Mary-Ann Ochota specialises in anthropology, history and adventure broadcasting. Credits include 'Castaway: Exposed' and 'Silbury Hill' for the BBC, 'The Truth Behind King Arthur' for National Geographic, and 'Time Team' for Channel 4. She's currently writing her first book, a social history of the human body. This year Mary-Ann, a novice sailor, will race across the greatest ocean in the world in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.
One week on dry land, and the uniform of wool thermals, waterproofs and dirt are a happily distant memory. I have a lot of respect for the crew who will, at the end of this adventure, become Round the World Yachtsmen and –women. It’s a feat completed by fewer people than the number who scale Everest.
By Mary-Ann Ochota | Notebook - A selection of Independent views -, Sport - Latest analysis on the Sporting world - | Tuesday, 10 April 2012 at 9:13 am
Wow. In less than 24 hours my mega-challenge to race a yacht across the Pacific Ocean will be over! We didn’t win the race – the winning boat, Gold Coast Australia, are already there enjoying warm beds and cold beers.*
It’s been a disappointment not to do better, but the truth is [...]
By Mary-Ann Ochota | Notebook - A selection of Independent views -, Sport - Latest analysis on the Sporting world - | Sunday, 1 April 2012 at 11:22 pm
What an extraordinary couple of days we’ve had. Despite almost five thousand miles raced, we’re jockeying for position with two other boats in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race fleet, with under ten nautical miles separating our ‘distance to finish’ rankings.
By Mary-Ann Ochota | Notebook - A selection of Independent views -, Sport - Latest analysis on the Sporting world - | Wednesday, 28 March 2012 at 4:58 pm
Day 18
A momentous thing happened at lunchtime yesterday – we crossed the international date line, and in a swift lurch from one wave to the next, we stopped being 12 hours ahead of Greenwich mean time, and became 12 hours behind GMT instead.
In practical terms, this involved backtracking to lunchtime of [...]
By Mary-Ann Ochota | Notebook - A selection of Independent views -, Sport - Latest analysis on the Sporting world - | Friday, 23 March 2012 at 6:31 pm
Day 15
“WAVE!” the roar from the Helmsman cuts through the roar of wind and sea.
A heart-stop, and then BAM! tonnes of raw Pacific powering over, around, under us. Primeval instinct curls my fingers into a vice around the webbing safety line behind me, we cling to each other, brace and breath-hold. [...]
By Mary-Ann Ochota | Notebook - A selection of Independent views -, Sport - Latest analysis on the Sporting world - | Sunday, 18 March 2012 at 7:30 pm
The Pacific Ocean revealed a glimpse of her fearsome power today, 2000 miles into our 6,000 mile Clipper Round the World yacht race from China to the USA.
By Mary-Ann Ochota | Notebook - A selection of Independent views -, Sport - Latest analysis on the Sporting world - | Saturday, 17 March 2012 at 1:34 pm
The best cure for sea-sickness? Sit under a tree.
For the past day and a half we on Edinburgh Inspiring Capital, the Scottish-sponsored boat in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, have been beating upwind along the east coast of Japan in Force 8 winds, gusting up to 40 knots. [...]
By Mary-Ann Ochota | Notebook - A selection of Independent views -, Sport - Latest analysis on the Sporting world - | Saturday, 10 March 2012 at 6:51 pm
It was the warmest and grandest of welcomes for the Clipper Round the World race yacht fleet at Qingdao International Sailing Centre, north east China. Crews were greeted with drummers, fan dancers, dragons, capes and hats for the jubilant skippers, a huge crowd and a red carpet to parade along.
By Mary-Ann Ochota | Notebook - A selection of Independent views -, Sport - Latest analysis on the Sporting world - | Friday, 9 March 2012 at 1:41 pm
One week in China, and just a few days to go before my race crew begin the gruelling 5,700 mile sailing marathon across the greatest ocean in the world, the mighty storm-tossed Pacific Ocean.
By Mary-Ann Ochota | Notebook - A selection of Independent views -, Sport - Latest analysis on the Sporting world - | Sunday, 26 February 2012 at 2:54 pm
I’ve no truck with a January full of guilt – go out and have fun instead. And as long as there’s blue stuff under your keel, you can pretty much go wherever you choose. Be a flaneur of the sea – paint a route determined by wind, wave and your own free will.
By Mary-Ann Ochota | Notebook - A selection of Independent views - | Saturday, 14 January 2012 at 10:42 am
1How the Mail Online turned us into misogyny addicts
2It was Bayern who denied the Germans victory in the Champions League final, not Chelsea
3Charitable rape: Peacekeepers’ dirty little secrets
4Islam is not “the enemy” – irrational hatred is
5The next couple of months could shape the future of Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal
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