Sat in La Rochelle on the Bay of Biscay after leaving Hull last Sunday so to get you all to date with the last couple of weeks here is the events so far:

After a few days of boat preperation during the last few days of August where we could fit and change and check things on the boat and store all the provisions for the sail down to Rio (about 30 days sailing away with food and toilet paper enough for 19 people ) thats a lot of food! We had a fantastic departure from Gosport on Bank Holiday Monday 31/08.

Many thousands of people turned up to see us off after all 10 teams were presented to the waiting crowds to music and national flags with ours being the Stars and Stripes.

Due to a forcasted storm in the English Channel we were told to sail to Brighton and wait there all Tuesday then sail on Wed morning to Grimsby for Thursday afternoon arrival.  Wednesday morning was ok along the Channel but as we turned north up the North Sea the weather worsened with force 7 going to 8, then 9 followed by 10 with gusts of 63 miles per hour accross the decks equal to force 11 – force 12 is hurricane!! Lively and interesting with half the crew suffering sea sickness, me included.

We sail with a 2 watch system where between 08.00 and 20.00 we have 9 crew on for 4 hours and 9 crew off then we swap for the next 4 hours etc, then through 20.00 to 08.00  we change to a 3 hour watch which is difficult as we end up with about 2 and a half hours sleep at a time.

We got to Grimsby at 04.10 on Friday morning and moored by 05.30 and had a beer in hand at 06.15 (the earliest beer I have ever drunk!) followed by a good full english breakfast in the local cafe.

Grimsby put on an amazing party for us on Friday evening with all the catering and entertainment put on by the local college.

Boat cleaning and maitainance through Saturday and Sunday to get the boats ready to get over to Hull on Sunday evening under engine power as its only an hour away.

A few hundred people there to see us in then a civic brunch on Monday and the rest of the day off.  Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday was spent as tourists in Hull on our time off and getting the boat ready for the Sunday start.

Posters everywhere and a lot of local interest and support. An amazing time to see it all.  A French company had been brought in to put a fire show on in the evenings which was truely brillaint as it was so different.

Big crew party on Friday night and our crew led the dancing at 8.30 till the finish. We have a great skipper and crew and California is the happiest boat with the most sociable crew!

Saturday we had a crew briefing and did our final preperations. There were loads of friends and family milling around looking at the boats and starting to realize what we are all doing with the risks and hardships we are all having to endure over the next 35,000 miles and 10 months.  And all this in a boat 68 feet long!

Most of my crew were out for a final meal with their families but 3 of us stayed on board with 2 of us fixing the toilet.  Nice for my last night in the UK.  By the time that was done and we had showered the pubs and restraunts had stopped serving food.  My last UK meal at 22.10 was a packet of salt and vinigar crisps, a blue berry muffin and a coffee!

Hull had an incredible firework show and there were thousands of people about.

To see people saying their good byes to wives, husbands, girlfriends, boyfriends and children was all very emotional.  Many tears were shed by many people through Saturday and Sunday.

Sunday was an early start and we again were presented to the crowds and media and marched off to our boats under our flags.  Out into the Humber at 12.30 for a parade sail and to get into position for the start.  The skippers jostling the boats to try to get an advantage then the gun goes off and we are now racing and on our way!!  All exciting stuff.

We had it confimed from Clipper that Hull had 200,000 visitors for the Saturday and Sunday who came to see the boats and the start of the race!

More rough weather through the North Sea and a little bit more sea sickness but as we got in the English Channel the sea state and wind was all very favourable and good conditions continued all the way down into the Atlantic and the Bay of Biscay.  We arrived in La Rochelle on Wednesday night and we were expected on Friday so good sailing time made up.  Basically 700 miles in 78 hours.

We started in 5th place but lost it all, gained a couple of places then lost it all again coming in 10th. Ooops! So last place which means it can only get better.  Very disappointing as there was no real reason that we got it wrong, but after our crew brief it is not going to happen again!

Just a few days of French hospitality and we are off next Tuesday at 06.30.

Some big parties and our reputation as the most sociable crew is maintained. All good fun!!

The boat and crew are now ready for the next 26 days sailing 4600 miles across to Rio.  After this next race we will be real ocean racers!

