As we put the finishing touches to the food and decorations for my son's 18th birthday celebrations, he had just one request. 'Mum, please don't drink today,' Matthew pleaded. I was too ashamed to ...

For Annette Hesselmans and her daughter, Sophie Snijders, however, the race will be a stepping stone to something else. The Sydney to Hobart is 628 nautical miles (1,163km) long, racing from off ...