Crew Blog

Another new experience

02 January 2008

Qingdao's crew preparing to sail from Fremantle

G’day folks, as our Australian cousins would say, and a Happy New Year from the good ship Lady Qing. Our piccie shows the troops bidding farewell to Freo, whilst experiencing a totally unique feeling, being sober on New Year’s morning.

We slipped at 00.18GMT in bright sunshine, with a good few nerves due to a big crew changeover and the old salts not looking forward to a tight start in the harbour with the infamous Fremantle Doctor (a wind which starts every afternoon ) forecast to gust 25 knots plus.

As it turned out, and in keeping with the race so far, the wind didn’t show due to Tropical Cyclone Melanie, which had approached the NW coast and filtered out into a depression, keeping the Doc at bay.

However, drama did unfold at the start line when Uniquely Singapore and Nova Scotia collided next to us whilst trying to avoid a certain someone barging in at the line. In order to stay out of the chaos we bore away and spoilt our customary good start. I am far too chivalrous to name names, however there were no casualties and no damage, just a few bruised egos. If looks could kill tho’ it would have been carnage.

We are now just over 24 hours into the race, and trying to settle into a watch system, with Gary leading Hao Yun watch (Mandarin for lucky) and Chris taking up the baton on Gao Xing watch (happy).

We are bowling along under the spinnaker and speaking personally it has been a steep learning curve due to lots of evolutions and shifting winds, but a great way to get into it all.

There were a few tired faces on our first watch due to a combination of jet lag, the hectic start and some sea sickness, but we’re all starting to look a lot chirpier now. Much to Chris’s dismay, I am now regaling him with my jokes.

Race is really tight and we can see six boats from our deck so we are giving it our all.

Finally, having followed the first three legs from my computer I know how much support we get from all around the globe. We are chuffed to bits with this so thanks to each and every one of you, have a great 2008.

Bye for now

Graham Calvert

1. Maclaren Family, PARTON 03 January 2008

Love the picture! Happy new year to all on the lady Qing. God’s speed and hope you are first to Singapore the Slings await.
chaz

2. Phil and Nicky Hobbs, Exeter 03 January 2008

Good Luck for this leg to all of you on Qingdao. I write this from freezing weather here. Tell Chris we all missed him at New Year and the bottle bank in Le Croisty has more room left than usual.Keep up the good work -you improve with each leg so this should be the one!Lots of love from Exeter.

3. Richard Zheng, Qingdao 04 January 2008

Hey guys,
I am a university student in Qingdao, and I’m reading news about you every day. In Febuary, I will be here at the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Centre, waiting for you to enter the habour. I will be a volunteer as an radio anchor.

Welcome home,
Good luck !
Richard

4. John, Almere 04 January 2008

It is indeed a beautiful thing! Go Team Qingdao!! Love to all onboard and all ashore.

5. MAUREEN KIFF, Pembrokeshire 04 January 2008

Hello Qingdao and thank you all so much for the fantastic send off spectacle at Freemantle Wouldnt have missed it for the world Good luck and God Bless

6. Tatty, HK 05 January 2008

Woo hoo & hoorah for downwind surfing!!! Sounds like you’re having a fantastic time of it! Those green zinc speed stripes on your cheeks have obviously done the trick! Go Qingdao..Tattyx

7. The Halletts, Canada 06 January 2008

Happy New Year to you all from snowy Canada. That sun looks amazing. Soak up some rays for us. Be safe and be fast, good luck! Paul and Sarah x

8. Caroline Straathof, Amsterdam 07 January 2008

Hi Crew good luck on this venture. Enjoy it and have fun! I am following your progress with personal interest as a good friend of Xinmin Yan, as an avid sailing fan and as former long-term resident of China. Bon voyage, Caroline

9. Dick Spanner, Colchester 07 January 2008

A bit late, Marcus, but Happy New Year ! Keep up the good work and get back in contention !!
All the best to the crew,
Dick

10. Kevin Bowers, Hong Kong 08 January 2008

Gary is still in charge of a watch ? On the basis that he was once in charge of getting a group of us from New Delhi to Agra and we ended up in Jaipur, I look forward to seeing you all for a cold beer in Kota Kinabalu on 19 January !

11. Butty & Jo, Polperro, Cornwall,UK. 08 January 2008

GO GO GO Qingdao!! looks like you have some neat tactics up your sleeve Marcus, Christmas Island will be the test of it, Good luck to you and all the crew of the Qingdao, lets see another podium!

12. tony&jan;horeman, brisbane 11 January 2008

hi marcus watching you all the way hope you have an enjoyable run
regards tony

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