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Richards joins teaching sailors

Richards will aim to be the second British woman to sail solo around the world

LONDON, England -- British sailor Emma Richards has joined the official education programme of the round-the-world yacht race, Around Alone.

Richards, the second woman to enter the 28,000-mile race, will join Graham Dalton and fellow competitors in the programme developed by the HSBC Education Trust.

Dalton, the older brother of sailing veteran Grant Dalton, said: "This is a huge boost for the Global Education Challenge and great news for the children the race will reach out to."

The skippers will all send messages and progress updates to children taking part in the challenge -- a programme of 32 online weekly sessions aimed at children aged between 9 and 12.

MORE STORIES • Emma Richards to sail Around Alone  • Dalton teaching through racing

The sessions will focus on the different aspects of the natural world that the competitors will face on their circumnavigation, including weather systems and energy, biology, wildlife, geography, nutrition and culture.

Fellow competitors taking part in the programme are Bruce Schwab of the USA, Derek Hatfield, skipper of Spirit of Canada and Alan Paris of BTC Velocity.

Schwab said: "The HSBC Global Education Challenge will help to bring the adventure home to these kids, and will give them something of real interest and educational value to take hold of and take part in. I'd love to take them all out on the boat, but this is the next best thing."

Richards will be sailing the 60-foot monohull Gartmore in the Open 60 Class.

The high-profile yachtswoman is the only female, the only Brit and the youngest of the 18 skippers enrolled in the five-leg race, which begins and ends in the United States.

She will be sponsored by Pindar, a British-based print and electronic media company.

The seven-month yachting marathon takes place every four years and includes stops in England, South Africa, New Zealand, and Brazil before returning to the U.S..

The Around Alone starts from New York City, New York on September 15.