Race 13 - Day 4
Crew Diary - Derry-Londonderry to Liverpool
25 July
This is it! The final miles of the final race. Ireland is giving us a run for our money, having us tack upwind for half way around the island. I certainly hope the wind won't keep backing as we keep rounding it. However much I am going to miss my Clipper adventure, I am also ready to get to Liverpool and would much rather end with a fast spinnaker run than a slow upwind beat.
Oh how things have changed in a year. I still remember the first few legs where just the thought of sailing under spinnaker would make my stomach hurt, especially at night. It meant less people willing to helm and the constant stress of tearing the code. But I guess as we got better at tearing them (and realizing it was not the end of the world, just a real pain and hassle for Damo and John W who then had to patch it up for which we can't thank them enough), we also learned how to helm better in more challenging conditions, and so now it is fun helming with a spinnaker :)
As we are nearing the end of our adventure it is time to make up a balance of this journey. Overwhelmingly, the conclusion is a positive one. There have been tough, cold, emotional, painful and downright unpleasant moments for sure. But they are easily out-weight by the memorable, funny, happy, sunny, beautiful and exciting moments that I have shared with so many amazing people. I think I lucked out with the crew of Nasdaq. We might not have been the fastest boat, but we have been mostly a happy boat and that counts for a lot.
It is too much to mention everybody that has joined us along the way and has made this race more colourful. But a few people deserve a special thanks because we have shared sooo much this past year. True highs and lows. First of all a special thanks to Rob, who had the confidence to make me a watch leader and let me weigh in on navigation and strategy so I could become a better sailor. Thank you Phil and Damo for carrying the burden of watch leading with me. It has been amazing and fun journey together and seeing us become better, more confident sailors! Thank you Andy for always being cheerful, happy to lend a hand and take the helm in any condition. But I will not miss your unlimited need for tea ;) Thank you JC for all the stories, the quizzes, the engineering and of course the many hours of helming. Thank you JW for your incredible hard work on every front (sail making, baking, helming, the bow) – truly a man of many talents and incredible commitment. Thank you Pete for being your cheerful self. Your smile makes all of us smile and your colourful language too. Clearly also thanks for the food! Dave, thanks for all the commitment you have shown even in the face of adversity. You came so far, sorry that you could not finish it.
And then there are the amazing people across the whole fleet who kept me sane and entertained while on shore. A special shout out has to go to the Sailing Hags, a group of amazing women (and James) who show that sailing and BIG adventures are definitely not limited to just a few brave men.
It seems to me that we are special breed of people us round the world ocean racers. I am not sure how easy adjusting to life off the boat will be for us, but we'll manage and find a new adventure to look forward to.
As I mentioned at the start of this blog, I will miss my Clipper life incredibly. Especially the people and the adrenaline rush of helming in challenging conditions. But there are also things that I won't miss at all. Number one on that list being the smell of 20 people living on a boat for weeks on end and living below decks at 45 degrees a close second! So it is time to start looking ahead at what's next. Hopefully that includes many of the things I have learned and friends I have made. But first things first, I can't wait for Liverpool. To finally feel we made it all the way around and to see my family on the dock where I said goodbye to them last year.
One last hug from somewhere south of Ireland, Ineke
PS: thanks to all the people who followed me, Nasdaq and the whole fleet really. Your support has been really important. And a special thanks to all the kids of the At Sea/ Op Zee project. I loved having you with me!