Race 10 - Day 7
Crew Diary - Steven Smith 26 March 2022
26 March
It happened. It was only a matter of time until it did. My body decided enough was enough, and kindly sent me a moment's notice to get myself to the back of the boat and in position. Yep, the dreaded green monster came to visit, and it was not nice!
It is not an experience I’d wish upon anyone, and as I crouched leaning over the guard rail, tears streaming across my face, I repeatedly asked myself why I was doing this, why put yourself through this?!
Well the answer to that probably comes in a number of answers. The main one being that a challenge is exactly that. It's not meant to be easy. No success is made in life without first enduring some kind of adversity. Sailing across an ocean is no different, especially the North Pacific (ignoring for the moment the fact we haven't even hit the North Pacific yet!). If it was that easy, vastly more people would have attempted it! The other answer is more about me. I thrive on a challenge, I love the adrenaline rush, and the sense of achievement at the end vastly outweighs any of the adversities met along the way!
As a crew spirits remain relatively high, with conditions so far being somewhat a mixed bag. We currently have our Code 2 flying, with the sea state rather gently lifting us up and down. Rewind to 24 hours ago and the sea state resembled more that of The Solent in mid winter.
Short, sharp waves lifting the boat before smashing it back down with an almighty bang. The sort of bang that would in any other scenario cause you to leap out of your seat and be ready for some kind of catastrophic scene outside your window. But these Clipper 70’s are built to withstand vastly more than I would have ever expected. It's these various sounds that quickly become the norm on board, and you barely batter an eyelid.
We are still in the early days of the race, and as you will see from the Race Viewer the fleet remain relatively close to each other. The next few days will be rather telling as potential change in weather will force some tactical decisions to be made. Will they pay off?! Only time will tell!
Sending my love to all my friends and family, and for all of you supporters who are diligently checking in daily on our progress!
Vamos Punta!
Steven Smith
Punta Del Este