Crew Blog

A different sort of challenge

19 June 2008

We were greeted in Sydney after the D250 race from Halifax, with a warm welcome from the local population. And what a night it had been! Towards the end both ourselves and Hull & Humber were neck and neck and neither was prepared to concede an inch. Synchronized mainsail reefing as both skippers gave the orders to reef again in growing weather conditions, 30+ knots of wind, and big seas and the BBB heeled over with her gunnels dipping in the sea. ‘Challenging’ was one description, personally, I found it scary, frustrating, demanding and painful (a droplet of seawater carried on a 30 kont wind straight into the eye certainly stings). Total relief in making the calmer waters of the harbour, but I did enjoy it.

We left Sydney to a great send off, warm sunshine cheering crowds and a spectacular start with boats tacking every minute. As we left the safety of the harbour the whole fleet was lined up abreast reaching our way to Cork, and onto a different sort of challenge.

Becalmed, by morning in thick fog, not another boat to be seen, alone in the quiet, the frustration of not moving and the fear of not knowing how the rest of the boats are doing.  At the helm I feel a breath of wind on my cheek, and the BBB shakes her sails and starts to move very slowly through the water, 0.5 knots of speed is reached with great cheer, the most gentlest of touches on the helm, and little more breeze we’re up to 2 knots, euphoria among the crew. “Come on Scouse” more speed, dizzy heights of 5 knots, and then, as it came, after 15 minutes the breeze goes.  Brilliant! we must have made 2 miles there, smiles all round, and then the challenge of doing it 3 watches a day for 3 days, am I enjoying it, I’m not too sure, I’ll let you know in Cork…..

Peter Thompson (Liverpool Pete)