A thrill-seeking mum who only started sailing recently on the calm waters of Windermere has signed up to face the fearsome waves of the Atlantic in one of the world's toughest yacht races.

Novice sailor Emma Bradley, 34, who hails from the Keasden area, near Ingleton, will be joining the crew of a 72ft yacht to compete in the last leg of the Global Challenge race which goes the wrong way' around the world against prevailing winds and currents.

Watching her progress will be pupils from the Cedar House School, at Kirkby Lonsdale, for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

The Witherslack Group of Schools, owner of the 72-pupil school for seven to 16 year olds, has sponsored Mrs Bradley to the tune of £5,200 to take part in the race which sees 12 identical boats battle it out to travel 30,000 miles around the globe and cross the finishing line first in Portsmouth.

Head teacher Gillian Ridgway explained that the school was planning to use contacts with Mrs Bradley via e-mail and satellite phone in projects so that the lessons she learned at sea would enrich lessons at Cedar House.

"Our children arrive with us having had limited or difficult life experiences. As a result they often have low expectations and a lack of purpose," said Mrs Ridgway, who is a keen sailor herself. "To see somebody who hasn't necessarily got any particular expertise in sailing do something like this shows them that, should they want to, that sort of experience could be open to them.

"Alongside that we think that her experiences of teamwork, commitment and shared purpose will inspire our pupils."

Mrs Bradley said: "I feel I can help them see from being a housewife and not being particularly good at something you can go out and achieve your goal."

Until two-and-a-half years ago the mother of two young boys aged six and three was more of a horse person than a sailor until she broke her wrist in a fall.

"I thought this hobby wasn't very family friendly or safe so I brought myself a little mirror dinghy never really having sailed before," explained the former Bentham Grammar School pupil.

She soon decided to further her knowledge with a one-day skipper course with Milnthorpe's Dallam School and coastal skipper exams at St Martin's College, Ambleside.

A friend later thought of trying to become a crew member on the Global Challenge race so Mrs Bradley gave it a go.

"I'm a bit of a thrill seeker," she explained. "Whatever I have taken up as a hobby I have always done the most scary thing I could within it."

Having passed the trials in sailing competence - and thanks to the sponsorship of the school - Mrs Bradley is now a paid-up member of the team led by Dee Caffari, the only female skipper in this year's competition.

Under race rules the competing yachts are the same and skippered by one experienced sailor with 17 non-professional crew members from all walks of life. The matching fleet is meant to ensure that only the seamanship, skill and determination make the difference between winning and losing.

Mrs Bradley is now pumping iron with the support of Kirkby Lonsdale's Whoop Hall Country Club, which has given her free membership and designed a programme to help her to reach peak fitness.

Once fully toned, Mrs Bradley will join her yacht in June 2005 in Boston, USA, eight months in to the ten-month race, to crew the final 3,200 miles across the Atlantic to Northern France and then to the finishing line in Portsmouth.

It will be quite a change from sailing on Windermere but Mrs Bradley is undaunted.

"I have never been in open ocean when I haven't been able to see land. The violent big seas and waves will be a major challenge but I'm so excited I can't wait. I would absolutely love to win!"