THE founder of a Launceston-based company has successfully sailed from South Africa to Australia as part of the world’s longest ocean adventure.

Chris Ingram, managing director of Continental Underfloor, completed leg three of the celebrated Clipper Round the World Yacht Race by sailing across the Southern Ocean, setting off from Cape Town, South Africa and arriving in Albany, Western Australia.

The race is regarded as one of the toughest endurance challenges on the planet.

Chris and 16 other team members tackled intense gale force storms, 40ft swells, boat speeds of well over 30 knots and wind speeds of up to 70mph while sailing the Wardan Whip, on board the ClipperTelemed+ yacht.

The beautiful sun-kissed beaches of Western Australia were a welcome reward for Chris and the triumphant team.

Chris, who is also chairman of BEAMA Underfloor Heating, said: “Sailing in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race was one of the most exhilarating and challenging experiences of my life.

“It was a surreal moment when we came ashore in Australia — an amazing feeling. We were absolutely thrilled, if a little exhausted!

“Even as a keen and experienced sailor, this was a real test, and our achievement is a reflection of the team work, resilience and dogged determination we showed during our weeks at sea.”

Chris was not the only Cornish person taking part in the race. Cornwall boasts more skippers in the race than any other part of the world, with three of the 12 boats having a Cornishman at the helm — Huw Fernie, 31, from Falmouth skippering Visit Seattle; Peter Thornton, 36, from Gorran Haven leading Great Britain; and Ashley Skett, 31, a former firefighter from Newquay, in charge of Team Garmin.

Sponsored by Continental Underfloor, Chris underwent weeks of intensive training building on his own extensive solo sailing experience before embarking on the adventure.

He took part in this challenge to raise awareness of the slaughter of whales for Japanese ‘research’ in the Southern Ocean and the work of the Sea Shepherd organisation in combating this.