Race 7 - Day 9
Crew Diary - Race 7, Day 9
03 March
As we are fast approaching the end of the Leg 5 (and unfortunately my race), it seems like a good time to reflect on my Clipper Race journey to date. Initially the whole idea of sailing a 70 foot yacht over 6000nm seemed a world away and now here I am, around 120nm from the finish line.
It all started back in April 2018 when I did my first level of training in Gosport. What strikes me most is the level of knowledge that I have now compared to back then. I remember stepping onto the boat for the first time and being so overwhelmed by the number of new nautical terms and boat parts. Fortunately for me a lot of crew were in the same boat (excuse the pun) which made me feel less alone. The training that was provided throughout was very intense but it did cover almost everything that we have been through on the race (bar one or two moments where improvisation was needed)!
I’m glad to report that when it came to the start of Leg 5 and the refresher sail, most of the evolutions came back very quickly.I was delighted to know that most of the training/ recapping had paid off.
There have been some truly memorable moments from this leg including crossing the equator (and the not so pleasant initiation ceremony), sailing very close to the Mariana Trench (something about sailing over 11,000m worth of water is mind blowing), helming during a thunderstorm at night (think strobe lights all around whilst being heeled over) as well as the strobe light Saturday night dancing, surfing waves in 35kts of wind and of course the banter shared with the crew (some of which probably can’t be shared on here). Undoubtedly, there were some tough times to but when you come through those, it makes you really appreciate the good ones even more!
Overall the Clipper Race has provided me and others with a truly unique experience, one that will not be forgotten in my lifetime. The chance to do something so novel, different, exhilarating, tough and extraordinary with a lot of like minded people from a vast range of backgrounds is an opportunity you just cannot turn down. I’ve learned a lot about myself - both physically and mentally and the limits that you can get to and I have absolutely no doubt I will be leaving the race having taken a lot away from this experience. The adventure of a lifetime is the slogan and it certainly has not disappointed there.
If any future crew/new leggers are reading this, there are just a few bits of probably quite obvious advice that I thought I would share to sign off with.
1) Get fit – a bit of hard work goes a long way and you will be pushed physically on any leg. The fitter you are, the easier it will be. When you have to sweat up multiple sails in the middle of the night when you have had limited sleep and some questionable cooking (no names being mentioned), you’ll be glad of the hard work you’ve put in.
2) Push yourself – I hate to say another cliche but the more you put in the more you get out. There will be moments where you shy away from opportunities because they push you out of your comfort zone, just get involved as much as you can even if it is wooling Kites!
3) Time your toilet breaks – this may sound silly but being truly honest, no one wants to go to the loo while heeled over. Keep looking at Time Zero and work out when the patches of downwind/low wind will be and you will have a much more comfortable time on the heads.
4) Enjoy it – Ultimately everyone is here to enjoy the race. Be honest with people and 99% of the time, any issues or problems get sorted. There will be some spectacular highs on the boat and some everlasting memories, make the most of it while you can!
