Jess Barton, 17-18 RTW

This is the first in a series of guest posts from some of my fellow 17-18 crewmates and the current 15-16 crew in which they tell us a little about themselves, their Clipper experiences so far, and pass on any hot tips! 15-16 crew will also be sharing the 3 things they wish they'd known before setting sail and their funniest moments onboard. 

Enjoy!

Hi! 

I’m Jess! A teacher of Music and English as a Foreign Language, and musician based in Shanghai, China originally from Frinton-on-Sea, UK. I have always been keen on sailing / water sports generally, courtesy of my membership to a youth organisation called the Sea Cadets. I was lucky enough to attend a unit which was literally minutes from my house, and we lived very close to the sea, so I was able to get a lot of boating in! This was all well and good until 2001, when I noticed something physically wrong, that had been ignored previously… I have S.U.F.E (An acronym for a hip condition, which I can never spell!!) Basically, the growing plate was slipping off my femur resulting in my leg being hard to walk on and my back changing shape. At the age of 12/13 I as told to give up all contact sports etc. I am not one for being told no, so when the opportunity came to get back on the water, I did so, but very gingerly. I was scared that I would hurt my leg. 

I was sponsored by my local rotary club to sail with Jubilee Sailing Trust, again, a charity that enables both disabled and able-bodied sailors on-board one of their two tall-ship vessels all over the world! I joined in Hamburg, Germany and sailed into London (UNDER Tower Bridge!) This revitalised my sailing confidence, as I gradually re-learnt what I could and couldn’t do… and this is now why  I am here.

Caitlin, asked me to write a guest blog about my Clipper Experience. Now, I am a “rare species” because it is not the first time that I have taken on the Clipper Experience. I first joined Clipper for the 2013/2014 race where I completed Leg 6 (Qingdao – San Francisco). I was a part of a competition held by the Sea Cadets to raise awareness of the charity, and as a reward, to sail the North Pacific. I was a sponsored crew member, and it was incredible. We took part in three training, practically back-to-back. Which, on reflection, was very tiring!! We went from complete novice, to a race sailing crew! Our training was in Gosport UK using the Clipper 68’s as the 70s were already racing. The first week, was very much based around getting to know the vessel, be safe crew, and be able to do all jobs on board. The second week included sea survival training as well as more sailing, racing technique, and how to get the best “out of the boat” and then the third week was more of the sailing, and including the use of the spinnakers. 

The training isn’t just about what you need to know about the vessel, it also gives you a chance to “practice” what kit you are going to bring, or how to pack it. No word of a lie, on one of my training weeks – someone, brought a SUITCASE! – Tip: DO NOT EVER, EVER bring a suitcase!! I found that I had two kit bags for the race… one was my clothing, and the other was my sleeping bag/foulies/boots. You will need to get used to packing light… absolutely NO luxuries! You will get used to wet-wipe-showers!! 

In terms of the leg that I completed – it was just incredible. I was onboard CV27 (Then named Team Garmin) and we were a very small crew, only 12 of us! I was one of two leggers that joined for Leg 6. We set sail from Qingdao, took part in the “Parade of Sail” (which is where all vessels complete a set route, motor sailing, mainly for colours / promo shots etc.) then, we all made an attempt to start the race. It was called within minutes because of the lack of wind, and it was decided that we should motor to the coast of Japan, by which time the wind would fill in and we would be able to get sailing! 

The race itself was great fun, full of adventure, and experiences that I will never forget. Seeing nothing for miles, but being in great company! I won’t go into the nasty details that you don’t need to know about sea sickness or injury…. But, yes. WHAT A RACE. When I got to San Francisco, I was extremely happy, but also very sad that I was at the end of my experience…. And this is why I am now  returning to Clipper to join the 2017/2018 crew, as a Round-The-Worlder, not only because I want to do Leg 6 again, but get the satisfaction of circumnavigating, something that not very many people get to do! 

I completed my level one training in Sydney (October 2015), something that I didn’t have to do, because of my experience…. BUT, I hadn’t sailed on a Clipper yacht for just under a year at that point… and it was just like riding a bike… a skill you don’t forget. I have already set my sights on becoming a watch leader… and the ball is already rolling with that as I was the leader of my watch for Level 1 – here’s to that being the case for the remainder of my training! I return to Australia to complete levels 2 and 3 respectively in April and October 2016, then I will complete level 4 in the UK when I return after completing my teaching contract in China. 