Our boat, our skipper and some of our crew!  Now it’s all coming together.

Early start on Tuesday 23rd June,  so the suggestion was to get to the boat on Monday evening.  Small crew this week, only 8 including our skipper.  This is going to be fun as we are all going to have to do everything!

For our crew we had 3 Americans, Donna, Taylor and Todd, a German, Guido and 3 Brits,  Elaine, Graham and myself.  Taylor and Todd got sent out to go shopping and we sat with skipper Pete for a general chat about the boat prep and how to look after stuff etc etc.  Once our shoppers were back (later than expected because they couldn’t find the peanut butter and jelly!) we sent out for pizza followed by a pint or two.

We had a fairly relaxed mother watch planned for the week as it was to be only one of us at a time with a helper and non of us had a full day, and we tried to follow our selection of menus to see about ease of preperation and taste and if it was to our general liking.  Which they were – some more than others but all exceptable!

Due to the small crew and for us to get back into the workings of our boat Pete had us do daily sails and back into Gosport for Tuesday and Wednesday nights.  The usual stuff of tacking, gybing, MOB, head sail changes, poled out headsail and the list goes on.  We also got Donna up the mast while out in the Solent – last time I was involved with that we were in the calm waters of the marina – the water was calm but any deck movement is so exagerated when you are sat on the 3rd spreader taking some photos!

We did have an exercise we hadn’t done before on Wednesday.  After the MOB we had to get the ‘casualty’ below deck.  Interesting!

Elaine, who is our crew medic, was the casualty and we had to work out a way to get her from the deck to below safely and without  her slipping off the stretcher.  So a lot of securing with sail ties and cushions and the jobs done!

Lift her up after discussing if we lower her feet first or head first.  Arguments for either way but with our casualty having a suspected neck injury and to reduce possible aggrevation to that injury it was decided to lower her feet first.  Worked a treat!!

Back into Gosport for Wednesday night before our 4 day 3 night course.  First time to stay on board for a few nights and to be working with a watch system.  Thats not going to be too easy with only 7 crew!

Thursday and we are out onto the Solent with all the Clipper yachts.  What a great view!  All 10 boats.  We get a chance to view the boats ‘wraps’ on the water.  The stunning eagle of Cape Breton and the very effective dragon on Qingdao.  Brilliant!

James comes out in the RIB with our course notes.  They look like they’re having fun!  Darn sight faster than us, thats for sure.

While all this was going on it looked like Hull & Humber was trying to take on The Royal Navy.

We had a couple of short races around some markers which was great fun.  Seeing our 10 boats jostling for position and the tactics of our skippers was superb.

After the two quick races we had the start of a longer course that would take us south to the north French coast at Le Havre turn west to Cherbourg, turn to the north and come back across the Channel aiming for Portland.  This didn’t go to plan – not even close!

We had started our 4 hour on & 4 hour off watch rota but we were all on deck for the start with the other watch going below for their off watch later.  They were back on at 18.00 and nothing really happened but they did have good wind.  We were sailing with a yankee 3 and a reef in on the main.  My watch was back on at 22.00 and we came on deck to a truely amazing thunder storm over the north French coast.  So much lightening, fork, sheet, everything. So much and so bright it destroyed our night vision.  Then the rain came.  That started to test our kit.

After the rain passed on the wind died.  Skipper was expected squally winds to come through but they never did.  We were nearly becalmed with little wind and strong currents!  Some of the skippers decided to motor towards Cherbourg and by the time I came back on watch at 06.00 we were somewhere off the Cherbourg peninsula with the intention to go to the west side into sheltered water to do some exercises with the other boats.  It ended up we were well in front of the others so turned back to meet up with them for our own race back across the Channel.  But now the fog was down and we had zero visibility.  Oh what fun!

Just to show the conditions we had to put up with….. is it full foulies? Or can I get away with jacket and shorts?  Or is it the German blood is thicker than the American?  Guido and Taylor showing the style!

Off watch at 10.00, the fog had lifted and we were sailing again.  Our on watch had put up the yankee 3, stay sail and main while some of the other crews had their yankee 1 up.  But when I came back on watch after 3 hours of sailing we had not lost any ground – when with the smaller y3 we should have done.

