Race 3 - Day 2
Crew Diary - Race 3 Day 2: Cape Town to Fremantle
02 November

After a fitting farewell to Cape Town, our focus now swings east into the Southern Ocean and onwards to Fremantle. A hectic turn-around of PSP Logistics, a brief introduction to our new Skipper, a gentle refesher sail and a strong position in the lead group after the inshore course was all the we needed to set our minds for the challenges of Leg 3.

Day 1 brought benign tropical conditions, good for the tourists on board as we enjoyed the stunning backdrop of the Cape peninsular, dwarfed by the iconic Table Mountain - short and T-Shirt sailing through the first 24 hours. Day 2 hints at what's to come, with greying skies, building breeze and un-characteristic headwinds. Almost the entire sail wardrobe has been hoisted, dropped, and re-hoisted, as we work our course south-westwards into the southern ocean, currently close-hauled under white sails.

For future PSP Logistics Leggers - rest assured that this PSP Logistics team is a unique outfit. As Leggers joining for Leg 3, we have been allocated all the dirty jobs down below, the most inaccessible bunks, all the heavy lifting and any role on deck that comes with a guaranteed drenching with ice-cold sea spray. Our initiation and learning curve is vertical, hands-on, heeled-over, strapped on and wet, and in addition to all the above, we have been welcomed, mentored and seamlessly integrated into the team. We are now a well-oiled and motivated yacht racing team, and proud to be part of it.

We all have our individual Clipper Race stories, of which the journey to the start line is probably the toughest part - in my story, being on board PSP Logistics in the lead group of the Clipper Race fleet racing out of my home port will be a lasting memory, and a tribute to the support and sacrifices of family, friends and colleagues that make it possible to chase dreams - while we can.

And in a personal PS: Happy Birthday to my father, who introduced me to sailing as a kid, igniting a lifelong passion, and dreams that lead to the Southern Ocean.

Michael Duffy

PSP Logistics