Race 4 - Day 21
Crew Diary - Race 4 Day 21
09 December

Years ago, at a wooden boat festival in Port Townsend, Washington, my wife and I happened to witness some unusual behaviour. A local looked at us afterward and said “You know what they say about Port Townsend, we’re all here because we’re not all there.”

I’ve since said that more than a few times on my Clipper Race journey. However, one leg into my four-leg adventure, I’m not sure it’s true. While I have many Clipper first impressions, as in so much of life, it’s the people that stand out.

Through our formal lunchtime stories and many informal watch conversations, my crew mates have given me glimpses into their lives...who they are and the things they’ve done. As I listen, I’m continually struck by three thoughts:

Firstly, the stories they tell are epic by any measure. They’re extraordinary tales of travel, adventure, sports, hobbies, or professional endeavors. A typical person might hope to have one or two such experiences to share. Here, it seems we’re just scratching the surface. On a sailboat crossing the Southern Ocean, I fear I’m at risk of seeing the extraordinary as ordinary. It’s like walking into Goodwood Revival and seeing so many pre-1966 cars that you begin to think of classic Jaguars, Aston Martins, and Ferraris as commonplace.

Secondly, beyond the stories and anecdotes themselves, I’m struck by the casual humility with which they’re told. The teller isn’t trying to impress. They’re simply sharing their experience for the benefit and entertainment of the group. Along the way, they’re giving the rest of us a peek into their past and events that helped shape who they are today. Perhaps it’s the willingness to share, in some cases to be vulnerable, that makes these moments special?

Finally, I’ve noticed that many of the stories are unrelated to the person’s occupation. Here I’m reminded that what we do for a living doesn’t define us. Rather, it’s what we do while we’re living that matters.

So, while others might say we’re not all there, from where I sit Clipper Race folks are more “there” than most. In the works of Baxter Dury, “these are my <new> friends” and I couldn’t be more fortunate.