Race 10 - Day 10
Crew Diary - Patrick Schmider
29 March

Life on board Seattle… or on any racing monohull for that matter, is basically two very different lives. One on the deck for adventure thrill-starving junkies - everything out there is beautiful: the colour shade of the water by day and the sparkling algae by night; the flying fish; the dolphins and the occasional knackered swallows which land for a rest; the thrills of standing on the bow with the wave trying to sweep you away; climbing on the side of the mast to make the Handy Billy while the sea is trying to get you off; you are in the ring with Mother Nature and it rocks…

And then there is life in the galley which is pretty much the opposite. It is a place where you want to send your ungrateful partners, kids or room mate so they realise how your tiny kitchen is actually big, your bed is actually big and comfy, the noisy road is actually peaceful and I am not even going to talk about the toilet regime. The galley is a life at 40 degree angle where everything is a real chore. It is a kind of gymnastics where any mistake costs you bruises, and nausea and sea sickness is always round the corner.

So if you want to experience life in the extreme, the best and the worst… go on a racing yacht!