A pair of teachers will be competing in the 40,000-mile Clipper Round the World Yacht Race in memory of their adventurous friends.

Katrina Boxall, 46, and husband Andy, 48, are taking on one of the world’s toughest endurance challenges, with storms, hurricane-winds, icebergs, piracy and extreme temperatures potentially awaiting them.

The couple, of Mount Park Road, in Ealing, are raising money for the Motor Neurone Association in memory of their friend Clare Allen who sadly died of the disease aged 58 in 2013 and her husband Jon DeVries who died two years previous of cancer.

Katrina is a teacher at Northolt High, where Andy taught until 2011 before he moved on to Notting Hill & Ealing High School.

Katrina said: “Clare and Jon were both adventurous. They experienced the outdoors voraciously. They lived on a yacht for eight years.

“We experienced our first bits of sailing with them in New Zealand.

“They gave us the opportunity to see a life of adventure, alongside being able to give to society.”

The race, for amateur sailors from all backgrounds and 44 different countries, starts on August 30 from London.

It is the world’s longest ocean adventure and is also regarded as one of the toughest endurance challenges on the planet.

At 40,000 miles, and taking almost a year to complete, it consists of 12 teams competing against each other on the world’s largest matched fleet of 70ft ocean racing yachts.

The Clipper Race was established in 1996 by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world in 1968-69. His aim was to allow anyone, regardless of previous sailing experience, the chance to embrace the thrill of ocean racing.

The overall route is split into a series of global races and a maximum 12 points going to first place descending to one point for 12th place. The team with the highest cumulative points at the end of the final race wins the series, and the Clipper Race trophy.

To mark this 10th edition of the race, the Clipper Race is proud to support Unicef as its official race charity. Unicef operates in 190 countries around the world, including every country on the Clipper Race route, and ensures more of the world’s children are fed, vaccinated, educated and protected than any other organisation.

To donate to Katrina and Andy's cause, visit www.justgiving.com/nzakkb.