There are not many people who would look forward to spending 33 days getting constantly soaking wet and facing potential danger all the time.

But that is the prospect facing Laura Frudd - and she couldn't be happier.

Laura, 23, has been selected to take part in the gruelling clipper round the world race and will be sailing from China to the USA across the Pacific. At the beginning of March she will be one of a crew of 20 who set sail from Qingdao and sail 5,800 nautical miles to San Francisco.

She cheerfully admits life aboard the 72-feet long sailing clipper will be hard.

The crew adopts a constant four hours on fours hours off rota, there are no baths or showers on board, sometimes they have to climb a 90-feet-high mast as the yacht leans and sways, and keeping dry is impossible.

However Laura, who is an officer in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, says the more challenging and physically uncomfortable the adventure will be, the more she will thrive on it.

She discovered her love of the sea and sailing after joining Barnsley sea cadets as a 14-year-old.

A teacher at school had casually mentioned the cadets and Laura decided to pop along to their base in Racecommon Road to see what it was all about. That decision not only led to a hobby, but her job.

"I went to the sea cadets because I thought it might be an interesting hobby," said Laura, from Greenset View, Athersley.

"Because of that I have a wonderful career, I have travelled all over the world, taken part is some amazing adventures and now I get to sail across the Pacific on a racing clipper-it really doesn't get any better than that."