Last Saturday was a mega day for those participating in the 2017/18 Clipper race. It is the day where you find out for the first time who your Skipper will be - which boat you will be on - and of course who your crew members will be. All this is so important because with this boat and these people you will be endeavoring to complete a huge challenge as a collective. There is no doubt there will be dangers - from the huge seas to be encountered - from being on a pitching boat set at all angles while trying to move around and function - and from handling such a powerful yacht with heavy equipment under huge strain. Your boat, your skipper and your team will be focused on safe racing over 40000 miles - so they can hardly be more important to you and you to them.
Each Clipper race requires a total crew of over 700. About 50% will be full circumnavigators and the rest (like me and brother Mike) will be leggers (as explained in earlier blogs). For the first time more than 50% of the crews are non UK nationals - so truly international.
On Crew Allocation day held at Portsmouth Guildhall there are 450 attending. The drama of the day will be live streamed to those unable to attend. There is a massive buzz in the air. Some one likened it to a first day at school atmosphere. We are all in our red Clipper jackets to add to the drama.
We are sat in the main hall. A short speech from Sir Robin Knox-Johnson - the first man to do a single handed circumnavigation of the world and the Clipper driver. He emphasizes the challenge - the hugeness of it - the likely life changing effect of it. He stresses safety and looking after each other. He underlines it.
Then the route is graphically described. Wow. It is really comes alive. Leg 6. Pictures of our Pacific leg come up. For Mike and I a special interest. Our start city - the Chinese sailing city of Qingdao. We can expect a massive welcome. Seattle our destination port the same. It is so exciting. The Pacific crossing is described as the "big one". Remote - massive distance across the world's biggest ocean. Expect storms and huge seas. The North Pacific will be cold too - maybe even some snow around the China east coast and as you skirt under the coast of Japan. The Clipper boat speed record was set here. 35 knots down a rolling wave taller than a house! Scary stuff - but what an opportunity!
And then the moment we are all really waiting for. The 12 Skippers are introduced and called onto the stage. Who are we going to get? (Clipper strive to balance crews in terms of gender, age and experience). We all have preferences I think. I do. Clipper are rightly adamant whoever you are with will be who you sail with - there will be no options to swop. In turn each skipper read out the names of half their crew. Lots of whoops of delight come from the audience. Mike's and my name to come out in the 2nd run so the tension even higher. ( Clipper do allow you to indicate a preference of Skipper - but there are no guarantees.). Mike is delighted to get Lance Shepherd. I am waiting still. And out my name comes. I am with Rick Powell. I feel like punching the air. I am so pleased and delighted and reassured. Rick was the mate on my Level 1 training so I know him better than any of the other skippers. I had previously asked Clipper if I could possibly be on his boat (or Roy Taylor's our skipper on Level 1). Rick is not flash. He is very experienced. He has skippered a leg on a clipper race before. I like him a lot so a really good start.
The next thing is to break out into rooms to meet Rick and the Team Rick crew (our boat does not have a sponsor name yet but that will come in the next 2 weeks) - my crew for a 4 hour preliminary meeting. Rick is not a natural in the limelight and he is has decided not to be too corporate clichéd. A good thing. Rick outlines his ideas and things that have to be considered. He places great emphasis on the fact he wants to reflect the crew goals and objectives and wants to try and meet everyone's needs ands aspirations. Much emphasis is placed on the discussion about our competiveness as a crew. How much do we want to win the race. What are we prepared to put in. Safety is paramount. It is easy to say we will give it 110% but what does that mean? Consensus seems to be podium finishes would consider to be real success. There will be much more to come on this. We quickly agreed a team building weekend in June - walking on the South Downs. This was a very positive outcome.
Later after the big photo opportunity on the steps outside the Guildhall we broke out to pubs at Gunwharf for a more informal get to know. Of course about a 3rd of the total crew where unable to attend - mainly because they were international. The meeting was interesting. As you would expect with this type of aspirational event there were some strong personalities evident. One or two I didn't initially take to but I will reserve judgement and an open mind. In my trekking experience jarring corners gradually get rounded and there were some really nice people making up our crew.
