Race 11 - Day 21
Crew Diary - ​What makes people go on the Clipper Race?
20 May

What makes people go on the Clipper Race?

I did a little survey of the crew’s motivations and I’d like to share my findings with you.

You have two main categories of people who join the race: people who always look for adventure and the people for whom it is THE ONE BIG adventure of their life.

I suspect this represents the highest percentage of our crew.

Why would we want such an adventure like this? And let’s be honest, not the most comfortable one. The challenges include:

- It can be very hot (more than 30-35 degrees celsius consecutively and always very humid, like now) or very cold (like the Pacific crossing when it snowed).

- You can have big winds (where people become seasick) or no winds (as on the Atlantic crossing Leg 1, and now.)

- You have no private space (except for the toilets) and you share your bunk with a buddy but not at the same time. ;)

- You don’t have the comfort you are used to at home: a shower on the boat means that you shower at the stern. You begin with two buckets of sea water, you soap, then you rinse with half a bucket of unsalted cold water spread over your body with a cup. When you are back at home ensure you enjoy running water!. The same method is used if you want to wash your clothes.

- You are 24-hours a day with people you didn’t choose with no way to escape.

- You do things that you don’t particularly like or you don’t do at home: cook 60 meals per day when you become a “Mother”, do the dishes with sea water, clean the toilets every 4 to 6 hours…

So this being said, why would we do this?

- To experience the famous “out of your comfort” zone and hope to become a “better” person. To be able to achieve goals and to meet them even if they are difficult.

- To be proud of ourselves and have our family/friends recognize our efforts and willingness to push ourselves to do extraordinary things. To be an inspiration/example for others.

- To celebrate life and the will to live it at its fullest when we are healthy so that when we are older we have no regrets.

- To be a witness to Mother Nature: see dolphins on a moonlight night, watch a starry night away from any visual pollution as you will rarely have on land, watch sea birds, whales and turtles.

- Experience a better version of ourselves: we don’t have the choice but to be kind, patient and interested in others, be polite and respectful of others, participate in the social life of the boat either by laughing at jokes/situations (my case) or by having a good sense of humour, Remember that we cannot control everything and we have to let go, and don’t take things too seriously… don’t forget there are 17 people in the same 70 x 17 feet space!

- Recognize that “little things' can mean a lot - like receiving a hug from Julienne, my bunk mate, to give me the courage to have another 4 hours off watch without being able to sleep because it is too hot. Or when Josh prepares a coffee to wake me up.

- Experience what a “real” team means: everything on the boat has to be done with others: hoisting a sail, gybing, tacking… and we look out for others’ safety as they look to you. The team is also there to care for you when you are discouraged or feel seasick.

- For some people who are really stressed and overworked in their regular life, this can be a pause - disconnecting from electronic sources.

- We will eventually realise that the more we invest in the race, the more we will get out of it and the biggest reward will be at the sense of achievement at the end.

Are you ready for a challenge? Well go for it, you will never regret it: there are not many experiences accessible to a “normal” person that could make you live such things!

For me personally, after having done Leg 1, I am also doing Leg 7 and even if I find it difficult sometimes, I know that by 11 June, when we are supposed to arrive in Bermuda, I will have experienced intense moments. But when I see my sons and my partner again, I’ll know 100% the challenge was worthwhile. I also know that sharing these moments with friends, colleagues and family afterwards will give me again and again a sense of accomplishments that I rarely had before.

Vincent, Sebastien and Anthony, vous me manquez, j’ai tellement hate de vous retrouver! :)

P.S: To all families and friends, please note that we cannot transmit more than three blogs a week, so stay tuned :) It is not because we cannot transmit more that we are not thinking about you...a lot! :)