BRAVE cancer fighting Chester mum Dennise Sheppard has featured in a Channel 4 documentary on Britain’s Favourite Yacht Race.

‘Spectacular’, ‘awe-inspiring’ and ‘exhilarating’ are all words attributed to the JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race.

Every year in June over 16,000 sailors, from Olympic gold medallists and world champions to family crews and those trying their hand at racing for the first time, compete in this unique yacht race around the Isle of Wight that is organised by the Island Sailing Club in Cowes.

In most racing events the top prize usually goes to the first entry across the finish line; this is where the Round the Island Race differs.

The coveted prize is the Gold Roman Bowl that is won by the crew with the best corrected time, worked out through a handicap system.

This means big or small, all boats have the opportunity to win the grand prize.Š

Dennise is in recovery from breast cancer having been diagnosed aged just 43 in April 2009.

She underwent eight months of intensive treatment at Wrexham Maelor Hospital’s Shooting Star Unit and having relied on the information and advice from Breast Cancer Care during her treatment she was eager to be able to give something back.

She set herself the goal to complete the JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race to raise funds for Breast Cancer Care, the charity that supported her through her treatment.

Dennise is used to sailing her tiny Mirror dinghy on a small lake so competing in a fleet of more than 1,700 yachts on open sea was a massive and emotional learning curve.

She said: “It was a great privilege to be picked for this challenge. Between us our team raised over £11,000 for Breast Cancer Care, way exceeding the target of £4,500, and I am rightfully proud of us all. I met some truly inspiring people.”