From now on we will be working to build an effective team and establish the boats character. I come away highly motivated and positive. It is going to be epic.
Level 2 training to come next. There is some real momentum building.
Each Clipper race requires a total crew of over 700. About 50% will be full circumnavigators and the rest (like me and brother Mike) will be leggers (as explained in earlier blogs). For the first time more than 50% of the crews are non UK nationals - so truly international.
On Crew Allocation day held at Portsmouth Guildhall there are 450 attending. The drama of the day will be live streamed to those unable to attend. There is a massive buzz in the air. Some one likened it to a first day at school atmosphere. We are all in our red Clipper jackets to add to the drama.
We are sat in the main hall. A short speech from Sir Robin Knox-Johnson - the first man to do a single handed circumnavigation of the world and the Clipper driver. He emphasizes the challenge - the hugeness of it - the likely life changing effect of it. He stresses safety and looking after each other. He underlines it.
Then the route is graphically described. Wow. It is really comes alive. Leg 6. Pictures of our Pacific leg come up. For Mike and I a special interest. Our start city - the Chinese sailing city of Qingdao. We can expect a massive welcome. Seattle our destination port the same. It is so exciting. The Pacific crossing is described as the "big one". Remote - massive distance across the world's biggest ocean. Expect storms and huge seas. The North Pacific will be cold too - maybe even some snow around the China east coast and as you skirt under the coast of Japan. The Clipper boat speed record was set here. 35 knots down a rolling wave taller than a house! Scary stuff - but what an opportunity!
And then the moment we are all really waiting for. The 12 Skippers are introduced and called onto the stage. Who are we going to get? (Clipper strive to balance crews in terms of gender, age and experience). We all have preferences I think. I do. Clipper are rightly adamant whoever you are with will be who you sail with - there will be no options to swop. In turn each skipper read out the names of half their crew. Lots of whoops of delight come from the audience. Mike's and my name to come out in the 2nd run so the tension even higher. ( Clipper do allow you to indicate a preference of Skipper - but there are no guarantees.). Mike is delighted to get Lance Shepherd. I am waiting still. And out my name comes. I am with Rick Powell. I feel like punching the air. I am so pleased and delighted and reassured. Rick was the mate on my Level 1 training so I know him better than any of the other skippers. I had previously asked Clipper if I could possibly be on his boat (or Roy Taylor's our skipper on Level 1). Rick is not flash. He is very experienced. He has skippered a leg on a clipper race before. I like him a lot so a really good start.
The next thing is to break out into rooms to meet Rick and the Team Rick crew (our boat does not have a sponsor name yet but that will come in the next 2 weeks) - my crew for a 4 hour preliminary meeting. Rick is not a natural in the limelight and he is has decided not to be too corporate clichéd. A good thing. Rick outlines his ideas and things that have to be considered. He places great emphasis on the fact he wants to reflect the crew goals and objectives and wants to try and meet everyone's needs ands aspirations. Much emphasis is placed on the discussion about our competiveness as a crew. How much do we want to win the race. What are we prepared to put in. Safety is paramount. It is easy to say we will give it 110% but what does that mean? Consensus seems to be podium finishes would consider to be real success. There will be much more to come on this. We quickly agreed a team building weekend in June - walking on the South Downs. This was a very positive outcome.
Later after the big photo opportunity on the steps outside the Guildhall we broke out to pubs at Gunwharf for a more informal get to know. Of course about a 3rd of the total crew where unable to attend - mainly because they were international. The meeting was interesting. As you would expect with this type of aspirational event there were some strong personalities evident. One or two I didn't initially take to but I will reserve judgement and an open mind. In my trekking experience jarring corners gradually get rounded and there were some really nice people making up our crew.
From now on we will be working to build an effective team and establish the boats character. I come away highly motivated and positive. It is going to be epic.
Level 2 training to come next. There is some real momentum building.
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| The skippers and Sir Robin Knox-Johnson in the front. I am somewhere in the back left corner - not sure where Mike is! |
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