Better late than never ......... The first crew briefing was held on the 10th January up in London, just around the corner from St Katharine's Docks. My sailing 'buddy', Victoria, and I set off on a cold, damp and windy day to join many other crew members for the first 'mass meeting', including an inspirational talk from Sir Robin Knox-Johnson.It was a chance to have a look around one of the boats as well as try on some of the kit, including foul weather gear and various jackets, find out the start date and hear about a new race sponsor.
We started by visiting 'Garmin' from the 2013-14 race. Getting back on board brought back memories from my visit two years ago but also made me realise how basic and cramped the set up is down below. The bunks are narrow and according to someone who sailed in the 13-14 race, "Not enough room to lie on my side when lying down". There is certainly not much 'cupboard space' so it might be quite a challenge to find somewhere for the 20-30 kgs of kit I will be allowed to take on board.
The nav station is situated towards the back of the boat to ensure easy communication with whoever is on the helm at the time, but I can't imagine it will be a comfortable ride when the boat is being tossed about in the Southern Ocean, and as someone who gets seasick easily I don't think I will be spending much time there for the first couple of days. Shower facilities are very basic, but as they will be a rare treat maybe it won't matter too much.
As I walked around the boat I had a sense of excitement, but also a little voice questioning what I am about to embark on.
The Crew Briefing brought it all home. The excitement in the room was tangible with lots of crew members renewing friendships that had been made during previous training weeks. Camaraderie was evident as everyone jostled to try on kit, talk to Clipper staff, arrange insurance etc, and for me, reality was hitting. The enormity of what I had signed up for was starting to dawn on me as I listened to Sir Robin and other Clipper staff as they made their presentations. Not having completed any training I didn't know anyone else and my reticence to engage with others felt comfortable; I needed to sit back, listen and observe. I will have four training sessions and 11 months to get to know everyone else; for me there is no hurry.
It was announced that the race will start from somewhere in southern UK on Sunday 30th August and the boats will head straight for Rio, with the exact start location being announced later in the year when negotiations have been completed. This is also the case for many of the other ports in the second half of the race after leaving The Whitsundays off the eastern coast of Australia in January 2016; we have to wait to hear.
After a quick trip to the Boat Show, Victoria and I headed home. The start of the trip was getting closer and I couldn't wait for the next step. Over the next few months I need to get fit, apply for visas, start buying kit, arrange for inoculations, sell the house and buy another, finish work, as well as live life to the full. Will there be enough time to fit it all in?
The next big date is Crew Allocation on the 25th April. This is when we find out which boat we will be on, who the skipper is and who the other crew are. Some say that this is the point the race starts as teams get their race strategies prepared, start allocating jobs to specific people and for the crew to start to bond. I believe that it's going to be the 'soft' skills of team building, communication and managing relationships that will determine how successful a crew is. We can all learn to sail to a reasonable standard in quite a short time but it's the variance in personalities that will be more of a challenge.
Thank you, Victoria, for 'holding my hand' on this day - it's great to know that you are there to support me as I embark on this epic journey.
Thanks for sharing such nice blog. this is very nice and good. CrewOnCall is the best among agencies to find you team, who have credentialed to take you boating experience to new heights. For Find a Boat Crew or Hire Yacht Crew please visit our website.
ReplyDelete