The Channel 4 award winning TV series, Faking it has teamed up with Challenge Business to produce the latest programme instalment. The company agreed to train a faker, not just on an ordinary sailing boat but aboard one of its 72′ Global Challenge Race yachts. Then they would put the faker into a five-yacht race against skippers, many of who had been sailing all their lives. A tall order indeed and one that would not only test the individual but the capabilities of the whole training team.

The faker, one might assume, would be a strong, burley person capable of lugging huge ropes around, winching hefty sails up and confident to direct a team within a challenging situation but in true Faking it style, the task had fallen upon Lucy Craig, a petite ferry stewardess from Weymouth, who had never even as much as stepped onto a sailing boat before. Faking It charts Lucy’s progress from a week dinghy sailing with the rising sailing star, Emma Richards, and yachtswoman Tracey Edwards, to Lucy’s first experiences of sailing aboard a Global Challenge race yacht and commanding a crew.

Lucy Craig comments: “I can’t give the game away but I can say that this was the most incredible experience of my life. You really can do anything you want if you put your mind to it and my trainers were always there to back me 100% of the way, even if I was nervous about doing something including climbing the 95′ mast!

She then went on to say “I’m now thinking hard about continuing the sailing and possibly doing a season in the Caribbean. All I can say is thank you to my trainers at Challenge Business for giving me the confidence to take part and providing me with skills which could change my life.”

The executive chairman of Challenge Business and the chosen mentor for the training exercise, Sir Chay Blyth, comments: “We were delighted when we were approached by the Faking It team. The show will help to break down the barriers of sailing that have eluded so many people from the sport.”

So, finally, does Lucy Fake It? You’ll have to wait and see! Channel 4, 9pm next Wednesday.