#Trulyliving Clipper round the world race.

"Perhaps though, the largest part of what I will miss has got to be the waking up every day, knowing that you are partaking in something life changing and the knowledge that we only have a handful of opportunities in life that make you feel like you are truly living and that this has been one of them."

I have copied and pasted the words above.(hope you don't mind Dale but couldn't ask you!) They were written a few days ago by Dale Smyth - skipper of Dare to Lead in the 2017-18 Clipper round the world race. The race started from Liverpool in August last year and finishes today in Liverpool after circumnavigating the globe.

When DTL crosses the line today Dale and a handful of his crew would have sailed the whole 40000 miles. They are circumnavigators. It literally brings tears to my eyes thinking about the enormity of what they have achieved - the tests they have been through and the dogged determination they have shown. There can be no doubt - what they have done is epic. It has been a massive examination of their character and skills and they have come through it. It would be hard to respect a group of people more. They must be feeling a wonderful sense of satisfaction now. 

But this is a personal blog and I have been thinking about Dale's words above. (Dale was my skipper on the 6000 mile (leg 6) North Pacific crossing so I have sailed with these special people - the circumnavigators.) The Clipper promo logo is "the race of your life" and it promises it will be life changing. It is not a hollow claim. It is not just words. I have no doubt it has been life changing. I only completed one leg - but I recognise it has left a mark. In some ways the mark is unsettling. I think Dale has hit what it is right on the head. It is the sense you are truly living - and that sense is potentially addictive and certainly leads to a degree of soul searching.

So what is the point of this blog? I guess it is about soul searching and what truly living means.

I have never subscribed to the view you should live every day as if it were your last. It is not realistic - more than that it is probably selfish - because we all have other people in our lives that are important - that we love - whose needs often rank higher in our minds than our own. Having acknowledged that it is also too easy in life to find excuses not to do things - things that are challenging - things that take effort - things that take you out of your comfort zone. The sad thing about that is they are often the things that are also the most fulfilling - the most satisfying - so you might be missing out if you fail to put it on the line.

Since Clipper I will admit to a degree of soul searching. There is an age dimension to it too perhaps. A thought/sense that as you get older - if I don't do it now I never will!

Some of the time I think I have done a lot and I should feel sated and relaxed with that. I have been self employed most of my life. I have done some hard treks - some altitude stuff - I have run a marathon - I have sailed across the Bay of Biscay and the Pacific - I have travelled a lot - done more than many people - just chill - draw on that. I do feel like that.

However at other times I reflect on the things I have done when I have pushed myself and know how I felt at the end. It is a fantastic feeling. It is addictive and hard to feel you do not want more of it. Goodness knows what the circumnavigators will be feeling. It is hard to imagine how they will come down from the high they must be feeling - the feeling as Dale says of "truly living". What can follow it. What next. How to settle back into something more normal. It will be hugely challenging but what a fantastic problem to have.

For myself - as ever I recognise what is needed is balance. I cannot hang my boots up yet. I will have to find at least one more challenge - ha! But on a serious note maybe "truly living" is living a good family life - making a good fist of the day to day stuff. Doing epics - the big tickets might be something else - something beautiful - of another world. How often you can go to this special world I am not sure. I have a sense that if you try and go there too often it will lose something - maybe not quite so special - or the price will be too high. But it is shame if we cannot all have a sense of that special world at some point in our life - but be warned it becomes addictive - it can be unsettling - but nonetheless GO FOR IT. MAKE IT HAPPEN is my advice. xxxx

#whichisthebest car - camper van - boat ?

I explained in my first ever blog back in 2014 that one of my motivations for blog writing was to commit to paper (so to speak) pearls of wisdom (oft simple) I had acquired over the years that had worked for me. This is one such - ha!

From time to time we all have to make decisions on things to buy (or perhaps more specifically which model to buy) - even if we are not particularly materialistic. Sometimes these are big ticket items - and a lot of angst can go into making the decision.

Recently I have been chatting to one of my sons regarding the purchase of a new car - to one of my brothers who is considering buying a camper van for retirement - and to my other brother who is thinking about buying a boat. (it is a massive coincidence that these conversations have come around at the same time - and the reader should only form the view that these type of purchases are exceptional - they are not the norm in the family - ha!)

Anyway the focus, as I say, has not been on what to purchase - the decision has been made in principle to buy a car , a camper van and a boat! The consideration - the decision - the angst - the stress - relates to what type of car, camper van and boat to buy because they obviously come in all sorts of guises with a myriad of different features (and prices).

Ok I am getting to point of the blog! I am taken back to a  school oral exam when I was probably 14. I remember being sat outside the examiners room and being given 20 minutes to read a magazine article (on which I would be subsequently asked questions). The magazine was a car magazine and the article title was "which is the best". The article described the luxury of the Rolls Royce, the speed of a Ferrari, the nippiness of the Mini, the carrying capacity of a Volvo and the off road ability of a Land Rover etc. I go into the examiners room - and the million dollar panel question eventually comes - "so David which is the best car? ". I remember being confident with my answer because it was the thrust of the article - "it depends what you want it for!". 

