Apparently, beating beneath her crisp business suits during her years in the media business lay the heart of a sailor. Because, no sooner had Fung given up her day job, she jumped at the chance to make a sea change in her career - okay, it's just a two-week temp thing. She's on the Spirit of Hong Kong - one of eight 72-feet Global Challenge yachts competing in the Round Britain Challenge that set off on April 19. Fung's clearly injected her gung-ho spirit into the whole endeavour. Just before heading off, her farewell email spoke of how the crew of 16 had been building up its "fantastic team spirit" through boat prep during the day and "getting in a couple of weeks worth of wine in the evenings - all in the name of team bonding".
Fung also appears to have inspired other shennanigans. "We're also psyching out the other teams, playing silly buggers at night - we hoisted one of the other skipper's bicycle wheel up their mast, changed boom covers and have some hilarious T-shirts. We've got the edge."
And during the many days at sea - when there was "not much to see out in these waters; no traffic of any sort, only wildlife - Fung got the crew playing a "a game of spot anything" from dolphin shows to the spectacular Northern Lights.
But as the beacon of the finish line came into sight, Fung and crew were busy dodging oil rings and sand banks. And, as Diary went to press, Spirit of Hong Kong was holding sixth place, with the organisers betting on the the challengers racing to the finish line by April 30 or May 1. Win or lose, it's the race where one former participant was known to gush: "I don't just want to reach about this race, I want to have taken part."