In rowing, Rachel completed the Atlantic race in 76 days, 11 hours and 12 minutes and won the women’s pairs class, raising more than £65,000 for breast cancer care. She says that rowing the ocean was both the best and worst thing I’ve ever done and without question the toughest. In sailing, the motivational speaker has travelled a total of 800 miles and is now the holder of the Royal Yachting Association’s coastal skipper and ocean yachtmaster qualifications.
According to the RYA, a yachtmaster needs a wealth of knowledge to be able to cope in demanding situations. The qualification is said to be the ultimate aim of many skippers, both professional and recreational.
In kayaking, Rachel Smith has completed the 40-mile Three Lakes Challenge, which takes in Bala Lake (once the largest natural body of water in Wales), Loch Lomond (the largest inland stretch of water in Great Britain) and Windermere (the largest natural lake in England).