Crew Blog

A Long Way Away from the Danube

27 May 2008

Funny how life goes… When I was growing up on the muddy banks of the Danube in Belgrade, I played pirates with my friends, dreaming about high seas and exotic places. And now? I am not exactly a pirate (although I do wear a bandana), but a legger, racing through those high seas.

Despite weeks of training it never prepares you for the experience on the open water. First, there is a lot of shouting, and if you don’t hear it first time round, more than a few of the crew will shout it even louder. I have had to get into the routine with winches, trimming the sails, changing the sails at the same time as keeping my balance.

And then there is the watch system; I have to say, I was never keen on night shift, and being on a racing yacht I am even less keen on it. For those who don’t know, it’s pitch black, windy and with water washing over you all the time, it seems, when the skipper nonchalantly says, “Let’s put the reef in guys and change the Yankee!”

But the best thing about it is that I am not alone. I am learning loads from the RTW-ers; it’s great in this race to be holding the competition at bay plus reaping the rewards of seeing the hard work pay off when overtaking another yacht (I was off watch when we were over taken, though ).

To top the experience the food is brilliant (we have Supermum on board) and there is an abundance of it.

Jadranka