District reporter Emma Gunby didn't bargain for a squally storm at sea when she signed up to join the crew of a racing yacht on a round-the-world race.

She spent eight days aboard on the first leg of the race from Liverpool to Portugal.

But she suffered appalling weather, four days being seasick - and almost saw one of the sails tear in half as the boat struggled through the wind and rain.

Emma, of the Liverpool Echo, had 30 hours without sleep as they neared their destination, and the crew was forced to retire at one point when one of them was flung around the deck, suffering suspected broken ribs.

But the organisers let the Echo-sponsored Clipper rejoin the race - and the yacht got home second to last, instead of in its original second place.

Emma's back on dry land now but admits that despite the hours of sea sickness, the freezing cold and the wind and the rain, she did enjoy her adventure.

To prepare for her trip Emma took part in a week of training off the coast at Southampton and experienced force nine gales - but despite this she still found it touch going.

"After the training I thought I could face anything - but nothing can prepare you for the Bay of Biscay," said Emma, who kept a diary throughout her trip, which was published daily in the Echo and on the newspaper's website.

The start of the race was delayed for 24 hours because of appalling weather conditions, but Emma wasn't deterred and when they finally set off from Liverpool's Albert Dock she was thrilled by the send off they got from the thousands of people that came to see the yacht leave.

However shortly after they left, she was sick and admits she spent the first four days of her adventure with her head down a chemical toilet.

Emma said: "Eventually things got a little better and despite having eaten only half a rich tea biscuit since leaving the Albert Dock, I managed to get myself up on deck.

"I don't know what I expected a round-the-world yacht race to be like but it certainly was not anything like the reality."

On day five Emma was woken by screams on deck and found that the head-sail, at the front of the boat, had got sucked under and was in danger of tearing in half.

Emma said: "It was all hands on deck but in the rush crew member Vicky Margerrison was flung from one side of the boat to the other, crashing into a metal post and collapsing on the floor."

After contacting a doctor, it was decided that Vicky may have broken her ribs and the crew had to pull out of the race.

Emma said: "It was desperately disappointing, especially as we were lying in second place."

But after getting Vicky to a local hospital, the race committee decided to let them rejoin the race - only for disaster to strike with the spinnaker, which was making the boat go faster, beginning to tear apart.

Emma said: "We eventually arrived in Portugal in second from last place, after having no sleep for more than 30 hours.

"In retrospect, it was a fantastic experience and there aren't many people who can say they have taken part in a round-the-world yacht race.

"In the last couple of days I found my sea legs and despite everything that was going wrong I really enjoyed myself and was sad to leave."

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