An ambulance chief is waving farewell to emergencies - to answer an 18-month-old call to race the high seas this week.
An endless wait
Peter Mulcahy, who has built a career on fast responses, has had to wait and count down the days since January 2005 after winning a Liverpool Culture Company competition to race a leg on the world's longest yacht race for free.
Now the wait is over.
Pacific Leg
The 46-year-old from Childwall left the UK on Friday May 5 to fulfil a dream of tackling the mighty Pacific Ocean on the 05-06 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race aboard Liverpool 08.
In training
And as Head of Emergency Planning and Contingency at Mersey Regional Ambulance Service NHS Trust, patient Peter has used his preparation skills to the most. He has lost two and half stone in training since New Year and his fitness and freshness could be pivotal in taking Liverpool 08 to glory.
Winning form
And as a culture company winner, he will also be seen as a good omen. Teacher Claire Daley raced the two-part Leg 1 for free and enjoyed a first and a second. The 10-strong international fleet have just completed Leg 5 to Vancouver with Liverpool 08 finishing a close-fought third as well as holding on to third overall, well-placed to close the gap on second-placed Durban by a tiny half-point and overall leader westernaustralia.com by just one point.
Jamaica here we come
Peter and the Liverpool 08crew will start the penultimate Leg 6 of the Clipper 05-06 Race from Vancouver on May 17. The fleet are dashing down the American pacific coast to Panama and are due to arrive in Jamaica on June 14. They will then race to New York and Jersey before finishing in Liverpool on July 29.
Still can't wait
Peter said: "It's been a long time since I won the 08 competition. I've followed the race for so long on the Internet and heard all the wonderful stories from the crews, I have to pinch myself that I'll soon be at the heart of it all."
"I can't wait to get on board. I've got myself into great shape. The Pacific is such a monumental test. I want to help Liverpool 08 win and see them lift the Clipper Cup at the end of July."
Next winner
David Dowling, another impatient enthusiast, is the final Culture Company 08 Clipper winner. He will take over from Peter in Jamaica for the final race back home.