As a returning of the favour, I am fundraising for Jubilee Sailing Trust, because without I would not have got the confidence back to get into sailing again!! To follow what I am doing, where I am, how the fundraising is going, and my blog… please see, www.facebook.com/jessbarton1718 you can also “click to donate” by visiting www.justgiving.com/jessvstheworld

• Jess Barton

Current Crew Q&A

A few weeks ago at crew briefing we had a great Q&A session with some of the current leggers and a 13-14 RTW, and I was quite annoyed at myself that I got so into the session that I forgot to take notes. Fear not though, because the lovely people at Clipper HQ recorded the session and wrote everything down! Enjoy :)

• Jennifer Day - Clipper 2015-16 Race crew, Legs 1 and 7, Garmin
• Debbie Porter – Clipper 2015-16 Race crew, Legs 1 and 2, GREAT Britain
• Dhruv Boruah – Clipper 2015-16 Race crew, Leg 1, GREAT Britain
• Peter Brumby -  Clipper 2013-14 Race crew, circumnavigator, Qingdao
• Emma Dixey –  Clipper 2015-16 Race crew, Leg 2, IchorCoal

What did you find the most surprising about the race? 

Dhruv: For me it was how well we worked as a team and pulled together despite all of our different backgrounds. We had a real mix on board from CEOs to people from non-corporate backgrounds, but with real life experience. We had people of different ages and cultures as well,but we all gelled together. 

Peter: You get a surprise everyday on the race,but I think the most surprising is how good the training is and how everything will just slip into place. I wasn’t expecting that, I thought it would take some time, but by the time you finish your race you won’t realise just how far your ability has come along.

What is the integration between the round the world crew and the changing leggers like on board? 

Peter: When we finished Leg 1 we had a reasonable crew changeover for Leg 2. When we set off for the next race we realised just how much of a change in experience there was from the crew that left to the joiners starting their race - some people also suffered terrible seasickness and it took us a while to get into a rhythm on board. After that race as a team we realised that it was important to integrate leggers properly in the first place and get everyone up to speed straight away. On the personality perspective it’s an individual thing, we had people join the boat and it was as if they had been on board for the whole race, and we had other people join the boat that weren’t so interested in integrating with the team.Everyone does the race for different reasons, some people are competitive and set out to want to win, but in reality you never really know how you are going to behave and react to the experience until you are on board. Individually you have to be aware of how you might change, and how your original expectations might be difficult to fulfil, so to make the most of the experience. You will generally find the round the world crew are very welcoming, they will want your energy and knowledge, they’ll want new jokes but it is up to you to put that handshake out there too.

Emma: I had met quite a lot of the people I was going to sail with ahead of the race anyway through training courses and socials in the lead up to the race. There were challenges to joining my team when I did as we had 16 people who had done the previous race on board and were doing the first three legs -so when I got on board three quarters of the crew already knew one another and had sailed together. When I got on board we had a buddy system so I had someone with me who explained the life on board to me, how they clean the heads etc but every team is different. My husband circumnavigated in the last race and I’m sure he would say the same as Peter-it is really great to have new crew join the boat who are enthusiastic and energetic and bring different ideas to the table. Leggers can certainly be a fresh breath of air to the round the world crew.

Debbie: We put a lot of effort into building our team as that was something that was really important to us, so we organised many events off and on the race before it started. We managed things similarly to Emma’s team with a buddy system which works really well, they look out for you and you look out for them. As a legger myself I felt integrated into my team. 

Jennifer: As a legger I feel like it’s my role and part of my race experience to support the round the world crew. The round the world crew are amazing and re-joining again later in the race it’ll be great to tell them what’s going on in the world and bring some fresh knowledge to the boat, and commend them on how well they have done. 

What were the low points of the race? 

Dhruv: The low point for me was probably around a week before we were due to cross the line in Rio when I knew I would be getting off the boat. I was trimming under the stars with the waves lapping around the boat and I began to feel very low. I began recording the waves on my phone so I could put my headphones on at home and pretend to be on the boat at home! 

Debbie: My low point-apart from having to get off the boat after my leg -was at the beginning of my second leg when we started the race.I had a head cold and we headed straight out into a storm. Everyone got sick,it was hard to get yourself out of bed and on deck but it was also weirdly the highpoint because we got over it and had a great race.

Jennifer: Before I left London for the Race Start my mum gave me a card and told me to only open it when I felt low. At the end of my race I realised I hadn’t actually opened it and it surprised me that I had never had a moment during the race that I felt I needed to open it for support. For me the lowest point was getting tired when you are in the watch system and you are wet and cold. 

Emma: For me it was the tiredness and finding it hard to sleep. The training had not prepared me for how noisy the boat could be when it’s upwind crashing into waves.I had a moment where every time a wave crashed over me and I got wet I burst into tears. I had a great team around me who fed me lots of tea, leant me their noise cancelling headphones, we worked out a new watch system to try and help me get some rest and I got back into a rhythm. 

Was there anything you packed in your kit that wasn’t clothing that helped you on your race? 

Emma: I wear glasses and I am dependent on them. I am always leaving them places at home, on the boat you need them with you at all times so I put a hook on a glasses case so I could attach them to my kit. I knew they were on me at all times and were safe, they weren’t going to roll around or fall off something if the boat was at an angle and easy to find when I needed them.

