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1) It is connected with the sport items you have bee covering with the Davies people. She is competing in a sport (yachting) at which Britain has done very well despite getting very little coverage here. An interesting contrast with the football, horse racing and boat race tedium which is the routine diet of sports coverage.

2) She is a good communicator - her written reports are first rate descriptive writing which capture the exhileration and discomfort of surfing across the Indian Ocean. And, when you consider that they are written while bouncing and tearing along at up to 20 knots in an awesome machine in temperatures close to freezing, with little sleep and with hundreds of other things to do and a noise level of whining and thundering which is just unbelievable, you just can't help admiring her. Her videos are good too - not aimed at the yachties but easy for anyone to follow. I haven't heard how well she interviews though.

3) There's plenty of news material from the race: lots of brits competing, including the only two women. Lots of incidents. The favourite has just been dismasted hundreds of miles from land. A brit (Mike Golding) is in 4th place 28 miles from the leader after about 6,000 miles of racing. And the race is incredibly close still after about 30 days.

4) The last Brit to do well in this event was Ellen MacArthur. People seem to be interested in her. Perhaps they would be interested in the other competitors in this race if they heard about them.

5) She's "easy on the eye"! (OK I know it's the radio). She also seems a nice person as far as you can tell from the media she has produced. I think people would find it an inspiring interview - especially girls (which I'm not)

Only thing is you may not be able to do the interview live as she may have to rush out and change a sail. Go on... Do it! Please!!!!!!!!!!"

How could we resist? Here is Sam (on the right) with fellow sailor Dee Caffari.