So you have guessed it! My simple advice - on which car on which camper van or boat to buy should primarily or at least largely be based on an evaluation of what you want to use it for - and which one best meets your actual need.

Buying decisions can be complex. We can be attracted by the pricing marketing strategy - for a little bit more you can get these features. For this extra I can get the larger model. It is a one off purchase - why don't I push the boat out so to speak - and go top of the range!

But extra features cost money. Extra features can add complication. Extra features can go wrong! Size costs. Size can be a an advantage - a disadvantage - it depend on what you intend to use it for.

There is no point buying a massive camper van equipped with every luxury under the sun - if it is for use in the windey lanes of Cornwall or for weekend use. It might be the right thing if you are going to tour Europe for 6 months. The boat decision - are you likely to be crossing the Channel in it. Will you be sailing singlehanded - are you looking forward to sailing up the muddy creeks of the south coast river estuaries. What is the point of acquiring a fast highly tuned car if it is for urban use?

So there we are - a simple thought. Focus on your actual intended use and you are more likely to make a good decision. You can always change the model if your needs change!  

#England v Croatia - Raheem Sterling

After watching Lukaku last night it is much easier to make a case for Raheem Sterling. Maybe Southgate is right in his selection after all (says a big fan of Marcus Rashford!). While Sterling is highly frustrating to watch and often very wasteful - world cup defences are so good that goals rarely come from standard open play. Sterling's pace, energy and outright unpredictability could be the difference. Would you want to play against him?

Stones and Maguire with Harry and Deli of course are a massive aerial threat at set pieces as proved - especially with Trippier's quality delivery.

What a great guy Gareth Southgate is.

Come on England

POST MATCH UPDATE (The morning after).

No recriminations. The England team come out with real credit. They did better than most people expected, looked like a team and conducted themselves well. As a young team they come home with their heads high and Gareth Southgate has done himself and his country proud.

On the football front our attacking force seemed to be drawn ever more deeper into midfield in the second half (particularly Harry Kane) and ran themselves into the ground. Croatia were more powerful in midfield and unlike us retained and increased their attacking threat up front as a consequence. In the latter part of the game Croatia seemed physically stronger and it all came together for them.

I am not being critical of Southgate (and he must have had one eye on keeping his penalty takers on the field) - but we did not seem to have a Plan B when plan A had run out of steam. I would have used Delph and Loftus-Cheek to bolster midfield with fresh legs and insisted Kane and Vardy stayed upfront and pressed their back line.

 Easy to say! Cheers lads!

#Brexit my updated view

What a problem Brexit has turned into but somehow I remain optimistic we are staggering to the finish line (because democracy has to prevail in our society).

Why has it been so? Well in my mind it is simple. Enough people have not respected our democracy. Consequently they have chosen to play fast and loose with the decision of the British people.

Brexit was always simple in purpose and meaning - to take back control of our laws, our money, our borders and be able to trade freely with the rest of the world. Whether that is hard or soft Brexit EVERYONE knows that is what the people understood they were voting for. Since then we have had duplicity, weasel words and out right anti democratic behaviour - which is shameful and highly damaging.

So why am I still optimistic ?

• Article 50 has been triggered. We are leaving the EU in March 2019. That is the law of the land and just about impossible to change.
• Theresa May (and the majority of Conservatives ) ultimately respects the democratic imperative of the referendum result. It is possible the Conservatives will change their leader but I cannot see them trigger a General Election because of the Corbyn threat.
• It must be obvious to the EU and to Theresa May that she will not be able to concede much more to the EU than the Chequers Agreement and survive (because it will not meet the Brexit imperative freedoms and be Brexit in name only.)
• Therefore the prospect of a "no deal" is a real one and that will hurt the EU too - and they want to avoid it. 
• Consequently The Chequers Agreement becomes definitive and as such I think the majority will concede grudgingly it does meet the definition of Brexit (just).

The resignations of David Davis and Boris Johnson (with the threat of others to come) has been helpful - because it underlines and demonstrates what a tight corner Theresa May is in and how little room for maneuver in negotiation with the EU she has. That will keep her on the Brexit straight and narrow I think and also demonstrate to the EU they cannot push her much further without the real prospect of a no deal.

In the same way I think the decision of ardent Brexiteers like Gove, Leadsom, Fox and Raab to work with the Chequers Agreement squeezes Theresa May from the other side - so the balance is about right.

It has been messy. It has not been so far - what we were hoping for - in as much as the Brexit optimism of a bright outgoing future - standing on our own two feet as a nation - with no excuses - has yet to materialise. But hopefully it will although it will be far from a perfect Brexit.

For what it is worth the way I see it is we will be sufficiently out of the EU not to be dragged down by its inevitable demise. The EU is undemocratic. It is massively corrupt. It is failing. It will fail.

PS a recent interview with the clear thinking Daniel Hannan. http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/5807608914001/?#sp=show-clips

and an article from Daniel Hannan emphasising we must prepare for no deal - and he is right. https://www.conservativehome.com/thecolumnists/2018/07/daniel-hannan-my-view-of-mays-new-brexit-plan-its-just-about-better-than-no-deal-but-this-far-and-no-further.html