Dhruv: I had a small bag because we hot bunked on our team. The bag was really handy to put my key items in and transport around the boat easily. I also had speakers to be able to listen to music on board with the team. 

Jennifer: For me as a woman, I found wearing bikini bottoms instead of knickers was fantastic. On a hot leg you aren’t always in your foulie bottoms so if you are in your normal clothes and you get hit by a wave, everything gets wet. Swimwear is comfortable and quick drying to wear. I didn’t have much kit when I joined the race and each training course I built my items up and thought about what I needed and would wanton the race. I talked to my fellow crew to see what they had and what worked for them so I recommend doing your research and trying things out to see what you are most comfortable with. 

Peter: For me it was using wet wipes to keep clean and think about what you need to sleep well. For some it’s a good pillow, a good blanket, music, a book. Being organised is really important especially around your bunk because when you want to sleep you don’t want to be scrambling around your bunk trying to find the things you need or not being able to sleep because you aren’t comfortable. 

Are you allowed to take supplements to accompany your food on board? 

Emma: Our victualler was someone who had great experience in providing provisions for expeditions and so was very good at ensuring that what was in our meals was everything we needed. On board our team we had a weight limit for personal items of 25kg excluding boots and wet weather gear, so everything else had to fit into 25kg. One of my fellow crew members brought wheatgrass powder on board which at one point exploded everywhere and turned everything green! It’s really up to you what you want to take within your allowance but the food we had on board met our nutritional needs. 

In addition to the Clipper Race training, what is the most useful thing crew can do to prepare for the race? 

Dhruv: Whilst taking part in my race training I tried very hard to keep practicing. In between levels Idid my Day Skipper course.I definitely recommend for people to do additional sailing practice in between race training.

Peter: Being fit is key to the race and will help you on board, I lost two and a half stone.Learning more about navigation and weather is not necessary but will massively improve your experience and means you don’t have to rely on other people as much. The race is at the mercy of the weather and where you are going to position yourself to get in a good advantage. If you can get more involved in these elements I would recommend it, but it’s not essential. 

Jennifer: I did my Level 3 training and the following weekend competed in a half marathon. I thought to myself it’s going to be really easy, I will be fit going onto the boat. Although I had good cardiovascular fitness and could run well for two hours, it’s the wrong sort of fitness because the boat is only 70-foot long so I had to completely change my fitness routine to a lot of core strength. That’s what is going to help you get in and out of your bunk, and go to the heads, lift the sail bags on deck and down below all the time.I have a back problem so considered that properly to take care of my body and be able to move around the boat safely with ease.

Debbie: A lot of the race is about body and mind. Our Skipper asked us to increase our self-awareness and ask our closest friends and family what’sthe most annoying trait about yourself, to get you thinking about how you might behave on the boat and also what traits in others might annoy you. The people is one of the most challenging things on board for me. I took a little notebook which a lot of people did to write down my thoughts and get it down on paper rather than say it to my fellow crew.That worked really well.

Who makes the tactical decisions on the boat?

Debbie: For our team it ultimately came down to our Skipper after the team had a lot of discussion on tactics and what we thought would work best. On some races you look at two routeing options based on the weather and discussed the weather systems and what we want to do -so we all decided it asa boat.

Jennifer: It was down to the Skipper and the watch leaders who played a big part in the tactical and navigation decisions too but the crew did have a say in it too. Before the race at Crew Allocation,your Skipper sits down with the team to see what you want to achieve and how to go about making it happen.

Peter: Everyday our Skipper would sit down with us to discuss what was happening with the weather and routeing for the next two and three days. It helped mentally prepare you for the weather that was coming, and also allowed us to discuss our tactics and keep on top of our position and what we were going for. It’s really important that when you have these discussions on the boat that everyone gets involved and if they have any ideas or opinions on the decisions being made that it is voiced,because it will have an impact on your race one way or another.

How do you keep your hands dry and warm?

Emma: A lot of people on my boat actually used washing up gloves/ marigolds because they are waterproof.

Peter: For me my hands weren’t really an issue because you can’t always wear gloves when you are sailing, such as changing sails. For me it was having wet, cold feet and sealskin socks were great for me. If your feet are warm you can deal with anything!

How do you look after yourself and each other when the conditions are stormy?

Peter: The race training is excellent and will cover every aspect of safety, but you are going to be in remote parts of the world where it will be tough. When we were in the Southern Ocean we had 60-70 foot waves so those first nights where you are coming out on deck to the waves in pitch black is tough but it’s all about the crew looking out for and after each other. We did things like one up one down on deck because it was too dangerous to have everyone on deck at the same time and to make sure everyone on deck clipped on straight away and to one another. I was never worried.I was intimidated at the conditions but never scared, the boat is sturdy and looked after us.I always felt secure. 

