Race 11 - Day 19
Crew Diary - Race 11 Day 19
18 May

Fans across the globe marvel at the athletic achievements of their favourite sports stars. The talking heads on the radio and television then tell all who listen just how tough these athletes are. As we have sailed a few thousand miles thus far, I have begun to question if we crew are just as tough if not tougher than these athletes we admire so much.

Of course we cannot run faster, lift more weight, kick or throw a ball harder than a professional athlete. However, we do not operate and compete in the most idyllic and controlled environments either. Our playing surface is not manicured to near perfection for optimum results. We do not have the ability to control our playing environment’s temperature with the adjustment of a thermostat. We cannot flip a switch to close the roof on our stadium if we choose to shut out Mother Nature all together from having an effect on our competition. And even more, we cannot postpone to another day when we find the playing environment more to our choosing.

We take what she gives us and go with it. For the past few days we have endured the strength of the sun with no momentary reprieve from a single cloud. Everyone is constantly drenched in sweat. There is no escape. The next part of the yacht is just as hot if not hotter than the last part. You sweat while on watch on deck. You sweat while trying to sleep below deck. The sweat is just a constant in the grand equation.

We have no magical air conditioning unit onboard to give us some form of relief as you see on the sidelines at many professional sporting events. We do not have a swanky locker room to retire to after watch for a long, relaxing shower. We have a bucket with a line and the ocean for a quick deck shower only to be encased in your own sweat from head to toe again in about 3 minutes.

Yet, we continue forward towards the finish line without complaint. We continue forward using our witty banter amongst ourselves to subdue the annoyance of the heat. We continue forward using our comedic ingenuity to distract from the gallons of accumulated sweat. We continue enthusiastically forward because we are tough.