The start is close!

The last few weeks have been intense, with boat prep ongoing - I think we will still be tweaking things on the boat right up until race start on the 31st. Attending boat prep was entirely voluntary, and it was great to have the opportunity to meet some more of my crew.

Helping with boat prep was important to me for several reasons. Firstly, I want to get as much out of this experience as possible, and secondly I know that strong team bonds are going to be crucial to success in the race - not just competitive success, but for effectively keeping moral high. Having the opportunity to get to know some of my crew mates without the pressure of sailing was a real side-benefit. And lastly, I was keen to learn as much about how all the elements of the boat work as possible. Particular highlights of the week for me were learning how to disassemble, clean, and reassemble the winches, and also how to splice lines together to create a variety of useful things on the boat (sail ties, soft shackles, etc).

As part of the boat’s victualling team (food), I have helped the Leg 1 Victualler with collecting groceries and packing into day-bags for storage on the boat. I will be the designated Victualler on other Legs, so have taken copious notes on the challenges and solutions we have come up with.

We’re on the final countdown now, and then it’s 11-months of hard sailing. Can’t wait!

A disassembled winch laid out for cleaning.