Race 14 - Day 13
Skipper Report
11 July

It’s been plain sailing here on Imagine your Korea for the past couple of days – spinnakers would have been faster, but they are still in the recovery ward following major surgery, so we’re plodding along after the fleet under Yankees. We’ve still managed some decent speeds in surfing conditions though – from the nav station I can hear the whoosh of waves and the whoops of the crew.

Great fun, but little else blog-worthy, so by popular demand, here is Imagine your Korea’s introduction to the Clipper Race Office staff:

Mark Light, Race Director, is very modest about his former glory at the hair Olympics, but that’s a better conversation starter than his own terrible icebreakers. He always looks forward to the Derry~Londonderry stop as the scene of his (in)famous parking manoeuvre in 2012. Cap’n Mark taught Captain Ron the art of the handbrake park, and what happens on Youtube...

Deputy Dale is GQ Magazine’s Mr November and proud of it. Even funnier than asking to see his naked photo shoot is asking him to touch his thumbs to pinkies and watching his confused face as his weird hands struggle.

Grace took over as Race Manager from Sarah when her situation changed. The ultimate multitasker, she can juggle 53 different problems at once and solve them all with a smile. Grace would be my one phone call from prison!

Justin “Sea Grandad”- the original Essex boy, covers logistics. This mainly consists of shipping container-loads of his own hair gel around the world, and swapping stickers with Matt. Justin sometimes feels under pressure during the Derry~Londonderry stopover.

Matt - this ultra-shy future Clipper Race Skipper looks like a reject from a 90s boy band, and is more comfortable driving inflatable boats than inflatable tents. Always good for a lift home at the end of a party night!

Karla - the International Head of Video should know better than to ask closed questions to grumpy Skippers during live interviews. She’ll learn!

Danni – too innocent for her working environment, Danni needs creative emoji-explanations of some of the detailed nautical phrases that pop up in Skipper blogs.

Poacher-turned-gamekeeper Nicky Miller is the Official Clipper Race Cheerleader, and its most enthusiastic supporter... with a particular liking for Visit Sanya, China.

Laura, Susie and Nadine from Partnerships – far too well-groomed. Are they really part of us?

Janice - the Queen of Accounts - is all smiles… providing your expenses are penny-perfect! But the price of gin in Bermuda was no smiling matter.

Cheers, Rob