We were aiming northish for Portland and had to cross the shipping transport seperation system.  Very little traffic today and everything is okay.

I was mother for our Friday tea.  We have some amazing menues devized by Emma, our secret professional!  Somehow managed to throw a vegetable curry together and by the time all was washed up it was well after my off watch time and I was due back on at 22.00.  Not much time for sleep when I fell into my bunk at 20.45!

This is how it goes sometimes, the plans have to be flexable!!

Woken up at 21.45 for my 22.00 watch but a change of plan.  We were now on 2 man 2 hour watches as we were motoring again aiming for the Isle of Wight.  My watch was to be 00.00 – 02.00 with Taylor, so back to bed.

Back on deck to helm for the IoW.  We were fog bound with no visability and no speed making holding a course a nightmare.  Neither of us could manage it well.  Another change of plan, aim for Swanage.

Off watch at 02.00 but woken again at 02.45 to drop the main sail and achor.  That is the most exercise I have EVER done at 03.40 in the morning!  Now we are on half hour anchor watches with mine at 07.00 so back to bed for another 2 hours!  Must say, Swanage looks good at 07.00 in the morning.

We had some exercises to do with the other boats, like stock and personnel transfer in our dingy.  We tried various ways that all worked, some better than others.  Our Taylor looked like he was having fun and got a bit wet while doing it.  All part of the job!

By the time all this was finished we had motored out of Swanage bay had some lunch and the fog was back.  Very thick!  We motored up to the IoW as the coastguard had told that visibility was okay in the Solent.  We made our way up the West channel and sure enough conditions got better.  We at last lifted a sail at 16.30. And we even managed a spinnaker run!

Back into Gosport for Saturday evening to get ready for some sailing on Sunday.  Yea,right!! We woke to the sound of fog horns in the Solent.

We motored around doing little exercises like demonstrating the wire cutters, looking for the fire hose and we had Guido modelling our very fetching immersion suit!

And we had Graham up the mast to mend a light bulb.  In the Solent was anchored a large container ship.  We counted 18 containers wide, 7 high and 32 long of various lengths.

We did do some sailing but Pete wanted to get the spinnaker up again.  We did, but had to go backwards to get it to fill! My turn out on the pole today as well.  Guido did it yesterday so he gave me some guidance.  Doesn’t mean a thing till you have to try it!

Lower yourself down onto the rope, monkey climb upto the pole.

Climb up on top.  Easier said than done!

Crew ready and spike the spinnaker – easy!

Just sit there and wait till they can let you down – even easier!  Now lower youself back onto the rope and slide back down to the deck – not so bad.  Lesson for the day? Wear trousers!  Nice rope burn on the back of my ankle to lower calf that took 4 weeks to heal!

Then pack up the spinnaker.  That was a lot of work to have the spinnaker up for no more than 20 minutes.

Back into the marina for a proper shower and get ready for the deep clean on Monday.  All hands to it and we can do it in a few hours.  The end of another week.  Not the best for the weather but it is all a learning experience.  We have to get used to it all!!

The day we meet our fellow adventurers, skipper and which boat we are to be on.  My intention was to drive down just for the day but during Part B there was talk of a crew dinner and clothing was to be issued on Friday.  So it ended up as a couple of nights away.

Two of my fellow trainees on Parts A and B had found hotels, one was paying £43.50 b&b and the other was just short of £100 per night!

I left it late to book and did some surfing to find hotels and B&Bs.  Some deals to be had (how do you type sarcastically?!) – like one of the chains offering 2 nights at £122 but plus breakfast at £14.95 per day! I even found one with breakfast at £20 per day!

I managed to gat a single room B&B in ‘The Royal Maritime Club’ which Graham had told me about at £43.50 per day.  Only a couple of hundred yards from the Action Stations Museum as well, where the next days events were being held.

Drove down on the Friday with the idea to pick up my clothing then cross the water on the ferry rather than drive all the way round from Gosport to Portsmouth.

Got to the Clipper warehouse and it has a look of organised chaos!  There was Rob Carter and a couple of others handing out the kit to a managable queue and then we had the fun of trying it all on!  It was a bit breezy and every item of clothing was in a plastic bag with tissue paper in it.  All good fun!  Sign off our issue of kit and walk away with Henri Lloyd sponsored, Clipper logoed ocean racing foulies, two jackets and a polo shirt.

