Around 500,000 children are following the progress of the BT Global Challenge yachts round the world.

Thousands check the position of the 14 crews daily on the Internet during the legs.

On average, each crew member has made contact with two schools, usually because they have personal links. They visit the children before and after their leg, and correspond, often electronically.

Approximately 8,000 schools are registered with databases held by yacht sponsors, including infants schools, sixth form colleges, adult learning centres and places catering for children with special needs.

Members receive information packs and are sent newsletters. Ten thousand packs have been sent out so far, including 2,200 packs for teachers carrying information tailored to suit the national curriculum, plus 3,000 laminated maps.

In addition, the BT Global Challenge Club was set up on the web site in April and now has more than 100 registered users. The club invites members to take part in projects and competitions - the first ended on June 4, Rescue - where young people were required to simulate a rescue at sea which involved work together by emailing all round the world. Most yacht sponsors have their own web site so there is no end of information for the children.

Consultant Vivien Nuttall, who is masterminding the education campaign, said: "The race has really captured the imagination of children and teachers all over the country. We are particularly interested in the web club. We are using it also as a pilot to see the effect of interactive learning in education."

During the Wellington stopover, a live video-conference link was set up at the BETT Exhibition in Birmingham between local youngsters and race skippers.

And it is not just schools in this country. "Interest has developed in each of the ports of call," said Vivien, who works for BT Education Services. In Cape Town, for instance, eight schools took part in a t-shirt design competition while the boats were in dock.

Vivien added: "At the end of the race, we will be welcoming schoolchildren to Ocean Village in Southampton, and I have no doubt that the interest generated will run on for some time yet."

The signs are that she is right. The head of a school in Dorset is planning an exchange visit with a New Zealand school as a result of contact made during the race.

Even more lasting should be the skills the children have picked up. They have, says Vivien, added to their geographical knowledge but, in particular, benefited from communications skills, including using email and surfing the Net.

One Shropshire head teacher said when the race was beginning: "In a year's time, we will be a long way down the IT road thanks to the race. A pupil at his school has used the race for his GCSE course in IT."

Then there's the skill of songwriting...Wannabe pop stars in a Hampshire school penned a song called 'Spinnaker Blues', dedicated to Courtaulds International's crew.

Meanwhile, one little girl got a real taste of life at sea. Toshiba Wave Warrior crew volunteer Ben Pearson visited the school that had adopted him, dressed the girl up in wet weather gear and threw buckets of water at her to test it...