Crew Blog

Bad Hair and Pancake Day

06 February 2008

Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper's new crew member, Cousin It. (Emma really)

Everyday is a bad hair day on this boat, but there is only one pancake day!! Today our mothers produced a fabulous array of various sweet and savoury pancakes. Much appreciated by all the crew especially those of us who have been little seasick for the past few days.

For Lent our unanimous crew decision is to give up the daily bind of having wet backsides aka gunnel bum or baboon bottom (no picture attached!) not quite sure yet how this will be achieved but we will continue to try our hardest.

So far this race has been a stark contrast to the race from Freo to Singapore; we continue to beat into the wind on a daily basis which initially proved a little difficult for the new lot who were quite happy with the cruising leg of our last race. Seasickness plagued many of us but hoping we are now all out the other end.

The weather is slowly starting to change and get cooler in the evenings, oilies are beginning to make their appearance again and the time predictions for the sunset challenge are beginning to get earlier. We are still yet to experience the green flash and are beginning to wonder to believe if it does exist. I’m not sure if the myth about hair being self cleaning after a while is true either.

Free time at the moment is being spent completing questions from the fleet trivial pursuit, another time to realise how much useless information you don’t know, but it keeps us all entertained.

Back to sailing, the real reason we are all here, we are trying our hardest to get ourselves back on the podium. You can regularly hear cheering from the deck as we hear the regular scheds. Hope you are all well at home.

Emma

1. Alex Bisset, Glasgow- the not stylish bit! 06 February 2008

Emma, thanks for the update. The only thing is, washing and stuff only gets you dirty again, so you’re as well not bothering really!! Well done all of you in keeping up there, and that long beat must be pure dead uncomfortable - you have my admiration. Go Glasgow

2. pam brunton, sarnia, canada 06 February 2008

Hi Robin, Please inform crew, yes hair will selfclean. Howerver this take several weeks. We as Robins siblings are all hairdressers.... Some with more hair than others. Love Pam.

3. Lorna & Jon Darke, Barry, Vale of Glamorgan 06 February 2008

Hi Hannah and crew of the Black Pearl - so pleased you all had pancackes yesterday and could enjoy them - more that we did - I forgot! Sorry about the hair though - that’s the one thing Siany moans about!
So far as the racing is concerned you lot are doing BRILL! 2nd place and closing the lead - great! We are all behind you here ( and so are 8 of the team!) Keep it that way and chase down Jamaica and it could be “Do you remember February 2008? When Wales beat England at Twickers and Glasgow, Scotland with Style clipper was first into Qingdao?!! Oh what stories to be told! GO GLASGOW GO!!!
Sail fast and safe as always, and good luck to you all
Lorna & Jon

4. Catherine Muggeridge, London 06 February 2008

Hey Glasgow,
Congrats on maintaining our lead - keep it up.
Intersting hair Em - may i suggest you don’t try to helm like that, else your be losing the podium finish we’re all hoping for back home.
Sail safe and fast
Catherine Muggeridge

5. Dipxy, Dumfriesshire 06 February 2008

Hi Emma

Thanks for the blog. Don’t worry about the bad hair day, sure the guys won’t mind. Hold on to the podium position, we’re all proud of you and wishing we were with you. Watch out for Joe’s gourmet cooking ... he throws owt in ... usually it’s very tasty though! Helps to wash it down with some nectar! But you’ll not be allowed any ‘cos you need to concentrate on the sailing. Good luck, be safe ... but be FAST.

You’re increasing your lead all the time and the Home Guard can hardly wait for the next updates.

Best wishes
x

6. tony & norma reynolds, south wales 06 February 2008

Super tactics Hannah.Your prefered position” hunting them down”.Clearly “The Beatings” are working for the crew,don’t let up on them! We have to feel for Jamaica,it’s a new experiance for Simon,but we are sure there is no sentiment on your part.Love and best wishes to you all.Stay safe and fair winds.

7. Dee & Nick Sawyer, Aberaeron, West Wales 06 February 2008

Thank you Emma and the crew!
We are beginning to get a feel of a podium place on it’s way. You seem to be eating away at Jamaica’s lead, so forget the pancakes and keep eating the distance.A little a day goes a long way!!!
GO The Black Pearl!
Dee & Nick
xx

8. barbara & Jon, aberaeron 06 February 2008

We enjoy watching your progress and hope that all your hard work
indeed ends up with a well diserved podium place!

Thinking of you at least twice a day!!!

