At this time of year the need for a holiday becomes urgent, but for many it is still some weeks off. Many solicitors will find their gaze wandering from the contract in front of them, through the grimy window of their offices, their minds already picturing the exotic delights of foreign climes. Or Cornwall at the very least.

For those who are planning a cruise or yachting trip, the chilly image (pictured) is probably not quite what they have in mind. But Boyd Holmes, managing partner at Cumbrian firm Cartmell Shepherd, is clearly not the pleasure cruise type.

He recently took a break from steering his firm through the choppy waters of legal practice by taking to the high seas at the helm of his 37-foot yacht, Damsel – a name that is asking for trouble, surely? With his wife Kitty, Holmes completed an incident-packed 1,500-mile return journey from Scotland to Norway.

The intrepid solicitor says he survived run-ins with boat-battering waves, close encounters with killer whales, a mid-sea rescue, and a clash with the Norwegian security forces.

Back on dry land, Boyd has been presented with accolades for outstanding performance and endeavour by three of Britain’s sailing clubs. All very impressive. But Obiter will stick to a pedalo in the Med, if it’s all the same to him.