Race 6 - Day 7
Crew Diary - Race 6 Day 7: Hobart to Whitsundays
12 January
Same same but different.
Greetings from Visit Seattle - sailing with loads of style!
Almost 10 years ago, I set off on a 6 month travel trip across Asia, Australia New Zealand and South America with some of my university buddies. We rented a camper van and drove up the eastern coast off Australia from Sydney to North of Cairns stopping off in various camp sites each evening, in rural towns and large cities along the way. Little did I think that I would be actually sailing up the same coastal line 10 years later in a yacht race seeing the same towns and cities on a navigational map, the odd time getting the odd glimpse of land on the horizon. Same same but different!
Joining VS team has been just fantastic so far. Having been a 15/16 crew member on board Good Ship IchorCoal, there was always going to be a little apprehension that experiences would not match those of the previous race. Of course the friendships built from my time on IchorCoal will always be as strong as ever but joining VS has been a very close match. Again over this leg, this team has grown and friendship bonds have grown as well, with lots of banter and fun both on board and at each stopover. There are three of us Davina, Tricks and myself, all IchorCoal teamies, that have come back for more action. I had sailed with Davina on leg 8 but were always on different watches and I had never sailed with Tricks so it has been super that we have all had the chance to be on watch with each other at some stage throughout each of these races! Same same but different!
Sailing into Sydney was amazing, and with a podium finish, Scoring Gate and a sprint result too was a first! It was a new and exciting experience, refreshing to see results for all the hard work (lots and lots of sail changes) put in throughout that race. I now have a pennant - woop woop! Tricks no longer has to photobomb to be in podium photos ;-) I don't want to tempt fate but hopefully it won't be the last, all those fingers and toes are crossed! We have started off well so far. Same same but very good different!
This race began very early with beautiful weather but less glitz and glam than the Sydney-Hobart race! Already same same but different! Sydney-Hobart what a spectacle, leaving Sydney Harbour with over a hundred boats, helicopters in the skies, screaming along down to Hobart kite weather for most of the way. Another close finish and then arriving in to Hobart, getting a heroes welcome from all the sailors and locals on shore at the Taste of Tasmania as we did a 'drive-by', what a special experience.
One experience that I can't say has been different has been the dreaded green monster- OMG- I never want to go through this again. I started leg 4 with a false sense of security. I had suffered with sea sickness on leg 5 but didn't on leg 8 and thought that I had had it under control. Soooo not the case. I have never been alone which is comforting at the time. At the start of this race, at times there was a line of us sitting on the low side, feeling horrendous. Not pleasant at the time and there is a feeling that it will never stop but it most of the time does after a couple of days! Same same but not different unfortunately!
This team on this race has a high female to male ratio, don't think it has compromised us in any way so far, in fact I would say that it nearly has enhanced us all! Gender fluidity is the mantra on board especially having female Skipper Nikki leading the way. Same same but different!
Noises, tipped boat, cooking in the galley, bunks and sleeping all the same but slight changes to the running of the boat are different so luckily enables me to separate my two races and have memories that are not blended in to one. Kites are now poppered not wooled and are scrunched not rolled! I have had an absolute blast so far, have really enjoyed the sailing, some aspects have clicked a little more too, have made some great friends and memories again for life. We will be hopefully be arriving into Airlie Beach in a couple of days where I will have come full circle. I started my clipper journey in Airlie Beach in January 2016 and now will be arriving in to Airlie beach two years later on a new team and on CV26. Same same but different! I have fond memories of Airlie Beach, hopefully the same haunts will be there - know where to go for the usual must port mani-pedi (Rebecca and Lara ;-)), the fab fish and rum bar restaurants and down by the marina also. Same same but different - bring it on!
My onboard sat comms has been on the blink for this race, big hello and love to Diarms(very belated Happy Birthday), Mum, Dad, Der, Anne-Marie, Ollie, IchorCoal teamies and all my family friends at home! Will be chatting very soon. Truxo