Go Glasgow and dafs

9. Andy Ronald, Glasgow 06 February 2008

Well done Glasgow, great to see you holding second place and edging ever closer to Jamaica. It is two years to the day since we arrived in Subic Bay duing the 05-06 race and happy to see that you are not experiencing the problems that forced us to detour to the Philippines. Enjoy the heat for the next few days as you will soon be much cooler. Keep smiling and good luck to all. Hello to Lisa, hope you are still enjoying the experience.
Andy

10. Sandy, Solihull 07 February 2008

Good to see GLASGOW holding on to second place and nibbling away at Jamaica’s stern! I haven’t seen any mention of the ‘cat o’ nine tails’ to keep you working this hard (only joking!). Watching the race viewer certainly brightens my day! Keep up the good work!
Best wishes. Sandy

11. gem, london 07 February 2008

Keep going guys!
See you in Qingdao
x

12. Allan & Janet, Clackmannanshire 07 February 2008

Keep going Glasgow. We are still following your progress keenly although brother-in-law Drew no longer on board. See if you can get back on the podium where you belong.

13. sian reynolds, at my desk thinking of you! 07 February 2008

Come on the BLACK PEARL! Well done guys in 2nd place and charging along! Hope its not getting too cold yet and that the chocolate is still in a ready supply in the tuck boxes!! (Note that was not given up for lent!!) Take care guys, keep racing as hard as you are & im sure there’ll be another pennant hanging from your bunks in no time! Keep up the great work! Wales v Scotland in 6 Nations this weekend - who will win!!??!!! Ah who cares we beat the English! x x x x

14. Emma's Dad, Sussex by the Sea 07 February 2008

Great Blog Emma, love the hair. Kung Hei Fat Choi and hope the seasickness is a thing of the past. Keep sailing hard, shake that ‘unique’ bunch off your tail and will yourselves into the lead. Dad & Chris X

15. Dee & Nick Sawyer, Aberaeron, West Wales 07 February 2008

Gong xi fa chi (pronounced ;gong see far shy) and happy new year (of the Rat) to you all on the Black Pearl.

Good luck in the final stages of the race. For real Chinese luck wear something red and give small “tokens” and gifts of money to the youngest on board, eat lots of bean sprouts, sweet and sour balls.... and rice!

Not that we are superstitious, we just want you to be on the top of the podium.

Fair winds
Nick and Dee

16. John Diffenthal, Sandhurst, Berkshire, UK 07 February 2008

Tonight’s position looks fantastic although earlier in the day it looked as if you and Singapore were in shouting distance of one another ...

You are doing absolutely brilliantly and gaining rapidly on Jamaica. Points mean prizes, so go as fast as you can without breaking the boat.

Go Glasgow!

17. Carl Parker/Angela Dawson, London, UK 07 February 2008

Great to see you up there as one of the leaders day after day. It’s got to be hard work but keep it up because the rewards are there for you.

18. Gordon Holmes, Perth, W.A. 08 February 2008

Cheered you off from Fremantle with a “go Glasgow” & have been keeping an eye on how things are going. Hopefully the change of tack will continue to eat into the lead & you’ll be first over the line.

19. Stewart, West Yorkshire 10 February 2008

50 years on, bringing a whole new meaning to Scotish sailing adventure. “Sailin doon the whater”

So keep the dream alive and all be safe

Big Man

20. Jeanette Forrester, Hereford 10 February 2008

Emma - some of us would kill for your curls! Glad the seasicky’s better. Just looking at your position up there again, going great guns - you’re terrific and so impressive - take care everyone - you’re nearly there. Jeanette

21. Emma's Dad, Sussex by the Sea 11 February 2008

Fantastic stamina to be in the vanguard after such a punishing weekend, must be exhausting. Hope you have calmer seas ahead and that you take up the pole position which you richly deserve. Dad & Chris X

22. John Diffenthal, Sandhurst, Berkshire, UK 12 February 2008

This is getting even more exciting - you have got past Durban, but who knows where you are in relation to Ull ‘n Umber ... it’s quite a while since they posted a position.

Great racing.

Go Glasgow!

23. Brian & Dru, Peterborough 12 February 2008

What tension! Only 450 nm to go and not a lot separating you. We’re going to have no nails left by the time you reach Qingdao, so trim those sails (or whatever it is you do) and put us out of our misery....

Hope you are all fit and well and love to Lisa D

24. Marion Bennie, Glasgow 12 February 2008

The site is showing that you are now in second place - great news!!
Robin, don’t worry about having a bad hair day, darling - just stick it in the washing machine when you get to dry land (tee- hee).
Lovely, sunny day in Glasgow (seriously)
Stay safe everyone - Marion x

25. Diane Searls, Ireland 12 February 2008

Wow, what a race! It’s really impressive and nail-biting watching from way back here, so I can’t imagine what it’s like for you guys. More power to your collective elbows! Keep it up all the way to Qingdao and let’s see you on the podium where you deserve to be.

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