Bonding....

Bonding, I soon realised is a big part of sailing; its difficult to say how or when it happens it just does.  The jokes start and your 'all' is bared to the world, literally.  As you attempt to un/dress (with some dignity and fail), the boat is flying / crashing through the waves and you realise all is lost.  "Lost at sea" now has a whole new meaning!

My Waterloo came while on Anchor watch.  Jim and Owen had been on watch for the hour before me and came to wake me for my watch.  It was 1am and I was not at my best, Jim mumbled something to me as I entered the gallery.  "Sorry" I said, he repeated the mumble, "Sorry" I said again, getting very irriated as I tried to manoeuvre into my foulies and life jacket.  He mumbled again, it was then that I realised all semblance of poilte company was gone and before I knoew it the words "F... OFF" tumbled out!!!  They were rolling in the aisles, laughing their heads off and chanting "we did it, we broke her down...."

This was the moment when I knew my hear, my journey had started; I was part of the RTW race team!

At last and sadly, week 1 of training is over.  I am exhausted and exhilarated.  Russ is on the Quayside to meet me holding a brown envelope.  "What's this, divorce papers" I ask?  No, happily a day at the local spa; what a star he is.  Thank you Russ. X 

To Vicky Ellis, Thank you, Fair Winds and Calm Waters' see you in San Fransisco.

Training - Week One.....

Now, where did I leave you?  In St Katherine's Dock I think?

The journey was tough, 3 weeks of sea training, one week of theory and a bundle of notes and knots to learn.

Can you tie a Bowline, a Sheet Knot or a Rolling Hitch, me neither!

My first week of training was with Skipper Vicky, the one female skipper to take part in the Clipper Roung the World (RTW) race, but I am getting ahead of myself, we didn't know that then.

One week in the worst living conditions I have ever experienced.  The smell, the foods and the heads (toilets to you and me).  I must tell you about the heads; there are 2 of them, no door just a zip down curtain, no seat (apparently its dangerous for the boys!) and yes we all sit down to wee.  With standing room only, you soon learn how to be a contortionist.  My sailing friend Lesley said to me the other day, "I don't know why you dont just have a bucket hung over the stern."  she has a point.  It would help with the below deck aroma!

October 2012, we motored out of our berth, we raised the sails of the 68ft Yorkshire (she had taken part in the last 3 RTW races) and off we went sailing down the Solent.  Day 1 and we were sailing, unbelievable!

Vicky drilled us into the Clipper way, I was luck I didn't know anything else and I followed her every word.  Truth be told I was pretty scared.  We ate, slept and sailed.  We journeyed to The Needles, to The Edison Lighthouse and back, we anchored in Poole Bay, we laughed, we cried and we bonded.  

Yellow t-shirts, Dogs and Bourbon biscuits...

Dressed in yellow and a little excited, yesterday my position as PR / Photographer / social media / communications expert (cough) officially started, as myself and my partner headed to St Katherine's dock to welcome the Clipper teams into port.

The atmosphere was great, the dock was teaming with folk drinking coffee in between cheers of congratulations, and much to my delight, we even had some volunteers from Dogs Trust UK who bought down a couple of dogs to welcome Gail in.  

After all of the boats had arrived, we'd done a few press shots and pointed some old ladies in the direction of the nearest Dogs Trust home, we got to look around the clipper yacht.  I have to say, its huge!  I'm sure it's not once you have 15 people in there and personally  it's definitely not somewhere i want to be for longer than a few hours but it's an impressive piece of kit, just a shame about the lack of beds!  (Maybe the 14 packets of Bourbon biscuits would make up for that after ten days at sea.....i think not!)

For further images please visit the gallery page!