Volvo Ocean Race - Miss World shimmies up the mast of VOR boat

February 05, 2015. Rolene Strauss, Miss World 2014, helming Dongfeng Race Team with skipper Charles Caudrelier during the Practice Race in Sanya. Sam Greenfield/Dongfeng Race Team/Volvo Ocean Race

February 05, 2015. Rolene Strauss, Miss World 2014, at the top of the Dongfeng Race Team mast in the Volvo Ocean Race Village in Sanya. © Rolene Strauss

February 05, 2015. Rolene Strauss, Miss World 2014, at the top of the Dongfeng Race Team mast in the Volvo Ocean Race Village in Sanya. © Rolene Strauss

February 05, 2015. Rolene Strauss, Miss World 2014, at the top of the Dongfeng Race Team mast in the Volvo Ocean Race Village in Sanya. © Rolene Strauss

The challenge to shimmy up the mast turns many a strong guy into jelly, but the 22-year-old from Volkrust, South Africa, didn’t need asking twice when Race leaders, Dongfeng Race Team, challenged her to do the climb in Sanya, China.

Miss Strauss, who won her title in London last December, was hoisted up the mast – the equivalent height of six giraffes – in a matter of a couple of minutes and took a leisurely view of the harbour before coolly lowering herself down.

'It was beautiful,' she bubbled. 'The scenery is so beautiful and it was lovely being out there on the ocean. I just fell in love with Sanya and with everything. It felt it was like I was on top on the world.

'I drew a big eye (on the mast), looking down on the boat, and then I wrote ‘one world, one strength’. If the crew works together as one they will have more strength and they will prosper in the race.'

February 5, 2015 in Sanya, China. The six-strong Volvo Ocean Race fleet resumes racing with a Practice Race outside the Serenity Marina. © Ainhoa Sanchez/Volvo Ocean Race

Dongfeng and the rest of the fleet, on a nine-month, 38,739-nautical mile offshore marathon race around the world, leave China on Sunday for Auckland in New Zealand for the fourth leg of nine. The race is scheduled to finish in Gothenburg, Sweden on June 27.