A Royston man is raising money for charity by sailing 6,500 miles across the Atlantic Ocean in a bright pink boat.

Pat Kavanagh is taking part in the first leg of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race from Liverpool to Uruguay to raise money for Parkinson’s UK.

Departing from the Albert Dock tomorrow, Pat will sail 6,500 miles to Punta del Este. He will leave his fellow crew members at that point, as they sail around the world – returning to Liverpool in 11 months’ time.

Amateur sailor Pat has never gone out on the open seas before, but is excited by the challenge.

He told the Crow: “I’ve done a bit of amateur racing but never anything of this magnitude. I’m used to pleasant sailing rather the open ocean, but I’m really excited by the challenge of travelling that far.”

Pat has already raised more than £3,400 for Parkinson’s UK but is aiming for a £5,000 total.

The 48-year-old has self-funded the trip and decided to support the charity in order to raise awareness, with one person every hour being told they have the progressive neurological condition in the UK.

“I really wanted to raise awareness for the charity for two reasons,” he said.

“I know people who are affected by Parkinson’s so raising money to support them is important to me.

“People also think that it’s a disease that only affects the elderly, but the young can be to. This is something we need people to know.”

One special supporter for Pat’s trip will be his wife Barbara, who, as a tribute to the pink boat he will be sailing, has dyed her hair the same colour.

The Royston native has also gained attention from those in Liverpool, as the clipper he is racing aboard is representing the city’s bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

He said: “The boat is representing the city and we’ve had a lot of people come up to us.

“The people of Liverpool are really friendly and they have been very supportive of us which is brilliant.”

Pat will set sail tomorrow at 12.30pm and you can watch live on the Clipper Race website clipperroundtheworld.com.

To donate to Pat’s challenge, visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/patkavanaghclipperrace2017.