Race 5 - Day 18
Skipper Report
09 January

Crew: "Are we nearly there yet?"

Skipper: "Ssshhhh! we're hiding!"

Yes, Imagine Your Korea has sneaked into stealth mode. So very little sailing chat today, except to say that we are both enjoying our last 300nm of Race 5, but also, we can't wait to finish it! We know that it's a close finish between us and Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam (Hi Josh, Hugo and crew) and we're pushing all the way to the line. We also know we're being chased on the water by GoToBermuda, and chased on the clock by Punta del Este, Visit Sanya, China and Unicef, so there can be no let up...until beer time on the dock!

Instead of sail chat, here are some reflections as we near the end of Leg 4:

Personally, I have thoroughly enjoyed being back on the Clipper Race, and on Imagine Your Korea in particular. I was fortunate to step onto a boat with a tight, enthusiastic crew who were all fired up after their hard-earned podium in Leg 3 - the training and influence of my predecessor Dan Smith was immediately obvious. I look forward to sailing further with this core crew, and getting to know them better as we develop our racing further. The biggest difference between the previous edition of the Clipper Race and this one is the addition of AQPs to each boat, and I have really landed on my feet with Imagine your Korea's AQP Sam Cooper. His breadth of experience from sailing dinghies to driving container ships, along with his hardworking professional attitude, and calm friendly demeanour make him indispensable to me and the Imagine your Korea crew. If only he would remember to send the scheds to the Race Office on time...

Imagine your Korea has been a fairly small crew for this Leg, but "quality not quantity" applies here. We have had some great people onboard who are leaving us in The Whitsundays: Trevor Orman and Seonki Chae are both examples of something I have often told training crews over the years - that the more effort you put in, the more enjoyment you get out. They have enthusiastically got on with anything and everything onboard, and we appreciate their contribution. Hopefully some of Chris Jack's work with still and video cameras has made it onto the website to bring a flavour of the Clipper Race to people watching at home. We will also miss Brian "Brino" Anderson, (Legs 3 and 4), whose hard work and humour have made him so popular...along with his seemingly endless supply of little rubber ducks (who remembers Nasduck from the 17-18 Clipper Race?) that appear in the most unlikely places around the boat. I wonder if the Leg 5 crew will find any stowaways?

Stop press: A flying visit from a white-tailed tropic bird has completed James ‘Dr Knot’ Anderson's set. Happy Days! See you tomorrow - where will we pop up.

Cheers, Rob