Last training, done. Next sailing, RACE START.

So the last of my training is now complete!! We had a great week again out on Solent and in the English Channel. A real mix of weather again provided us with some good experience for the race.

Its actually quite scary to think that the next time I sail will be the race start in just 7 weeks time!!! On the one hand I feel ready and prepared and feel like we are really beginning to gel as a crew and have a skipper that will get us safely and quickly round the world.

On the other hand I try and think through the sequence of events needed to gybe the spinnaker in the middle of the night in the Southern Ocean doing over 20 knots and it all seems a bit overwhelming...

The other unfortunate news I had from this week is that I was sea sick for a period of about 24hrs. You might find this a little surprising to read on the blog of someone who is sailing round the world, but its actually quite common and there were fellow sufferers on board. I stupidly stopped taking my anti-nausea tablets and before too long a rolling sea on a downwind leg got the better of me.

Still I am not in the least bit worried, this is something I will get used to and it doesn't put me off achieving my goal of a circumnavigation.

No word on the sponsor of the boat, could be anyone - Liverpool, Cardiff, Jamaica! Who knows. Whilst its nice that we still have the surprise to come it does mean now that we have run out of time to have our boat taken out the water for our hull design. This means that the great looks of Cape Bretton, Uniquely Singapore, Hull and Humber etc. are likely to be in a different league to ours which is a shame...

All of the crew I have now met are fantastic and I'm really pleased to be sailing round the world with them, it'll make the adventure even more special sharing it with this group.

The week ended with a one on one debrief with my skipper which went well. He reckons i'm one of the stronger crew and so a leg or two as watch leader is hopefully still on the cards.

Will keep you posted. There will be plenty more general thoughts and musings over the next few weeks in the run up to the race but please keep checking back, am keen to share the trip with as many of you as possible!

Pete

PART C Training...

So I've returned, slightly battered and bruised, from a week of strong winds and rough sea conditions on my PART C training.

This was the first time I sailed with Pete Stirling, our skipper for the race, and also my crew that i'll be competing in the race with. My overiding memory i'll take from this week is that i've ended up on a great boat. Our skipper is quietly confident, extremely experienced and is pushing for a podium finish in the race. The crew is mix of people from all walks of life, some Round-the-worlders and some leggers, but all equally enthusiastic about the challenge ahead.



The week started with the Solent lulling us into a false sense of security, with blue skies and moderate winds, easy miles and everyone familiarising themselves with the boats again. The mid-week picture began to look very different however, and by the fourth day, after 48 hours of non-stop racing gybing spinnakers in the dead of night and dodging on-coming shipping we were hit by over 40 knots of wind and waves up to 15ft.

Needless to say we had a tough time of it, but it was probably ideal preparation for what is to come on some of the legs.

Watch systems were split as usual, spending 4 hours on and 4 hours off during the night and 6 on and 6 off during the day. Watch leaders weren't assigned though this week and we are still yet to see how roles on board will be assigned for the actual race.

We finished the week doing some man over board drills whilst at the same time practising what to do if the steering on the boat fails! Made for some interesting sailing and unfortunately for the fender that was thrown over the side in simulation, it would have been extremely lucky to have got him back alive. Still, practice makes perfect...

3 pints and a shower later and I completely crashed! I didn't realise just how tired I was until we were moored up and a decent nights sleep was available. I know i'll get used to this on the race but excuses like 'not being a morning person' are definitely going to have to go out the window for sure!

One of the other boats was also confirmed as being sponsored by Edinburgh and you can read about the sponsorship here. No news yet unfortunately for us, we're still known as the CV2 crew, although a rumour on the grapevine this week suggested we might actually end up being sponsored by Jamaica! Will keep you posted...

Next PART C training in 1 week and counting. Can't wait. Until then...

Some photos from the last race...

I was looking through the 07-08 race website the other day, and found some great photos from the last race which I thought i'd put up here.

There will be a specific person on each yacht that is responsible for media communications, video footage, still photography etc. This is a hugely important role as it communicates our story with all those back on land, particularly race sponsors and partners.

It is not a role which I myself am keen to pursue, as there are undoubtedly people that will be more skilled at this than me, however I do hope to be able to get some great photos and videos to be able to send back to Turner and Townsend, friends and family whilst I'm away.

It also holds another importance for me. I sincerely hope this is not the last major yacht race I do, so having a documented account, be it video, photography, text etc. will serve as a good reminder to continue pursuing ambitions in the world of ocean racing...

Anyway, there are a whole host of images on the 07-08 site, which you can get to through clipperroundtheworld.com, so go check them out! We've also found out that our PART C courses (both of them) are likely to head as far out as possible into the Atlantic. Will be our first taste of ocean sailing together and obviously a great chance to sail with our new skipper and to start working together as a crew! Only two and half weeks to go - can't wait....

Hoping to be a Watchleader...

I'm still hoping that for some, if not all the race I can be a Watchleader for CV2. Here's my list of responsibilities if I get selected;

• Will provide leadership, motivation and encouragement to their watch crew whilst
ensuring the yacht is safely sailed at the optimum speed on the optimum course at
all times.
• Will ensure that the yacht complies with IRPCS, the racing rules and the sailing
instructions at all times.
• Will undertake navigation and log keeping duties whilst on watch.
• Will take part in the tactical, navigation and meteorological discussions and planning
at any time along with the skipper and other watch leader including prior to race
start.
• Will ensure the smooth running of their watch including dealing with any personal
issues, disputes and sea sickness etc.
• Will ensure all of their watch crew are on deck at least 5 minutes before their watch
is due to start.
• Will ensure the cockpit and deck is kept clean whilst on watch.
• Will undertake tasks identified by the skipper and comply with any temporary
standing orders.
• Will be responsible for organising their watch during stop over deep cleans.

It will go a long way to getting my practical Yachtmaster Ocean at the end of the race so fingers crossed!

Navigation & Meteorology

Only two days now until my Navigation & Meteorology course down in Gosport...

I've spent the week covering as many topics as I can from the Day Skipper Shore based courses, although I only need to know the International Rules for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea as a pre-requisite.

If it all goes well then we should all end up getting our Yachtmaster shore based certificates which will be great. This, combined with a logged 36000 miles should go along way to completing all my qualifications when I return. Our course will then be finished next Friday, just in time for crew from all over the world to invade Portsmouth for Crew allocation. Looking forward to catching up with some of the people i've already met in my training...