Hello team,
Happy Fizz Friday, a day of celebration and reflections for us all, I feel. How are you feeling, those set for Portsmouth? All arrangements made, sarnies packed, Crew Supporter banners made? Returning crew make sure you have your black Bekezela jackets, crew polos and black trousers or Musto shorts for your moment on the stage. Onboard it's an almost there feeling, mixed emotions, last day of term, a very Ying Yang Day.
Monday/Tuesday's progress was painfully slow. I think we did some of slowest 6-hour mileage of the whole circumnavigation. Crossing Donegal Bay felt bigger than the Bay of Biscay. Although just before dawn, Tuesday, there was the most amazing lighting effect, almost Northern Lights in its appearance. I don’t think it was, but it was spectacular and like nothing else I had ever seen before. A memory to take with us, like the exploding meteor going into Fremantle last December.
Once we rounded VM Fastnet, progress was quick under the Code 2, which was a welcome change from the beat we made down to it. It was abit of a shock, as we haven’t really beaten to windward in a strong breeze since Race 11. All the crew have been making the most of the last few hours to helm under the kite. The evolutions have been slick and smooth this race, our current position is mainly down to the windhole lottery of earlier in the week.
There was much excitement as we headed into the English Chanel, not only to hear the Falmouth Coast Guard on VHF channel 16, which is almost as big a British icon as Marmite. Also, the fact we saw for the first time since Tuesday, AIS signals of other Clipper Race yachts, we had closed the gap back! Now it's a potential drag race battle as we make our way towards Bembridge Ledge East Cardinal Mark and the 250m long finish line, as the wind eases and shifts, which might result in some gybing being necessary. Hopefully the breeze holds long enough to see us over the line, which as I write, 05:04UTC, is still some 188nm away, so it's going to be tight.
Then as we switched to the Code 1 in the lightening breeze, under moonlight and a clear starlit night at 02:06:26UTC this morning, our position was 49º 26.712’N, 005º 56.933’W which is where we were at 22:04:22UTC on the 4th of September 2023. We had crossed our outward-bound track, leaving Portsmouth for Puerto Sherry on Race 1. That firmly nails the fact Bekezela has completed a circumnavigation of the globe, a very special moment.
A massive thank you to all the Bekezela team who got involved in the UNICEF fundraising and for your generosity in supporting their efforts. The last update I had from shore was an amazing £60,5348.81. That’s just an incredible achievement.
Finally on behalf of Maisie and myself, we would just like to say, it's been an honour and privilege to lead this team around the world. It's been blood sweat and tears for both the crew and ourselves at times, hard and emotional in many ways. Hopefully, we have helped people fulfil some of their dreams and goals. Now it's your turn to hear the tales of their achievements from them. Remember the further in the future those tales are told, and the more often, the greater their achievements are- good luck with that! However, they all have done something remarkable, whether one leg or all eight, that can never be taken away and they should be given the respect they have rightly earned.
On this day, 26 July 2024, CV22 Bekezela, along with the rest of the Clipper 2023-24 Race fleet, is one day from arrival back in Portsmouth for her homecoming.
David, Maisie and all the amazing Bekezela crew and team members ashore.
Think that’s it – Bekezela out.