Blogs

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“Feeling the luff” 21/05/08

“Starboard running backstay coming back!” I shout, but wake to find that I have been dreaming and have managed to drop into a two-hour deep sleep during my off watch. Meanwhile, Nelson watch are up on deck negotiating the shipping lanes of the English Channel. We are headed for France and I am on my first weeks training with Clipper Ventures. This week is all about learning how to sail a big ocean racing yacht. I am on board Ariel Clipper with skipper Brendan, first mate Olly and 10 other crewmembers.

We are all hoping to fulfill our sailing dreams, and in one- way or another we are buzzing with excitement. So far it’s been hard work, up early rigging the boat before breakfast, having formal tutorials about sailing, racing and safety theory. Then practicing our evolutions, tacking and gibing up and down the waters of the Solent. The team is bonding quickly and I’m enjoying the company of those I am onboard with.

Suddenly, the skipper and first mate spring a man over board drill on us! Its panic stations and we are all rushing about the boat ready to rescue our drowning buoy from the water. I make a big mistake and let off the main sail halyard instead of the staysail and managed to hit Tim on the head. Thankfully he is not hurt, but I am absolutely gutted, I could have cried! I have to remind myself that if I am going to take on the oceans of the world I can’t cry, and that I must learn from this and not do it again. Next thing I know I have been asked to lie down and deck and pretend to be a casualty with a spinal injury and my fellow crew have to establish a way of getting me below deck.

After a fantastic night sail across the channel we arrive in Cherbourg, perfect timing to walk to the supermarket and get some lovely French food for lunch. Greenpeace are staging a protest whilst we enjoy our French buffet. We have just enough time for an hours sleep and we are back out in the channel making our way to Dartmouth.

By this point we are all getting into the routine of life on board and our evolutions and winch performance is improving. Somehow in the middle of the night on or way to Dartmouth, whilst winching on the topping lift I get the toggle of my life jacket caught and my jacket suddenly inflates itself. What a sight, as the rest of my watch have a giggle at me.

Then my partner in crime Sarah, an hour off the entrance to beautiful Dartmouth, manages to severely strain her ankle whilst we are beating a head wind. Thankfully we have gaffer tape on board and I successfully tape up her ankle so she can continue as crew. Glad that my physiotherapy skills have come in use, we anchor for a rest up the Dart.

I had a beautiful moment out on the foredeck doing a headsail change in the middle of the night when suddenly you hear no voices but just wind and waves. What an awesome feeling. Then I am doing 12.5 knots downwind towards the Isle of White getting a little surf action out of the boat. Loving every minute of it all and I am reluctant to leave the helm.

Can’t wait for my part B training, using spinnakers and learning how to do racing sail changes. It’s been an absolutely fantastic week of sailing, and it is only the beginning, BRILLIANT!