Water phobia girl on ship voyageBBC News
17:10 GMT, Friday, 26 December 2008
Jocelyn Smith said her phobia developed in previous races.A Portsmouth teenager who breaks down in tears at the thought of open water is to embark on a transatlantic tall ship voyage to overcome her phobia.
Jocelyn Smith said just thinking about the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009 can leave her overcome by seasickness, hyperventilating and crying.
The 18-year-old said she developed the phobia in a previous tall ships' race.
She and 40 others on the Bulgarian square-rigged Kaliakra will sail from Spain on to Bermuda and Charleston, US.
"I first began to have a fear of open water during The Tall Ships Race 2006 when we were becalmed in the middle of the Bay of Biscay," said Ms Smith.
"I want to take part to prove I can conquer my fears and see how far I can push myself.
"This will be made all the more sweet as I have family in Charleston so arriving by ship will give me a great sense of pride."
The teenager said that she believed the challenge would give her a variety of experiences to help her later in life.
She added: "Sailing on a tall ship requires good teamwork and self-determination - it will help me learn to motivate myself and others and that's a great thing to learn in life."
'Fun atmosphere'
Kaliakra is one of at least a dozen tall ships that will be racing across the Atlantic, arriving in Bermuda in time to coincide with the island's 400th anniversary.
The Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge - organised by Sail Training International - is to form a key part of the Bermuda celebrations and special first day cover stamps are to be issued, featuring some of the ships taking part.
Captain Toma Tomov, who will be the master of the 170-foot (52m) three-masted barquentine Kaliakra for the voyage, said: "Kaliakra is one of the fastest and best looking tall ships in the world.
"We always have a wide range of different nationalities on board which creates a wonderful informal and fun atmosphere."
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