Two men, one race, 30 long days at sea

THE Melbourne to Osaka yacht race is one of the loneliest sporting event on the planet.

The gruelling test of stamina pits two-crew yachts against each other, where they battle the elements and homesickness in a month-long test of wills.

Whenever one crew member is on deck, the other is generally catching up on some much-needed shut-eye, making tolerating your own company compulsory.