Race 3 - Day 14
Crew Diary - Race 3, Day14
07 November

Cecilia Henry-Roitberg
Cecilia Henry-Roitberg
Team Dare To Lead
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A fortnight passes in a series of thoughts

Greetings all. Today it’s my turn to write the blog, so I thought I’d share some thoughts and observations. I had to sit out Race 2 due to injury, so I read the daily crew blogs and sometimes I feared for the sanity of some of my crewmates. I now realise that they were, in fact, doing just fine, their blogs were just a consequence of the long hours of reflection, contemplation and daydreaming. As Guy pointed out to us earlier this week, sitting on a cold, wet deck is in the Clipper Race brochure. What is not included in the brochure is the fact that there will be many hours during which to meditate on absolutely everything you have ever done, said or thought. And that’s what my blog today is. Below are some thoughts, comments and questions that have come up during this last fortnight, in vaguely chronological order.

- Well, the boat’s left. I can’t get off now.

- How will I make it through all these long watches, just holding a line or waiting on the grinder?

- I want to see a whale.

- My hands are cold.

- Is this the real world or the dream world?

- Albatrosses aren’t that big.

- I need to stay awake. Quick, do your multiplication tables!

- Roaring forties? The Bay of Biscay was worse than this. (Note: this is where I injured myself during Race 1).

- I wish I remembered more detailed anatomy, these multiplication tables are getting boring now.

- We should start learning the names of al these celestial bodies.

- These clouds belong in an 18th century landscape painting.

- If we continue sailing to the edge of the world, do we just fall off the edge or do we continue sailing into space? Do we loop back around and continue sailing this ocean?

- Will I ever be warm again?

- What’s Mr Darcy’s name? Is it Fitzwilliam? But that’s his cousin’s name.

- Oh, yep. I hear the roaring now.

- One moment, we’re at the summit of the mountain range viewing all the other peaks, the next we’re in the valley.

- There’s a water stain in the galley in the shape of an Egon Schieler self-portrait.

- I don’t like these waves. They make me feel ill. They’re too big. We’re dangling on the edge of the wave and all you can see is the bottom, six metres below.

- Who does Jane Eyre marry? (Mr Rochester. The name escapes me, but Lucia told me today).

- Will I ever be dry again?

- We’d get to Cape Town faster if someone would just fold the map better and make the distance shorter.

- I saw an albatross sitting in the water! I take it back, they are pretty big.

- I guess we’re not going to learn any celestial navigation this race. As soon as we decided to try learning, the stars disappeared forever.

- If the moon falls from the sky, going around it is really going to add to the race time.

- Ooo, the Wonder Woman birds are back. I should name all the bird species I’ve seen … Albatross (Bigus wingus), Skua (Skua dubiosa), Wonder woman bird (Amazonia Diana), Tippex stains bird (Oopsie daisy). Lineaus would be proud.

- I wonder if I can rerun a whole movie in my head, scene by scene? (Nope).

- Sometimes you need to turn the radio on (sing) to helm.

- Kiss, marry, avoid: primary winch edition. After much consideration, I’d marry the mainsheet winch. Has one job, does it well, is reliable.

- I’m glad the seas didn’t turn into a Turner painting.

- It’s hard, but I like it here. You can stand anything if you take it in small chunks. A night watch can last ages when you’re wet and cold and the wind is roaring, but with a little sing-a-long around the coffee grinder, everything is a little easier.

- I have still not seen a whale

Please send answers and comments via albatross.