Race 13 - Day 5
Crew Diary - Derry-Londonderry, Northern Ireland to Den Helder, Netherlands
22 July

Michael Turner
Michael Turner
Team Garmin
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Well what can I say, the last week of a long year of sailing. 45000 miles, three boats, four skippers, six oceans, two equator crossings and the date line, all the fantastic new friends I have made, thinking how privileged I am to be able to have had the experience of a lifetime. Have I enjoyed it?

That's another question. Has it changed me? Well, I'll soon find out.

The most memorable moments, those are numerous, from all the wild life (dolphins, turtles, whales, sharks, wild birds to name a few), glowing with phosphorescence, the tropical warmer legs in shorts and tee shirts even at night. The endless array of stars and shooting stars. Did I mention the dolphins gliding through the night waters?

My favourite stopovers would have to be Cape Town and Airlie Beach with its stunning scenery. The warmest welcome must go to Derry, with all its Irish hospitality and charm.

The most enjoyable race for me was the Sydney Hobart race, completing one of the most prestigious races in the world, a proper race not just a Clipper Race one. But that race has the most physically challenging night of the whole circumnavigation when we wrapped the spinnaker at 0100 and took four hours to recover it in 40 to 50 knots of wind sailing in the wrong direction. I had no energy left at the end of it to clamber into my top bunk.

The most difficult race overall was Leg 6, the Northern Pacific, having to deal with five heroic storms, over 100 knot winds and 17m seas, the constant wet, never drying out, and the cold, snow, sleet, hail. Not feeling my toes for three weeks is not fun. Limping in to Seattle with only two undamaged sails and major damage to Garmin (including a total wipeout of one of the helming stations). The lowest point of the circumnavigation must be the announcements of the loss of two colleagues, Andy and Sarah, and the race extension when heading to Vietnam, an extra 2000 miles.

On the home front, I have missed my wife Julia and family so much, and appreciate the massive sacrifice and commitment they have endured to enable me to complete my adventure. Thank you.

--Mike Turner