Kevin Farebrother, a fireman from Perth, and adventurer at heart, is about to take on the world’s toughest yacht race, a solo unsupported non-stop circumnavigation of the globe, using celestial navigation only.

The 50-year-old, from Kinross, who has already summitted Mount Everest three times, has signed up to sail in the first ever re-creation of the Golden Globe race, originally held in 1968.

If successful, Kevin will be the only person in the world to have stood on top of Everest three times and sailed solo non-stop unsupported around the world.

The Golden Globe race is not for the faint-hearted.  Twenty sailors will depart Les Sables-d’Olonne, France, on July 1 and sail 30,000 miles solo and non-stop around the world without electronics or satellite based navigational equipment.

“Entrants have to use boats and equipment like those used in the original race in 50 years ago,” Kevin said.

They will be navigating with sextant on paper charts, without electronic instruments or autopilots, hand-write their logs and determine the weather for themselves.

“I will need to take enough food, water and chocolate to last nine months and will miss my dog more than anything else.”

For most people, ascending Everest once would be a major achievement.

But Kevin, who has completed three ascents of Everest, says the Golden Globe race is a once in a lifetime chance to test his mind and body to the limit.

“The challenge is being alone for such a long period with no one to bounce off thoughts and ideas when the going gets tough.”

During his most recent Everest climb, the former 23 SAS soldier took with him a book about the first Golden Globe Race, which he said was far scarier than anything he’s experienced climbing mountains.

The quietly spoken firefighter is about to put himself to the biggest test ever, spending about 300 days alone at sea.

“To that into perspective, less people have completed a non-stop circumnavigation than have gone into Space.

“I only learned to sail a few years ago so the Golden Globe race will be a major challenge, but you only get one life and I plan to live every minute of it!”

To find out more about Kevin’s Golden Globe solo yacht race attempt you can check his progress on www.goldengloberace.com