10 minute walk to the ferry, across the water then to find the Hotel.  Turns out to be okay.  A typical hotel that was clean and functional.  Couldn’t ask for anything more really.  And it had a bar!

Graham and a friend of his, who is also doing the race, are both staying here.  So after something to eat I give him a ring, as thay are already out at a bar, to meet up and of course he doesn’t hear it.

Now you would think that with the best part of 300 people out drinking along the water front in Portsmouth, somebody, somewhere would be easy to find.  I think this will be okay, have a walk about, see some Clipper jackets or shirts or, even better, see somebody I recognize from my training days.  Didn’t see anybody, not one!

Made my way back to the Hotel and had a couple of beers and then Graham came in just after midnight for a night-cap and the bar had closed!  Strange for a Hotel to close the bar early.

Down to breakfast and there is another Clipper guy (another Graham) staying here.  We are all abit obvious in our shirts!

We all made our way down to the Museum and it was like bees to a honey pot – Clipper jackets coming from every direction!

First person I saw who I knew was Dirk, my 1st mate from Part A, as a steward directing us to have our photos taken.  Two photographers and X marks the spot and look straight into the lense with a big Clipper smile!

Inside and pick a name badge up, upstairs for a coffee and now I do see some familiar faces.  Great to see them all but not a lot of time for a catch up.  Ushered into the auditorium – something like 350 people here this year!

We had a few introductory speeches from Clipper personnel, from the Civic Office of Hull, a sponsor or two, (what was it?…. £225 for a dram? of a very special bottle of Benromach!  Nice!! There was only one dram poured and it didn’t leave the stage.  None for us then!) and a few others.  Then Sir Robin came on stage and said his bit – it’s hard to think it has only been 40 years since anybody has managed to sail the world non stop, and there is the man on stage who did it!  It is all very inspiring stuff!!

The 10 skippers then got introduced to us with the boats name they are to skipper.  Followed by each skipper stepping foward to be given an envelope with his crews names inside.  A tense atmosphere built up very quickly.

I catch a few names I know as they are read out and displayed on the screen behind but it doesn’t mean anything yet.  9 skippers, 9 boats and 402 crew names read out.  1 boat to go, so who is left must be on it!  California here I come!  I can live with that.

Skipper Pete Rollason steps forward for the crew of California.  There I am, my names not got lost.  We have a crew of 43 with an age range of 19 to 63 giving an average age of 42.  27 men and 16 women.  10 round the worlders and I am not the oldest of them!  Nearly though!  The ‘other’ Graham staying at my Hotel is on this boat as well.

This part of the proceedings finished at 12.30.  Spot on timing by Clipper.  Time for a breath of fresh air except as soon as we are all outside then the smokers get going!!

Back inside at 13.00 to meet our crew.  Too many names to remember at the moment!  Pete puts us in the picture of what he wants and expects and of course we do have our Part C training to do as some proper practice.  There is some general chat about boat finance and social secretary and team songs and ‘T’ shirts and so it goes on for a few hours.

Time to get down to the water front where Clipper have moored 4 boats for various photo shoots and for the Chinese Civic delegation to name their sponsored boat ‘Qingdao’.

The Clipper girls did a fantastic job to get us all in the right place at the right time (and to behave!) for the group photos.

After the big group photos we break up into crews for our crew photo.

We are 14 people short in our photo to show our full crew.  It’s just not possible to get everyone here.

After the photos are done we are finished and it’s beer o’clock.  Just a couple of minutes away into Tiger Tiger and there are three crews booked in!  The tills are going to be ringing tonight!

Beer in hand and out onto the first floor balcony and we managed another team photo.

We sat for our meal and as each course finished we rotated so to sit with different fellow crew members and a great night meeting new friends.

Tiger Tiger has a large first floor bar and night club but it all got a bit too much for some of us!

Eventually I found Graham and his friend and we headed back to our hotel at the end of what turned out to be a tiring day.  And the bar was open so we got our night-cap tonight!

Homeward bound on Sunday morning and just a few tourist photos to show for it.  A great day and things are getting very close now to the start!  Well done Clipper.

