Race 3 - Day 22
Crew Diary - Race 3 Day 22: Cape Town to Fremantle
22 November

Back to winning ways. And I got the t-shirt. Literally.

For many of us, Leg 3 has undoubtedly been a life experience. As we constantly reflect on Simon's death, we are even more spurred on to follow our dreams and complete what we set out to achieve. As a team, it has galvanised us towards a collective goal and a 'make it happen' attitude.

We sat down as a team and agreed to go all out to win the Ocean Sprint. We discussed and agreed ways that we could improve our performance. Some were no brainers – steer in a staight line (!), and others more challenging for the team – for example, sleeping on the high side is not everyones cup of tea!

But for just over 26 hours we focussed on the job in hand and it was highly motivating. We monitored the performance of the helm, and even developed our own league table. Mike came out as top helsman along with some brilliant performances from Greg, Carston and Paul. But everyone who touched a winch, or the vang, or made breakfast, or cleaned the heads for those 26 hours contributed signifcantly to our performance. And it paid off.

A few hours later, Greg got the news that we had won. And crikey did we cheer with joy! This felt good for all of us. Whether we were part of the Greenings team that had run aground, or part of HotelPlanner.com that had diverted due to crew injuries, or personally in deep reflection over Simon's death – we had done this together as one team. And it felt great. Roseann even brought out a secret stash of Ferrero Roche to celebrate.

For me, the events over the last 2 weeks have only reaffirmed my pasion and commitment to follow my dream to sail around the world. I want my 90 year old self to look back and be proud of what I've achieved despite the setbacks and tragic events.

I'm delighted to have had the honour to sail with the HotelPlanner.com team. They have welcomed us with open arms and I hope we have been able to impart some of our learning that will also help them develop further as a team.

Tonight I was genuinely proud as punch as Roseann presented me with an official HotelPlanner.com team t shirt. It felt great, and it made me feel very much part of the team. (Although, I am still waiting for the orange fleece!)

Whatever your dream, have the courage to make it happen.

Rest in peace Simon. Thank you for inspiring us on.

Smiling, as always

Jenny xxx