I'm Clyde Macfarlane, an NCTJ qualified journalist and illustrator.

Adventures at sea

Tall Ships Adventures (02392 832055) offers voyages on amazing boats aimed at 16-25-year-olds. Clyde Macfarlane, Guardian student travel writer of the year 2009, says: “When I was 16, I took part in a tall ship race across the Baltic, from Gdynia in Poland to Turku in Finland. It’s not exactly a holiday – you have to take it in turns to be on watch through the night. Learning a few basic knots on deck may sound easy, but putting them into practice when 45m up the mast is a very different story.” This year the race is in the North Sea, with seven-, 10- and 12-day legs between Belgium, Denmark and Norway, from late July to early August. Prices range from £699 to £899, including all accommodation, meals, safety equipment and instructions.