Tuesday May 19th 2009 and Clipper have announced the 10 successful skippers for the 09-10 race.

From the left:

Piers Dudin.  Skipper on Hull and Humber.

Brendan Hall.  Skipper on CV9.

Peter Stirling.  Skipper on CV2.

Jan Ridd.  Skipper on Cape Breton Island.

Matt Pike.  Skipper on CV1.

Chris Stanmore-Major.  Skipper on Qingdao.

Pete Rollason.  Skipper on California.

Jim Dobie.  Skipper on Uniquely Singapore.

Eero Lehtinen.  Skipper on CV5.

Richie Fearon.  Skipper on Cork.

Crew allocation is on Saturday 30th May when we will know which boat and skipper we all have.

Well here I go again.  Part B.  Sunday 10th May.  Only two weeks after Part A.  Much more apprehensive as I drove to Gosport.  After a weeks training I must know something and this week is on the 68 footers!  Everything is bigger.

13 of us this time including Jim, our skipper and Peter our 1st mate.  Jim had only just flown in from Oz that Monday.  Both Jim and Peter had applied to be race skippers and were waiting for the announcement on Tuesday 19th to see if they had been successful.

There were two other Australians on board, a couple of guys from Scotland a few from the South and South West, a girl from Norway but living in the UK and a few from and around London.

Sunday evening round the table introductions a bite to eat and funnily enough we finished in the pub!

A windy evening and night with a lot of rattling lines banging various masts so not a great nights sleep.

Monday was a look about the boat – so much more than the 60′ of part A!  More systems, more tanks, just more.

Skipper was not prepared to take the boat out today as there was an on-shore wind making it very difficult to even get off the pontoon – and as Aviva was moored beam onto us just over our boat length away he didn’t want to risk bumping her with our pointy end!!

So after some lunch we did various marina based exercises the biggest of which was the spinnaker pole and someone going out to the end.  I was a bit too slow to volunteer!  Do it next time.  So Eleanor and Tom had a go.

End of the day and a chat about what we had done, mothers made a dinner then up the pub.

Tuesday started with a couple of lectures.  Flares and a brief touch on meteorology.  Then after another cup of tea we got out to do some sailing in the Solent.  Windy day.  Should be good!

Jim and Peter kept it simple so we could get back into it all.

Hoist the mainsail, sweat it up the mast and grind on the ‘coffee grinder’ then raise the stay sail and yankee. They are all so much bigger! – and now we are sailing.

Put some tacks in so we could get used to the running back stays, the winches, the snake pit etc etc. ropes end up everywhere and we are constantly tidying them up only to have to tack again and make another mess.

The boat heels over to an unbelievable angle with water coming over the gunwale.  Designed to do this but to see it for the first time is impressive!

We ended up just going back and forth across the Solent and as a crew it was getting better as the day went on.  Back to Gosport, put the boat to bed and found out the deck fitting had leaked into my lockers and I had a wet sleeping bag.  Not all the way through thankfully but wet enough to dry it off with a towel.  Could be a damp night.  But then we did manage to get up to the pub.  Again!

Wednesday was more of the same, sailing out into the Solent but there was very little wind.  So a few tacks and gybes and headsail changes.  This is training and not a holiday.  No sooner had we done an evolution and sat down then there was “Get ready to tack!” Here we go again!  And we mustn’t forget the “MAN OVER BOARD!” drill.  Once under engine then once with engine failure.  Followed by steerage failure.  There is just so much to learn.  Then after lunch we nearly became becalmed so gave us a chance to drop the yankee and staysail and get the windseeker out.  Plenty of pole work today.

Back to Gosport, put the boat to bed, have dinner and a recap on the day, shower and up the pub.  Again.  But only after our paperwork test (exam?!).

Thursday and we stayed in the marina to do the mast exercise where someone goes up the top.  And thats a long way up!  Two of us on the coffee grinder and a guy on the rope and we grind him up the mast.  That was harder work than we expected!

Then it was Gregs turn, one of our crew from Australia and he is a big guy – about 6’4.  When you grind a sail up it is hard work but the weight changes, when you are grinding somebody the weight is the same all the way up and the higher they go the more tired the grinders get – it certainly makes you puff!

