Race 1 - Day 33
Crew Diary - RACE 1 DAY 33: LIVERPOOL TO PUNTA DEL ESTE
23 September
We sit just 180 miles from Punta del Este caught in one more windless spot, potentially having lost the 2nd or 3rd position to GREAT Britain or PSP Logistics (as they seemed to have just missed this deadly calm environment). It is foggy and damp, yet the sun seems to find its way through the mist. I am in off watch and felt the desire to share a final thought - Those of us leaving the Irish Rover after Leg 1 have been asked to share reflections, etc., with the team and both Tony and Henri have done great jobs at this over the past few days... as we may not all have time to share (there are three of us left) I decided to share my thoughts and thanks via the blog, assuming supporters may enjoy peeking in/participating in this ritual and hoping my crew mates find a time to read this one
So, I chose to attempt to answer one question with an open reflection, one I know every crew member has asked (more than once I am sure), and most supporters will surely ask, if not immediately, soon thereafter: ‘so was it worth it? I mean, the effort, the time, the risk, the money. Was it really, really worth all the trouble?’
After at least nine weeks of total Clipper Race time in to date and six weeks on CV23, HotelPlanner.com, (including delivery) of tough cohabitation in a totally new living environment, the answer, as Seamus would say: “Well, it depends on the day that you ask.”
And it does, with low times being the likes of delivery week, cold, wet, with very nervous people and skipper on board. The more than several slow/becalmed spots, Irish sea, Bay of Biscay, Doldrums, Brazilian coast #1 and #2. Living at 45 degrees for days on end, imagine cooking, walking, etc. The tedium of the eat, sleep, sail repetition 165 plus times. 7,500 man hours as per Carsten. And the high times including the exhilaration of going downwind above 13 miles per hour, racing into the doldrums, the eight day tack post doldrums, the laughs at the bow as you lower a sail and the waves crash upon you.
I can honestly say, that when all is put together and you sit here so close and yet so far from the finish line, that this was a hell of a good investment, in time, money and effort. I offer you three simple, ‘proof points’ to make my case, given the cynics and incredulous that may be out there.
1 – Learning to go slow and enjoy the ocean blue
Monotony, repetition, endless days on the same tack, it can drive you
nuts for sure, but it also provides ample time to see the days go by and stargaze
to ponder and reflect. It makes you actually savour the luxury of being kept
busy, learning to enjoy the benefit of preparing and doing evolutions slowly,
thoughtfully, and to deeply understand phrases like ‘haste makes waste’. We
became such experts at ‘slow, so slow’ that we invented ‘slow boiled, slowly
stirred Irish Rover Tea’ and the ‘three wise men’ christened one Mother team
the ‘Slow Café’.
However, the best of going slow (never faster than 19.7 miles/hour) was enjoying the Ocean Blue and all it offers. Just think of the types of waves we experienced. From those with white stallions rushing past, all the way to crystal clear pond like waters; or the different types of wetness we were put through, from ocean sea crashing over onto the pit to fresh water gales giving us a good cleansing, and I could go one, so many types of skies, sunsets, sunrises and sounds the boat makes as it slides over. Or better yet, think of the types of life that cared to show themselves to us, from those playful, dancing dolphins that leave white/silver trails in the North, to the fabulous show of flying whales in the south, broaching together on the horizon, over and over; to the seal that came over to wonder why a boat was sitting calmly going nowhere; or the squid and flying fish who would frequently show up on our deck, or fly past; and multiple birds that we saw almost every day, with one taking residence for a few hours on the foredeck. Simply put it is inspiring to be able to go slow, for so long, hardly ever seeing a boat of any kind and enjoy the ocean blue.
2 – For the quality of the people and the conversations
we will remember
Good conversations surfaced during the quiet moments and with
almost every one of you, and I enjoyed them all. What impressed me most,
however, is at the quality of these 19 other people that boarded the Irish
Rover. The sincere friendliness, the authentic care, the ability to make space
for each other, the attitude of always facing adversity with positive energy,
never complaining, always pitching in. I have learned much from what this
attitude does to the living ambience of a tight community and thank you for
creating such a great environment. Thank you.
Please do know each of you will have a phrase or two, a comment/action embedded with your name in my memory banks, such as ‘Aconcagua’ - Mary, “’Race Positions...I think?’ - April, ‘Darling, could you please’ -Heather, ‘Sisterhood’ - Roseanne, ‘Will this ever end?’ - Chef Chris, ‘Are we having fun yet?’ - Greg A, ‘We owe it to those who can't?’ - Greg G, ‘Is someone interested in helming....please?’ - Nic, ‘Who the $%^ is helming?’ - Carsten, ‘We've got this!’ - Playboy Mike, ‘oooh, for a glass of Burgundy’ – Henri. So, on and so on, but most importantly ‘we all make mistakes. I make mistakes all the time. So, what did we learn?’ - Coach Conall.
This was a unique environment, that tested us in many ways, most of which we never imagined. Well done team! Bien hecho equipo!
3 – Seeing and being part of a human transformation
Here we need to compare the beginning with the end of this
journey to see how we evolved and became. A few data points;
- From asking: 20 people? How on earth? To usually finding only four people on deck, ten asleep and ample room in the galley for more to sit with
- From asking: ‘Hot bunking? How am I going to sleep?’ To finding Jock fast asleep in the sail locker as we put away a sail around him, making sure he is left undisturbed
- From facing watch fatigue and debating which watch should do what. To all pitching in when and where required (did I mention woolling?)
- From a Spinnaker drop in 20 minutes plus in broad daylight. To a Spinnaker drop in 8 minutes and at night!
We went from being a disparate group of individuals co-habiting/co-working to a solid sail team that collaborates and performs, maybe not yet as the ‘music ensemble’ Conall is driving towards, but certainly getting there. Like just five hours ago after another triple evolution done well, Conall turns and says as if to himself: “Could we have done that routine four weeks ago?”
So, were these five weeks’ worth it? Absolutely! Case closed.
The Port Watch is dropping a spinnaker now, so I have to go jump in the fray and get it into the lower deck... for the 34th time.... but who's counting?
Hopefully we will see some of you in Punta del Este tomorrow morning, and we can take this conversation further. Oh yeah, and about the Race results? We did fabulously well :)
Cheers!