BBC News Online's Hilary Bowden is joining them for the Atlantic leg from Southampton to Boston on board Spirit of Hong Kong.

When I told my friends and family I had a place as a legger in the "world's toughest" yacht race, their responses were:

• "You?!!!"

• "It'll be like Big Brother at sea and you'll have to share a cabin with Nasty Nick."

• "I think you should watch The Perfect Storm before signing up to anything."

Hauling up the spinnaker sail

The first night aboard was spent getting to know my shipmates, who were mainly "leggers" like me.

They were a great crowd who hailed from Canada, Australia, the USA, and across the UK and Europe. They included research scientists, firemen, air traffic controllers, web directors and an aspiring movie producer.

Boot camp

Come on, you bunch of girl guides! Get that sail up stop faffing around

First Mate Jim

It didn't take long to bond as skipper John Read, 27, had us up at the crack of dawn running round Southampton docks in army-style patrols shouting "Woop de do, I'm having a wonderful time".

Back on board we were divided into two watches and got down to some serious cleaning in the galley and the "heads", as the toilets on board are known.

Ocean sailing is a smelly business. Fourteen people living cheek by jowl, constantly getting wet and drenched with sweat creates some interesting aromas.

Battling wind and water

Soon it was time to cast off and head out for some serious training. The next two weeks were spent tacking and gybing our way around the Solent, skirting the French coast and calling in on Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

There was a huge amount of information to absorb: which rope hoisted which sail, what to do if someone fell overboard, how to react to changes in the wind, how to make a record in the ship's log.

Inevitably there were mistakes. At one point I eased a rope a tad too quickly and heard the muffled reproaches of my fellow watch members as a sail was dumped unceremoniously on their heads.

But Skipper John and First Mate, Jim Allen, 30, were always there to spur us on to greater things.

"Come on, you bunch of girl guides! Get that sail up - stop faffing around."

Sunday was our first rough night at sea. As darkness fell the wind started picking up to force 5-6 and my watch was starting to regret the choice of veggie curry for tea.

Hell and high water

My favourite job

Seasick or not the work has to continue.

Imagine balancing on a seesaw, trying to stuff a wet parachute into a pencil case in the dark, while someone throws buckets of cold water in your face.

That's a bit what it felt like trying to get a yankee sail down on the foredeck and stowed away in bad weather.

All I could think when we finally put the wretched thing to bed and staggered back along the dripping deck to the cockpit was "blimey".

Shades are us

The following morning we compared war wounds in the 'who's got the biggest bruise?' competition.

But trying to avoid injury and looking after each other is a serious business - and one of main things that was drilled into us.

Various bits of the boat are nicknamed the Valley of Death and the Rectangle of Doom, because of the dangers of getting clouted with a boom that weighs a quarter of a ton if you stick your head up at the wrong moment.

'Really happy'

I felt that I'd learnt a lot during training, but still had loads to absorb.

But I do now know I can sleep through a choir of 14 snorers, go to the bathroom at an angle of 30 degrees and that my fingers develop a vice-like grip in times of peril.

The sun sets but the work continues

I was constantly impressed by the spirit and tenacity of the people sailing with me. They may be only doing one leg but they are determined not to let their teams down.

Chris Girling, 24, a mail messenger, from Bristol, seemed to sum it up best.

He said: "I'm physically exhausted. I've got half a pint of water in each of my wellies but I'm really happy."

I know what he means. Roll on race day.

The BT Global Challenge begins on 10 September. BBC News Online's Hilary Bowden will be filing regular reports from on board the yacht Spirit of Hong Kong.