Crew Blog

Finishing almost high as a kite

07 June 2008

Uniquely Singapore's Jurgen prepares to spike the spinnaker

Being the boat medic, that title is not to be interpreted as me helping myself to the on board medicine cabinet. As most of you armchair sailors out there will know by now, we refer to our big spinnakers as our kites which gives us the thrill and stresses of downwind sailing.

At the end of the race from New York this morning the kite had to come down and I was allowed to climb up to the pole and spike the kite’s pole end of clew so that the sail, all 360 square meters, could be retrieved and piled down the companion way. Sitting at the end of the pole provides a great bird’s eye view of the yacht and the activity on deck as the spiker remains aloft until the sail is safely below deck. I did not really want to come down again, so nice was the view. The trip up to the pole today was one of my personal highlights and hopefully not the last.

This race up from New York has taken us into much colder weather with lots of fog. Shorts and T-Shirts have by been replaced by the layering of clothing. The mothers have been instructed by the skipper to increase the portion sizes so that the bigger rations will fuel the increased caloric needs of the crew who all happily oblige by polishing their plates.

The New York stopover, although very short, provided the fleet with a spectacular marina location right in the heart of lower Manhattan’s financial district. The rugged Clipper crews with their salted sailing boots, unwashed hair, and five day beards stuck out like sore thumbs in between the groomed bankers and business folk in their starched shirts and suits coming and going to their places of work.

The arrival and departure of a round the world yacht race in a place like New York passed by practically unnoticed, which is hardly surprising considering the enormity of the metropolis.

We will be arriving in Nova Scotia in the early hours of tomorrow morning and have been promised an environment that a clipper fleet from the UK will be reminded of home with the prospect of folk music and ceilidh dancing.

The variety and extremes of the experience that the whole race provides is one of the great attractions for me and the magnitude of this whole undertaking will many months to really sink in.

So long
Jurgen

1. deb&tony;Povey, maidstone kent england 13 June 2008

So its now been confirmed Jurgen, you are “up the pole” all the training paid off though .
good luck singapore, go for cork!

2. Leanne G, basingstoke 14 June 2008

Message For Uncle Baz,
Only JUST figured out how to do this—im absolutely useless at all this technology lark !
Just though i would type to say well done for doing so well :D:D we are all routing for you back here :D missing you rather alot—im sure you are going to be nicely mawled by Buffy and Spike when u arrive home :D
Oh, and i am rather ashamed of you—YOU HAVE SHAVED !! I was quite looking forward to seeing you come back looking like johnny depp - with the plaited beard dwith beads in—what a let down --- just dont come in like he did on PotC1—and frighten the life out of us :D:D:D
oh just thought i would let you know how school is going- rubbish - however managed to pull a string of A’s and A*s for science, drama, art, history, maths… i cant remember any others! Of course .. i haven’t been doing anything in PE, i do enough sport after school hahaha :D
Missing You lots, (i know you are sooo going to rub that in my face when you get back), can’t wait for you to tell us all you sea-shantys .. arg <-- if that is the correct term :S

p.s. Please… when you reach Liverpool.. just shout… LAND HO ! with a telescope—haha would make me laugh alot :D

Lots of Love from Leanne and Family (including ponies,cat and birds)

p.p.s - mum dosnt know how to do this either - or she would have sent u a message- we have been thinking of you—i always look out for Singapore’s progress in registration at school ! (being in an ICT room is great!)
xxx
(sorry for the essay!)

3. Nuala Gormley, Edinburgh 16 June 2008

Looks amazing Jurgen: glad you made it back down OK. I don’t suppose the north Atlantic can compare to the waters you’ve been sailing in so far, but I’m sure the craic on either side of the Atlantic will make up for it. We are doing our best to organise to get to Cork: have never been before! If you could just take a wee detour up the west coast around Donegal and malin Head, that would be great altogether, but I suppose the whole ‘race’ notion might rule that out. happy sailing, take care! me and all the boys.

4. Meredith Doery, Caribbean/Singapore 17 June 2008

Desmond Lim,
Hi Desmond,
How are things going? I have been thinking often of you on the high seas .....do hope it is fun and that you will be able to entertain us with lots of stories at the bar in the Members Club upon your return. I have been back to Aus for a trip ( sorry no REAL Koala for your gorgeous daughter) but do tell her that I did see several and did think of her. We are missing you so come back safe.
See you soon
Meredith Doery

5. Vonnie, basingstoke 18 June 2008

Hi Baz,
Have been following you(on land only!!!)and heard alot, just wanted to let you know that you haven’t been “out of sight, out of mind” but well missed.When I’ve seen what your doing I wonder why I worry about boating,your brave or mad,still can’t make my mind up.
Not long before your home now, so just make sure that you get here safe and well.
All the best and take care.
Vonnie x

6. Sarah, New job! 19 June 2008

Last message to US. It’s been quite a long ten months guys. You’ve done BRILLIANTLY! Just keep it up for a little bit longer. Guess you know have been following your progress, every wave of the way (pretty much literally, thanks to this website). I can hardly wait to greet you all in Liverpool...it’s going to be very exciting. Just wondered if you could sail a tiny little bit faster to get back to us all a little bit sooner. Particularly you, Mr G. (might make Cork first, and that is in exactly 11 days)

7. mei, singapore 22 June 2008

Hallo Jurgen,spiking the kite was indeed a fantastic high for me during the race too. Hope dein NY stopover war super! Toll von dir zu hoeren, vielen Dank

8. savi, uk 28 June 2008

hi jurgen
nice to know you are enjoying self. hope you have a lot more highlights before you touch land
savi

Page 1 of 1 pages