A former Birmingham surgeon is enjoying having his feet planted firmly on the ground after completing a nautical adventure as part of a round-the-world yacht race.

Prof John Buckels, who recently retired as a consultant liver surgeon after 14 years at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, sailed in to Geraldton in Western Australia after crossing the Southern Ocean on board Edinburgh Inspiring Capital.

He volunteered as a transplant ambassador for the 2011-12 Clipper Round-the-World Yacht Race, a gruelling 40,000-mile challenge which sailed from Southampton on Sunday 31 July 2011.

Prof Buckels, who still holds an honorary contract with the Trust, said after arriving back in Birmingham: “It was quite an adventure. It was interesting and enjoyable, but probably not to be repeated too often. Our leg was predicted to last 23-25 days, but it took us 28 days due to strong winds.”

The event aims to promote organ donation and transplantation both in the UK and around the world, with the 68-foot yacht visiting countries including Brazil, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, China, the USA and Canada.

A 10-strong relay team comprising four transplant patients and six surgical staff is accompanying the crew during various stages of the voyage. The ‘ship’s medics’ have all funded their own trips, while money has been raised through sponsorship to pay for the patients to take part.

Prof Buckels arrived in Australia with fellow surgeon David Talbot from Newcastle and kidney transplant patient Nick Barclay, after sailing 4,800 miles from Cape Town, South Africa. Mr Barclay was operated on in South Africa by University of Birmingham graduate, Prof Dal Kahm.

They were met at the end of their 28 day voyage by Bruce McDowell, a representative for Donate Life Australia, whose daughter was killed in a motorbike accident three years ago.

Prof Buckels said it was very important to make contact with transplant organisations around the world, but particularly so to meet people like Bruce who have an important story to tell.

“If we didn’t have organ donors we couldn’t have transplantation, and you can’t get away from the fact that transplantation is the greatest gift of all – it’s the gift of life.”

Darius Mirza, a consultant liver surgeon at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, will bring the yacht home to England during the eighth and final leg from New York via Canada and the Netherlands in June 2012.

He said: “I am very apprehensive but also looking forward to it. It will be physically and mentally demanding, but this is all about raising the awareness for organ transplantation and also showing what transplant patients can achieve.”

UHB has the largest solid organ transplantation programme in Europe.

People are invited to sponsor the team by visiting the University of Edinburgh Campaign website. The voyage can also be followed live on the Clipper Round-the-World Race website.