Departure From Portsmouth
We’re leaving Portsmouth!
Well it’s finally arrived departure for the clipper, after nearly 18 months, we’re off to Puerto Sherry, Spain, in the 1st race of clipper around the world yacht race.
It’s a very emotional morning, I’ve made my coping plans to say my goodbye’s early as it’s probably the one thing I’ve been dreading the most, since signing on the dotted line. I leave for the short walk across to Gunwharf with Lynn, where the fleet is assembled. I’ve said my goodbye’s to the rest of my family at the house we had rented, then spent a few emotional moments at the gates of the marina before heading down to CV25, “London Business School”. There is an emotional tension in the air, everyone is feeling it. Then Gavin, our skipper, came over and gave a massive hug, which meant a lot but only heightened my emotions.
The next few hours just lengthened the departure process, a necessary part of such a large commercial enterprise.
We had team photos on the boat, off the boat and photos with our sponsors, then a parade through Gunwharf with all 10 boat teams, finally presentations on stage, before returning to our boats, then finally getting the boats ready to slip lines.
It is a very precise thing, choreographed down to the minute. Each boats, slips lines with three minute intervals, until we all head down into the Portsmouth docks area, raising our main sails, returning back in a line for our parade of sail. As we return past Gunwharf, massive crowds have now lined the shore line for miles, waving and cheering their loved ones as they leave for The Race Of Their Lives.
We then drop all our banners and get ready to race. A standard gun start over a start line. The crew are ready to get going and with a bit of jostling for position to get the best start, the gun goes and we’re off and we get a flyer. Clipper have set up a short course, “a can race” more for the crowds and spectator boats. So all ten boats are racing the short course in the Solent. All my family are out on the water on one of the chartered ferries to watch the departure and as we come back around the last mark, I can see my family on the ferry, another emotional moment.
Into the Storm
We had a good start, but we left the Solent at the back of the fleet and as we entered the English Channel, heading West, knowing we were heading for stormy waters.
The wind increased and the seas grew. Whilst we where warned at team briefings it was going to be a harsh start, nothing could really prepare the crew for what was to come. It was constant, unforgiving. The euphoria of the start, certain began to wain as CV25 was pounded by 40 knots of wind and 20 foot waves. We had reefed down the main and put our storm jib up, the boat was balanced and taking the hammering, however the crew not so much.
Seasickness is a horrible thing and has different impacts on different people and we had the full range, from bunk ridden grappling with a bucket to just a little uncomfortable. I fall into the middle of that. Being down below in such rough conditions is not pleasant and we are racing the boat, with various duties, cleaning, cooking and bilges. So as crew you don’t have much option, jobs need to be done. So I was sick a few times, but carry on sailing the boat.
We realised early on that we had taken the wrong option and very quickly where some 50 miles behind the fleet who had chosen to cross the channel early. But we’d made the call as a team so we had to carry on with the strategy. It seemed there would be know let up.
After three days being hammered, I was starting to question my life choices and could I handle this for a year? It was like living in a washing machine By day 4 and the 4th storm, my sea legs started to arrive and whilst the wind was still high, the seas had started to flatten, I was starting to get into my stride and we started to move up the field.
It would appear our early cautious approach has paid dividends, most of the fleet are reporting significant damages. Qingdao has unfortunately had to go off course for a medical emergency, (fortunately the crew member is ok)
From Storms to Sails
We’ve now managed to work our way into a possible podium position with Scotland out front, UNICEF, Seattle, GOSH, Punta del Este and ourselves all chasing for the finish line.
Then Bang, we hit a massive rough wave, the boat swings up into the wind and our Code 1 Spinnaker wraps around the inner fore stay. Bugger! We then spend the next 60 minutes unraveling it. We then can’t get a usable Halyard to get a foresail up to get us running again and with frustration watch Punta, sail right past us. I mean we’ve sailed over 1000 nautical miles, we rap our spinnaker and there’s another boat within spitting distance enjoying your agony. The team are obviously disappointed and exhausted and feeling that we threw away a potential podium. The concentration required to sail these boats is so important, with the forces involved, it doesn’t take much to break things. So kettle on, a hot drink and It then took us a while to settle down, refocus and get going.
It’s been a tough insight to ocean racing and as we see sight of Puerto Sherry, we can see the outline of Punta, a couple of miles off our Starboard bow, heads down for a final blast to the finish line, we crossed the line just 18 minutes after team Punta and just a few hours after team Scotland. A mighty close thing over some 1600 racing miles.
As we crossed the finish line, we could a hear a few cheers from friends & family of the crew, which lifted the mood and as we bobbed about taking our sails down and preparing for arriving in port, we all reflected on how we could have made up that time, how we could have changed sails quicker or trimmed better. We had achieved 5th spot and were in the running for the last 24 hours. A great effort from the team and a statement for the rest of the fleet that team LBS mean business.