My day job is editing a magazine

Pacific Yachting magazine editor Peter A. Robson will soon be racing across the Pacific aboard the 68' Victoria Clipper in what is expected to be the most gruelling leg of the 2005-06 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

At 35,000 miles, it is the longest sailing event in the world. At 10 months, it is also the longest in duration. The 10 identical 68' racing yachts taking part in the race left Liverpool, England in September 2005 and are expected to finish in July 2006.

Robson will be aboard for the fifth of seven legs. That leg leaves from Qingdao, China (site of the 2008 summer Olympic sailing events) on April 8 and the 5,600-mile race to Victoria is expected to take about 30 days.

"Ever since I first started sailing," said Robson, "racing around the world represented the ultimate sailing adventure. To me it was on par with climbing Everest or competing in the Olympics. Although I managed to get a fair bit of offshore sailing under my belt over the years, I was never involved in one of 'the big ones.' When I heard that the Clipper Race was stopping in Victoria, I knew this could be my chance."

Some may wonder why, at the age of 49, Robson signed on for one of the toughest sailing challenges in the world. "I think its impossible to match the sense of adventure and achievement you get from being a thousand miles from land and then, weeks later, finally seeing land appear right where you've estimated it is going to be. You've done it completely on your own and survived on your own skills and wits. It gives you great confidence. The urge to experience it all once again has been growing in me for quite a few years and this adventure should get it out of my system quite nicely."