A 19-YEAR-OLD is preparing to embark on a yacht race across the Pacific Ocean.

Otley Sailing Club member Heather Thomas was chosen last Spring as one of the crew members for the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

She was chosen to join Leg 6 of the prestigious event after making it through to the finals of a competition run by the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation.

The Pacific Ocean stage of the race is 5,500 miles long and will see Heather and the rest of the crew setting off from Qingdao, China this month bound for Seattle, in the United States.

The leg is expected to take about one month to complete and the Otley sailor is keen to get going following months of preparation.

She said: "Preparation for the race has been pretty full on.

"I've had kit to get, visas to sort out and, of course, the four weeks of clipper training.

"I did all of my training over the summer and I learnt an amazing amount; because of my dinghy and sail training background I knew most of the basics, but it was really interesting sailing on a boat built for racing.

"I learnt a lot about maximising speed.

"And the people I have met along the way have been amazing - I have made friends for life and everybody has been so welcoming and friendly."