Hauling anchor ended a welcome break for the weary crew of Uniquely Singapore, a 68-foot cruiser battling nine other ships in a race around the globe.

'It was great to step on land again,' said Filipino crewman Valerio Ramos Jr.

'I was looking forward to a hot bath for weeks.'

The crew are mostly amateur sailors who spent a month training before the event. Five sailors are from Singapore, while the rest hail from other Asean countries as well as Australia, Britain and the United States.

Their journey began in Liverpool, England, in September last year. Since then, Uniquely Singapore has travelled to Brazil, South Africa and Western Australia. The jaunt from Fremantle to Singapore was the fourth leg of the race, and saw the sailors struggle with temperatures in the low 40s.

After a nine-day stopover here, Uniquely Singapore sailed yesterday for Qingdao, China. The team armed themselves with heavy-duty foul-weather outfits for the journey, which could take about 20 days.

'Temperatures are rumoured to hit minus 20degC,' said crewman Lewis Foo, an engineer. 'It will be a drastic change from the 40-degree heat we went through on the way to Singapore.'

It has not been an easy journey for the crew, many of whom had no sailing experience. But the ship's skipper, a professional sailor named Mark Preedy, keeps a close watch on them.

'We have to work under pressure with people from different cultures, which is not always an easy task,' said Mr Foo. 'But the Uniquely Singapore team has not had a single incident so far.'

The sailors have to battle seasickness, cramped living quarters and gruelling four-hour watches.

These conditions can test the civility of a crew. But Uniquely Singapore is a ' happy boat', said crew member Erma Rheindrayani, who hails from Indonesia. And after billeting with their Singapore bunkmates for the past 11/2weeks, they find things have only improved, she said.

'We have definitely got closer after the homestay.'

Uniquely Singapore currently sits in eighth place in the 10-team race. After China, crews will make their way across the Pacific to the US, then Jamaica, before heading for the finish line in Liverpool, which they will likely reach some time in July.

There are currently 18 sailors on board Uniquely Singapore, though their number varies according to the leg.

taratan@sph.com.sg