Have we just done it? Have we just sailed nearly non-stop for eleventh months around the globe?
I am here sitting in the nav station looking at the charts, the laptop saved the path we have done alias our boat track. It is in green and it goes indeed all around our beautiful planet, a long zig-zagging trip at the speed of a bicycle!
When looking at it, lots of flash backs pop in my head, so much to remember, so many stories to tell, it looks like if all those months were like just one day, a long day but a day who passed so quickly. Sometimes looking behind I barely visualise what we have done. If you ask me now but when looking at it and remembering our fist night racing, then remembering a leg, then tons of those flash backs make me realise how big an adventure it was and to tell all those moments all those adventure it will take many nights talking around a glass with friends and my family.
We passed the finish line a few hours ago. I am very tired to be honest, the battle was so close that you don't sleep much at all in those close races but I wanted to say already thanks, a massive thanks to my team. I am not an easy person to live with and you guys made it, we made it, we wanted to be in the top five and it should be done no matter the river sprint brings tomorrow!
My guys did learn a lot. We didn't had many racing sailors in our round the worlders and now they are all competent ocean racer sailors. I really enjoyed it. Of course I had some moments when I was thinking what the hell am I doing here but all the bad is gone in my head and I will go home with a massive smile and a happy heart. From the beautiful champagne sailing to the squalls, the storms, seas with waves like houses, the heat, the cold, the long weeks at sea, the Chinese sea and the fishing industry - it is an adventure and I hope some of you will keep sailing!
It's time to get some rest now for the final sprint, thanks to all of you for the support, and we'll see you tomorrow!
GT