Race 13 - Day 8
Crew Diary - Crew diary: Race 13 Day 16
18 July

Leg 8,day 16 and 2,858nm since leaving DC

Imagine yourself as a single atom standing (or sitting, if that’s what atoms do) in the middle of your dinner plate, knife and fork at the ready awaiting your next meal - not a dissimilar situation to our present existence here on Zhuhai. Whether any member of this atom's family, with little prior experience, would in their right mind be voluntarily in the galley cooking on what is effectively an over-stretched caravan cooker for 21 other hungry atom mates whose demeanour is closely tied to both the timing and quality of the meal, is highly questionable. But back to our atom who is currently dreaming of the moment it can throw itself into its sleeping bag, zip it all the way up to its nose and shut out the world for the next few hours. Right now, its absolute focus is on the galley and that moment in ten and a half minutes when food will arrive on its plate bringing warmth and comfort all in one go. So to suggest to the atom that just for a minute, it lifts its gaze away from the galley out towards the horizon is a big ask. But when finally, it raises its eyes, two things happen, first, the constancy of dinner plate’s horizon, the same in every direction, all three hundred and sixty degrees, framed only by the sky which seemingly drops down beyond the plates edge giving it a timeless, surreal quality, uninterrupted by anything. To the atom, it’s the equivalent to us here in Zhuhai of the sea and sky - there’s absolutely nothing, absolutely nothing, to clutter its perspective.

Second, despite already feeling pretty insignificant, the atom suddenly shrinks down to the size of a quark ????- no idea but I think it is very, very small!

Move lunch to dinner time and suddenly its world, with no discernible boundaries only endless dark filled with stars, galaxies and the occasional phosphorescence, expands seemingly to infinity (and beyond) with this tiny atom at centre. Here on Zhuhai it’s a feeling that recurs day after day as we glide slowly across one of the world’s great oceans but with the horizon never changing. Sure the weather plays a part - the first nine or so days were rather on the hot side, with increasingly sweat stained tee shirts and shorts the only option, but now talk has turned to base layers, mid layers, extra layers, seal skin socks, beanies interspersed with hot drinks all round and excuses to ‘nip down’ below for a few minutes respite. But despite the varied weather conditions, the overriding impression of this adventure is scale: the size of the oceans and the skies overhead and the relative insignificance of ourselves. Nothing new to many, I’m sure, but for me, when all the memories blur and the tales of battling the elements - prepping the meal and using the heads are high among those battles - expand or fade, it’s the sheer enormity of what’s around us and our individual insignificance that will remain. So, for our wonderful supporters, if just occasionally we become a little glassy eyed think of it as a quark moment. We’ll be back in a minute or two. As to the atom, it’s difficult to focus on anything for long when a full plate of food and then the warmth, comfort and privacy of an ocean sleeping bag are now only nine and a half minutes away. No pressure on the galley then!

Simon Lowe from the deck of Zhuhai