Race 13 - Day 6
Crew Diary - Derry-Londonderry to Liverpool
27 July

Elizabeth Howe
Elizabeth Howe
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The end of my Clipper adventure is nearly at an end, I am sitting on the galley floor on the high side typing this we've just turned the last mark to the end of race 13 about 25 miles to go. It has really hit me that my big adventure is coming to an end.

I've been wondering whether to write this blog all this race, knowing that the past 11 months have not all been easy but I think it will give me closure. With the hard times have been fun good times too, which I need to remember and every experience you can turn into a learning experience.

Up wind sail is definitely the worst point of sail for me with the boat at a ex stream angle, moving about on deck getting to the high side is like climbing a rock face that you have to do many times a watch. Down below is just as tough planning every step, climbing about squeezing passed fellow crew members.

Sleep is also tough being a person who craves quite a bit of sleep doing the watches were you don't get more then about 4 hours in a row gets to your mental attitude.

This trip is a learning experiences for me, being dyslexic I've found the navigation with numbers of bearing, distances, wind speeds etc has been challenging.

I like to think these tough aspects I need to look back not as difficulty and regretting them but learn from them and how would of prepared differently for it or challenges I take on in the future.

I have fun memories that I will take away from this adventure down wind sailing flying and trimming the spinnakers that I feel attached to, having nursed them all back to health on land and at sea and flying them again after major blow out and rips of meters. This has all been made possible with my fellow sail repairer Phil and the rest of the team who have spent many an hour sewing on Agnes our sewing machine.

The wildlife we've seen is amazing, whale breaching, dolphins that seem like daily a accounts playing at the bow, turtles floating on by and seeing flying fish leaping out of the water.

An aspect that Nikki brought to are day in the form of a daily meeting which entail grown and mown which we air out and boat gifts in the form of chocolate, exercise classes, burns night, and party games to name a few.

And last but no means least, the camaraderie and friends I have made, through the good times 3 wins and 2 seconds places and the laughs we have had and the bad time falling back in the rankings, spinnaker blow outs, and seasickness to name a few.

To conclude this year has had it up and downs and would I chance it if I could, no what a year, I've sailed around the world and met life long friends.

Lizzie Howe