BBC Southampton's Abbie Collins caught up with Hannah on her boat, Spirit of Canada.

Was exactly does the race involve?
We have to complete a 500 mile qualifying passage in order to compete in the race and we have to prove our physical and mental stability before we leave. If the committee don't think you're up to the challenge then they won't let you go. I'm planning on doing my qualifying passage sometime in April.

Hannah White

The race starts in Plymouth on 29th May and it's just short of 3,000 miles over to Newport, Rhode Island in the USA. There are 41 people taking part in the race in all sorts of boats. I've got one of the fastest boats in the race.

What kind of boat are you sailing?
It's called an Open 40. It's 40 foot long and very similar to Ellen MacArthur's Kingfisher - the boat she came second in the Vendee Globe in, only hers was 60 foot.

It's been around the world once already with a Canadian chap called Derek Hatfield who raced it in the last Around Alone race - hence the name Spirit of Canada.

Have you ever done anything like this before?
This is going to be the longest and most challenging thing I've ever done. I've done a lot of single-handed stuff before but nothing of this length and distance. It really is a hard race - it's against the wind and against the currents so it's a hard slog all the way there. The trip back will be much more enjoyable!

Why did you choose to support the NSPCC?
My mother is the chairmen of a local NSPCC committee where she lives in Newbury and she's been involved with them for the last 15 years so I've been brought up with it in the family. I was always impressed with the work they did and though it was a really worthwhile cause.

Inside Hannah's boat

How long does it take to prepare for a race like this?
How long is a piece of string? You can prepare for years. There's a chap entered in the race who's profoundly deaf and he's been training his whole life for this. The more preparation time you have, the better you're going to do.

How do you practice coping with sleep depravation?
It's a really hard thing to practice. You have to wake yourself up three/four times in the middle of the night and do mental arithmetic tests and stuff like that. It's about being able to wake up and instantly being able to solve a problem.

It's a big factor but I've got lots of cruel friends who phone me up in the middle of the night and set various alarm clocks that are hidden in my bedroom!

How did you get into sailing?
I was about 15 when I started. My family don't sail at all but a friend of mine's family invited me to Cowes Week with them. I had an amazing time - the beer and the men were great but the sailing was even better!

I carried on sailing with them for years after that and when I left school I decided to take a gap year and learn to sail properly. I took myself off to Australia and got my qualifications, got some experience and then came back here. I was supposed to go and do a Law degree but I'm still here!

What do your friends and family think about the race?
Everyone's so supportive. Half of them think I'm completely barmy and I'm not sure they think I'm really going! But my best friend and project manager Toby couldn't be more supportive and my parents think it's absolutely brilliant.

Hannah on her boat

What's the most nerve-racking thing about the race?
I think the thought of being on my own for what could potentially be three weeks. Short of taking myself off and locking myself in a room for three weeks, you can't really train for it. Unfortunately, I'm a very sociable person - I like my friends, I like talking so that's going to be very difficult.

But I've got communication systems on board and I can phone home so there'll be quite a large phone bill by the time I get back!

What luxury items will you be taking with you?
As girly as this sounds, I have to be able to shave my legs and I have to be able to pluck my eyebrows. And I'll probably take some sort of Jilly Cooper novel to get me through the long nights!

Would you ever consider challenging Ellen MacArthur's round-the-world record one day?
There were a lot of people that didn't think she was going to beat it because Francis Joyon made such an incredible record. I was one of them. I was quite sceptical about the whole thing but she did phenomenally well to beat it.

I think technology is going to have to improve a vast amount before anyone even dares give her record a go. Never say never but I've got a long way to go before then.