Leg 1 to Rio

First of all I would like to thank everyone who came to St Kats to see us off way back on the 30th August. It was great to see so many of you and to know that I have your support as I travel around the worlead.

We have now arrived in Rio after a long 33 days at sea despite all that the Atlantic had to throw at us in the way of squalls, strong and sudden gusts, no winds, baking sun, as well as the full moon, starlit skies, whales, dolphins and numerous flying fish.

"So what was it really like?" I can hear you asking. It was hard, especially having to get out of bed, tired, and feeling seasick. There were times when I was sitting on deck that I wondered what I was doing and whether or not I would make it around the world. How was I going to explain my early departure from the race to everyone who's is supporting me back home? But then I thought of advice given by a Round The Worlder (RTW) from the last race who suggested writing down the reasons for doing the race and revisiting the piece of paper whenever doubt comes to mind.

For me one of the reasons for taking part in this race is to be able to visit all the different places around the world, to sail into Rio, Cape Town, Sydney, New York etc. Coming into Rio was incredible. The weather could have been clearer but Sugar Loaf was there in all its splender. Rio is situated around Guanamara Bay and when we crossed the finish line at about 0730 hrs there was a sense of achievement. We had crossed the Atlantic Ocean, 5600 miles, and arrived in Rio by boat. Eduardo, a Brazilian national, had never seen the city from this angle - he was given the honour of 'driving' the boat in.

It was not all bad. We had stunning starlit skies, a full moon, hot (sometimes too hot) days when we were unable to find any shade. The winds were variable - sometimes too strong and gusty and at other    times so light that we moved backwards. We came in the middle of the fleet for the ocean sprint to the south of the Doldrums but last in the overall race. Room for improvement - we can only do better, and as one friend pointed out "at least you didn't run aground".

Living at 45 degrees is not easy, especially when on the same tack for days at a time. I became adept at setting my bunk at the correct angle though my 'bunk buddy' would lower it, only for me to raise it up again when it was my time to sleep. A bit like windows on a train - always being open and closed by different passengers.

I was wary about sharing a bunk to start with but it wasn't as bad as I had expected. My 'bunk buddy' was on the opposite watch so that we never needed the bed at the same time. I would sleep while she was working and vice versa. Being tidy is the key to sharing such a small space. I am lucky in that I can go to sleep quite easily, and then stay asleep despite the noise going on around me. It was a bit of a challenge when the door to the engine room was opened right next to my head but I generally slept well. The first night in the hotel was strange as my bed didn't move and the noises from a sailing boat - sails flapping, ropes flogging, winches grinding etc - were absent.

Time has run out and I am going to have to sign off. It has been hard to keep in touch with people here in Rio as Internet connection is not good and we don't have any connection on the boat where I have been spending most of my time. I need to be on the boat in about an hour and anxiety is increasing. The seas are going to be big but the upside is that we should be in Cape Town in less than three weeks. Hopefully the marina is fit for purpose as the one here is a building site in preparation for the Olympics next year. Also apologies for the lack of photos - I don't seem to be able to get my camera to talk to the iPad. Hopefully all will be sorted for South Africa.

Thanks for all your support and I will be in touch soon.