Hello Qingers!
The last blog of the race! You can tell the race is coming to an end because everyone’s taking photos of every dolphin that crosses our path like it's the last of a species.
Just one day from finishing, it could be time for some reflection I suppose.
Phil and I joined halfway through the race when the boats were already in Australia. In the seven months since, I often get asked if the race was what I thought it would be. For the most part, yes. What attracted me to the race was manual sailing on simple, sturdy boats with largely novice crew giving the opportunity to teach and coach. In this respect it’s exactly as I hoped, we’ve had some great sailing which I’ll never forget.
What I didn’t expect is how good and self-sufficient the crew would progress to be. Before Phil and I, the boat saw a few changes in leadership. I’ve always seen this as a positive thing as they’ve seen more ways of doing things than the other boats, and in doing so the crew have picked the best most efficient ways of doing different tasks. The position the boat was in on the leader board when we arrived definitely didn’t reflect the skill and determination onboard. It’s been great to step in and give the crew the confidence and space to flourish. The five podiums we’ve had since are the least the crew deserves. I couldn’t be more proud of how they’ve handled the wins and the losses and continue with the same unwavering professionalism and determination.
Outside of our crew, the Clipper Race team has been amazing and so welcoming since the beginning. The AQPs seemed happy to have some fresh blood join in Australia and I’ve made some great friends since. Sharing this weird and wonderful journey with such awesome people is an added bonus I didn’t really expect when taking the job.
I look forward to continuing working with the Clipper Race in the future and maybe, though not too soon, hopping on another Clipper Race.
A massive thank you to everyone reading this and all our supporters around the world. It means a lot to have you all backing us.
For the last time,
Love to those at home,
Henry, Phil and the dragon riders