board the boat until the round-the-world race begins on September 13.

Lois, who grew up in Coombe Keynes, near Wool, said: “I’m looking forward to getting stuck in.

“It’s definitely the most adventurous thing I’ve ever done.

“My mum thinks I’m crazy, she says ‘I don’t know where you get it from.’ “I’m all packed and ready to go, but the only luxury item I’m taking is my mascara.”

Lois’s parents Carole and John Bickerton and her sister Lara, 26, are going to Hull for the big send-off.

It has been a year and a half of hard work for the former Dorchester student to raise £14,000, complete the intensive Clipper training, and secure her place on the first three legs of the famous yacht race. She will sail to ports in Rio de Janeiro and South Africa before leg three finishes in Western Australia in time for Christmas and New Year 2010 celebrations.

Lois said: “I’ve done it through fundraising events and saving money, working 50 hours a week.

“I’m still trying to raise another £4,000 to race on my boat on the next leg to Qingdao, China.

“It would be great to sail to Qingdao on the home boat.”

The Clipper event is unique in that it enables people from all walks of life to compete in a round-the-world yacht race.

In full, the 10-month voyage sees 10 identical yachts cross all the world’s major oceans and visit ports on six continents during the 35,000-mile race around the planet.

Lois said: “The boats are crewed by people like me, amateur sailors.

“Our experience varies from those with absolutely no previous sailing experience to those who have sailed before, but not across vast oceans.

“We have one professional skipper on board and we as crew have to go through intensive training to turn us into safe and competent ocean racers.

“For me, it’s my dream come true.”

She added: “I am getting very excited now, though sad to be leaving family and friends in Dorset.

“I am sure they will all be following the race and my parents will bid farewell to me on the banks of the River Humber as the red arrows fly over us and a naval ship leads us out to the start line. It’s scary but exciting.”

Lois hopes to raise enough funds to secure her place on the fourth leg of the race to China, however if this not possible she will spend time travelling until the Clipper race finish in Humber in July 2010.

You can read Lois’s blog at afloatweymouth.co.uk To sponsor Lois visit her website www.ocean2ocean.co.uk