Racing ahead

When she’s not pounding the streets of Exmouth on delivery, Kezia Wiltshire can be found skimming across the ocean in one of the fastest sail boats available to amateurs.

The thrill-seeking postwoman loves nothing better than overtaking expensive speedboats in the waters off south Devon on board her Hurricane 5.9 SX twin-hulled catamaran.

In fact, Kezia and partner Ben Cutler-Sharp are so fast through the waves – the SX can reach speeds of more than 20 knots – they have collected a cabinet full of trophies.

‘We race most Sundays at our local club and at catamaran events across the UK,’ she said. ‘We tend to win the smaller events. At the Nationals last year we came sixth, despite missing a day's racing. This year we came fifth.

‘Unfortunately, this category of boat is not Olympic level, so we're at the highest level we can go. We just sail for the fun of it.’

As ‘helm’, Ben takes care of steering, with ‘crew’ Kezia plotting a course and adjusting the sails. The experience she has acquired since the age of eight is vital, as judging wind and waves is key to successful racing.

‘The person that wins is the one who makes the fewest errors,’ she explained. ‘You can be leading and misread one wave or gust of wind and suddenly three boats come past you.’

But win or lose, the excitement of sailing the ‘cat’ keeps Kezia coming back for more.

‘When a normal boat tips on its side, you're a couple of feet above the water, but these things lift you several metres in the air,’ she said. ‘When it goes wrong it tends to happen very quickly, and you get catapulted over the top.

People get put off by that, but there is a type of boat for everyone. It's so much fun – everyone needs to try it.’