Out into the Solent again and more practice, practice and practice again.  Out past the big ship anchor to the East side of the IoW and these are big merchant and car transport ships.  We also saw one of the Royal Caribbean liners – thats big!

We berthed in East Cowes tonight and the other training boats turned up with the intention we were going to have a couple of races on Friday.  Usual evening of putting the boat to bed, have a recap chat then up for a shower and somehow we ended up in the pub!

Friday and the winds coming back.  We are having a race today with the intention of another one through the night to get back to Gosport for about 14.00 on Saturday.  This is going to be interesting.  Sailing and racing right through the night.

Out into the Solent and its blowing.  Few more practice evolutions going back and forth and eventually it was time to race.  Only one other boat around – Hull and Humber- the other one was nowhere around and turned out to be on the South coast of the IoW and having fun.  Graham a friend of mine  from part A, was on the helm and got upto 13 knots then the skipper took over and they surfed at 17 knots!

Short race round some cans and the evolutions went really well and the tactics from our skipper and mate paid off and we won.  Great fun and to see the boats heeled over and overtaking is tremendous – all that power and just from the wind!  Lunch stop and getting ready for the long race but the other skipper pulled out – never did find out why!  And the weather was getting a serious force 7 gusting 8.  So more evolutions through the afternoon and back to Gosport for the night.  And yet again we managed to end up in the pub!

Saturday and all three boats are going to race today and the forecast is windy!  We were moored alongside one of the other boats so we had to go out first.  We were set with mainsail, staysail and No 3 yankee.  Got out into the Solent and soon found we were over powered without even raising the 2 fore sails.  It was decided to go from yankee 3 to storm jib and no staysail.  Interesting time on the foredeck doing a sail change but this must be realistic to what we are bound to encounter somewhere in our adventure!

Waiting for the other two boats (who were changing sails in the comfort of the marina!) it nearly looked like they were not coming out to play so we went on our way and did some more evolutions and I got on the helm.  Didn’t do a very good job of this in part A.  Managed to make it stop without being asked to!  Peter and Jim guided me and come the end it wasn’t too bad, got a few tacks in and managed to point the boat in the right direction but I wasn’t over confident as it has a lot of responsibility being on the helm.  Get more practice in and things will get better.

The other two did eventually turn up and we had a race on.  We started off last but again Jim and Peter worked out the tactics and we reeled them both in and got in front.  Unfortunately both boats had equipment failure and retired to repair but we had the satisfaction of overtaking them before the kit broke, and we went on to finish the course.  It showed us that in a moment something can go wrong and you can never afford to become complacent.

Second race and there was a mis-understanding of the start procedure by Jim and we were pointing to the East when it should have been South.  Big Ooops!  CV9 got a flyer but we still managed to reel in Hull & Humber by Jim being cunning on a tack when H&H went straight on and we beat them to the last turn.  Exciting stuff and very rewarding.  3 races in all and we had 2 wins and a second – beating H&H in all three!  Brilliant fun.

We made our way back to Gosport for the last time and once moored up we had a serious amount of house work to do.  Big deep clean and against the clock as we had a table booked for the end of Part B training week crew meal out.

All the bilge boards lifted and washed, bilges pumped, sails packed, surfaces cleaned down and a lot more besides.

All three crews were at the dinner in a very good Chinese restaurant and good fun had by all!  Somehow I was on the loudest table again and I think we just had more fun as a crew than the others.

Sunday morning came and it was breakfast in the Pump House with a final clean of the heads and bunks and our one on one assesments with skipper and mate.  I was with Peter and it was as good as I expected.  Come the end of another great week of meeting a bunch of strangers and within a matter of days we were acting as a crew.

All good fun and a big thank you to my fellow Part B crew.

Second entry in my log book: 201 miles. Force 8.

Reference ‘boat fit’.

Drove back to the White Horse but still had to pull over for a breath of fresh air and stretch my legs.

Generally felt much better this time and the tired day was Tuesday!  Stairs were still hard work but recovery was quicker.  And more muscle appeared.  Where does that come from within a week?

I wore gloves more this week than in Part A,  that ended up with the whole of my palms and fingers peeling.  Not nice.  So have to toughen up the digits!!

Down to 13 stone 9lbs now.  All in all that is a stone in 4 weeks!  Wow!