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ADVERTISING FEATURE: Gain the qualifications to set sail around the globe. Skipper yachts of all sizes and explore coastlines for work or pleasure. The National Centre Cumbrae, Scotland’s leading watersports centre, can make this happen for you on the 18-week Professional Yachtmaster Training Course (PYT).

Instructors at Cumbrae will deliver a high quality course incorporating many other RYA certificates on your journey to becoming a commercially endorsed RYA Yachtmaster. Our location offers the finest sailing waters including the scenic islands of Cumbrae, Bute and Arran and many anchorages and navigational passages. Further miles will be gained on cruises to Ireland and the Western Isles incorporating rounding the Mull of Kintyre, venturing through the Corrievreckan whirlpool and passage planning around the many islands and lochs.

Jason Lewis completed what is believed to be the first circumnavigation of the world using human power alone. From crossing the Atlantic aboard a one-of-a-kind pedal boat and rollerblading across the USA, Jason has depicted the triumphs and tribulations of this epic journey in his new books. Without sails or motors Jason finished Expedition 360 in October 2007 – 13 years after he began the 46,500-mile journey from London. We caught up with him to talk about the highs, lows and a croc encounter.

Adventure Travel: You were not a seasoned adventurer before this trip. How did the idea for a human powered circumnavigation of the earth come about?
Jason Lewis: It was my former university friend Steve Smith’s idea. He rang me up several years after uni and said, “I’m bored of my office job, I have thought of this amazing idea that no-one has done.” I was a musician at the time and had travelled a bit but I’d never kayaked, never rollerbladed and I had no experience of the sea. It was ridiculous but the concept was incredible; it involved no sophisticated equipment like engines or balloons. The means to do it had been around for centuries and theoretically anyone could do it, so I signed up.

ADVERTISING FEATURE: Experience the African wilderness from a new perspective with Afreco Tours (www.afrecotours.com). Spend your time living in remote bush camps in the heart of the African bush, getting in tune with the surroundings and getting back to nature. Afreco Tours specialises primarily in wildlife courses and conservation volunteering as well as safari adventures in South Africa, Botswana and Kenya.

Wildlife-related courses include safari guide training programmes, tracking courses, wildlife photography and more. Experience what it takes to become an African safari guide, living and breathing the wildlife and ecosystems surrounding you. You can choose to get an accredited certificate for an alternative career or just join for the knowledge and unique experience it offers. Our tracking courses and other similar courses also offer an alternative way of seeing the wilderness. Our photography courses and separate photographic safaris are set in prime wildlife areas and guided by a professional wildlife photographer and guide. 

Sarah Outen is an adventurer who was the first woman and youngest person to row solo across the Indian Ocean. She’s currently part-way through an expedition called London 2 London Via The World, which involves completing a loop of the planet using only human power – cycling the land and rowing and kakaying the water. She began the journey on 1 April 2011 and reached Choshi, Japan, in April 2012. Twenty-six days into the row from Japan to Canada she was hit by a tropical storm in the North Pacific Ocean; her boat was damaged and she was forced home. We caught up with her while she’s back in the UK, preparing to get to back out there on the expedition, to find out more…