A Harrogate man is taking on a 40,000-mile yacht race around the world.

Sean McPartland, 53, is taking part in the Clipper Round the World Race, which organisers describe as one of “the biggest challenges of the natural world and an endurance test like no other”.

The retired Birstwith resident is part of the Dare to Lead crew who are tackling the epic journey from the UK to South America on a 70-foot ocean racing yacht.

Mr McPartland said in a video on the team’s website:

“I will be completing the full circumnavigation of the globe racing for 40,000 nautical miles. If you didn’t think that was mad enough, I have never sailed before.

“I just love challenges, the last challenge I did I cycled from the Arctic to Africa. I wanted to do something else and when I saw the Clipper race on YouTube I thought why not. I love inspiring people it is just a great adventure”.

The Clipper Round the World Race began on September 3 last year in Portsmouth and is divided into eight legs and between 13 and 16 individual races including six ocean crossings.

The team is halfway through its journey and is currently on the east coast of Australia.

The race, which first took place in 1996, was created by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world. Since 1996 almost 6,000 race crew and over 60 nations have trained and raced as part of the Clipper Race.

Eleven identical racing yachts are supplied by the organisers and have fully qualified skippers and first mates to safely guide the crew. The crew complete four levels of intense ocean racer training before competing.

UNICEF is the charity partner for this year’s race and Sean said he was “proud to be raising money to support their vital work for children”.

You can track his progress here and find his fundraising page here.

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More than 200 children from a Harrogate primary school took part in a peace walk for Ukraine this morning.

Pupils from St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, on Coppice Rise, walked from the school to St John’s Church on Bilton Lane to raise money and awareness for those fleeing the conflict.

Children were encouraged to come to school dressed in yellow and blue, the colours of the Ukraine flag, for the walk and to make a donation to the UNICEF campaign to support children in the country.

Beforehand, they took part in a liturgy led by pupils from years three and five.

Pupils at St Joseph’s with their banners which they created for the Ukraine walk.

Children sang peace hymns for Ukraine, held prayers and read from passages in the Bible.

Rachel Rouse, headteacher at St Joseph’s, said:

“We do a lot of fundraising for other things.

“We felt as a whole school that we needed to do something for Ukraine.”

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On the walk, pupils were given blue and yellow ribbons and waved banners at passing drivers on Skipton Road.

Once at St John’s, the whole school gathered to sing a hymn to show they were united for Ukraine before returning to finish with further prayers and singing.

You can donate to Unicef’s campaign for children here.