It begins. Well, in 18 days it actually begins. This is the prologue, the preamble; it’s Prep Week.
Prep Week: a week in which around 200 or so Clipper Race crew gather in Gosport to get their respective boats ready for race start and the 11 months, 15 races and umpteen seas and oceans ahead.
Unicef has its various departments and department heads on board. There’s the Team Coordinator, Engineer, Bosun, Sail Repair and Victualler - essentially all the crucial positions that keep the boat going and the crew fed and watered. Then there’s Team Media, a team I’m on by virtue of being singularly incapable of helping anywhere else. Team Media swans around talking about campaigns, content and engagement. Team Media sips flat whites whilst the rest of the crew grafts. Team Media really hopes the rest of the crew appreciates the written word and doesn’t treat us with the contempt we deserve.
Refitting a boat is a fairly mammoth task. Hundreds of little jobs and dozens of massive jobs. New sails, ropes and literally tons of food all have to make their way on board, all whilst winches and rigging are checked, nuts and bolts are tightened, and in general all the engineery, bosuny stuff gets done. I’m sure someone technical will write a blog soon. Until then I’m afraid you’ve got the words of a man who looks upon skilled manual work in bemused awe. Those who stayed up late on the 16th July 1969 to watch the moon landing might have some idea of the sense of wonder in which I have for a person with a Phillips head screwdriver in their hand.
Prep Week isn’t all hard work. The Castle Tavern continues to make some serious $$$ from Clipper Race crew on a nightly basis. I sometimes wonder if Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and The Castle are in cahoots. I’m not saying that in 1996 Sir Robin Knox-Johnston was a down on his luck publican who started a sailing business in order to drive custom to his ailing establishment, but it makes total sense if he did.
Best get back to some proper work now. When the race starts you can expect blogs on a daily basis, plus vlogs, video and photos. For now, if you’re interested in following Unicef, you can do so on Instagram here and Facebook here.