Race 6 - Day 10
Crew Diary - Race 6 Day 10: Hobart to Whitsundays
15 January
ARE WE THERE YET DAD?
How many parents have been faced with that question from the back of a car with the stock answer, "Not long now son?" Well on leaving Hobart, that became the sort of question for some of us round the worlders. Not, "Are we there yet?" but, "Are we half way yet?"
I sort of felt that we had gone as far south as we were going to do so maybe not scientifically halfway, it felt as though I was on my way home. Someone else said, "Well the poster says more than 40000 miles and our odometer is well over 20000," so as agreed we are around half way. Another said we needed to look at the expected number of days at sea versus the actual number of days completed. Another said we should devise some sort of mathematical calculation of longitude/ latitude we now are at versus that of Liverpool (I couldn't be bothered to even contemplate working that one out but sort of saw the logic). Well, whatever method used, we are either over half way son or it will be soon. Whatever happens Dale, our skipper, will still get that question thrown at him a hundred times which is why I devised the question how far and how many tacks is it to Budapest. Why? Cos it's random and he can give a random answer whilst getting his point across in a soft way.
Airlie Beach sees a lot of crew change over for the boats so for those folk leaving, they really are nearly there. A fair few have been with us from the start in Liverpool (or even earlier if you count delivery) and so we will all really have “new” boats. For most of me, that's great getting to know new people the renewed energy and different perspectives. One small part isn't looking forward to the inevitable new persons needing to settle in and not try to be an over the top version of who they are (most of us do it don't we). We've had some great characters in our boat. Do I say I would have a pint with them all if I met them randomly....no … nor would they say that of me but the fact is that you have to get on with folk to make sure we get the best performance out of our boat Dare To Lead. I have come to the conclusion that the challenge to me is just as much about how I react to folk as it is a physical challenge. Anyway to all those new crew members and those about to leave, I salute you. Please know your efforts are integral to where we are now.
This leg... oh yeah, it will be just a short sprint up the east coast to get to idylic Airlie Beach. No and thrice no, I say. The hated beating (into wind sailing) which always seems to leave the boat slewed over to the wrong side as far as getting into my high bunk is concerned. Fellow Yorkshireman Dynamo, if by the slight chance you hear of this, please get down here to give me levitation lessons. Becalmed... why did we choose this route so that we can slap about in this debilitating heat; glorious downwind sailing under spinnaker (why can't I have a Pimms?) and then the squalls... not being a sailor I knew nothing about these “Southerly Busters” ...we've had two. The first, strangely, was the lowest speed of 55 knots but the most challenging having to take down the Yankee 1 in the eye of the storm to return to the cockpit to put in two reefs to endure the heaviest rain I've ever seen.
As I reflected, sat there in the rain whilst the wind was raging was back to me, I thought of this moment: "Dad," when asked by my young daughter if he was scared when he was on an MTB boat in the war, he said he just kept himself busy. Well, I just kept myself concentrating on what was to be done and not the possible consequences. Everyone in the Clipper Race does that day in day out and that's what builds something more into yourself. The second squall last night was even higher winds at around 78 knots. But was surreal. We had everything sorted before it hit but the sea state had been more or less totally calmed presumably by the rain, the lightning was flashing every few seconds (laws of average say one's going to hit someone sometime) but the wind felt like a breeze presumably because we were travelling so fast.
Anyway, we are maybe two days out from the finish and can understand why Captain Cook (again a Yorkshireman) had issues not far north from here at the Tribulation. A nod to you, a great explorer.
Am I near the end of the blog dad?...Yes!
Mick Husband, your Yorkshire Independence Party correspondent.