Dhruv and Debbie: We had a knockdown on our race but everything you learn in training comes into place and you learn to trust the boat. The race emphasises safety and we look out for each other too. If you see someone standing in the wrong place someone will grab them and move them out the way. 

Did you achieve your goal for the race?

Emma: I did Leg 2 because when I followed my husband during the last race I was too scared to get on board a Clipper 70 on the dock and too scared to get in a helicopter in Cape Town. I kicked myself afterwards and decided I really needed to get my act together -so by the time my husband came home, I had signed up for the race. I decided that what I wanted to achieve was to get on board a Clipper 70 and complete a race, and to watch the race restart from Cape Town from a helicopter and that’s exactly what I did.  

Peter: For me I was looking for an adventure but I didn’t know what that adventure was. I wanted to learn to sail because I had never sailed before and wanted a new skill. I wanted an experience that would bring something new into my life.On the race I wrote down the experiences I had that I knew I wouldn’t have anywhere else doing anything else, to be able to look back on. I stopped writing in it when I got to 89. The race is so rewarding on a day to day you will certainly feel you have achieved something remarkable and that’s what I wanted.

Dhruv: I have done a few experiences previously and was looking for the next fix. I saw the Clipper Race advert on the tube in London and thought it looked great. Ok so I couldn’t swim or sail so I knew it would be a challenge but an interesting skill to learn. Since my race being back in London I have recognised that I want to be more involved in adventure and travel so I am trying to explore more ways to live life and try a new career.

Debbie: I wanted to sail an ocean and be a better sailor. More than that I wanted a break and think about what I wanted to do next. The race was my way of getting away from life, having no email and moments to sit and look out to see and think what could be next. It gives you a different perspective. You also sail with amazing people who give great views on things and help guide you.

Jennifer: I think we are all taking part in the race because we recognise that life is for living and exploring. I am doing the race because I want a new chapter in my life, I want new friends, I want to make great memories. I want to do something that when I’m 103 I’m going to look back and think, ‘I was awesome!’ I can say I have done that and I’m  ]really proud of myself.

All tied up in knots

Knots - no more complicated than just a simple twist of a shoelace, right? Boy, I did not realise just how wrong I was. There seems to be a different knot for everything in sailing, all with strange sounding names and instructions seemingly written in hieroglyphics. 

Fortunately, thanks to my lovely crewmate Laura Shellcock, I have been saved from attempting to tie bowlines, reefs, double sheets and more using scraps of wool (that idea was doomed from the start really wasn't it). After receiving some spare off-cuts of rope in the post to practice with, I just spent a fantastic hour or so mastering a few of the many knots I'll need out on the Clipper yachts. 

I'm seriously proud of my bowlines - that is one complicated knot to get your head around for a beginner! It may even have just become my party trick to impress my non-sailing friends.

Next up - admiralty knots, round turn and two half hitches and rolling hitches. These all look more complicated than the bowline, so I expect to spend quite a long while getting tangled up before I get eventually them right! Any tips much appreciated...

Bowlines

Bowline

Clove hitch

Double sheet

Single sheet

Figure of eights

Reef

New Crew Supporter!

I am thrilled to announce that One Fitness UK has joined the ranks of my Crew Supporters. They have generously donated full gym membership for the duration of my Race preparation to help me reach the level of physical fitness required for such an extreme sailing challenge. 

Having suffered from a knee injury when attempting the Cape Wrath Trail last summer, I've been pretty much a couch potato (apart from physio) since September. With Level 1 Clipper training looming in March, I decided that now my knee is well enough to start exercising, it's time to get into shape! 

Cue the fantastic One Fitness UK - the staff at this super friendly gym have made me feel really comfortable and have made getting back into exercising regularly actually quite fun. I'm looking forward to working with them over the next 18 months to get me to the peak fitness I'll need for a circumnavigation - thanks One Fitness UK!

onefitnessuk.com

Crew briefing

Last weekend I spent a great day at my very first crew briefing for the Clipper Race 17-18. As for how I felt in the run up to Saturday, well, excited doesn't even begin to cover it! It was so great to meet some of my fellow crew, and realise that I'm not the only crazy one out there. It was fun to chat about Clipper to people who really get it as well.

There were interesting talks from Mission Performance Managing Director Rob Lewis about leadership, teamwork and polar bear attacks (hot tip: don't lose at spoof so you end up having to run towards it while yelling like an idiot waving skis), and Henri Lloyd and Unicef. Some current and past Race alumni were there too, which was great as it gave everyone a chance to ask questions and get some great tips - 

• Take a handheld fan is something at least three of them said to me
• Don't buy everything in black because everyone does and it's impossible to find anything
• A good sports glasses retainer will keep your glasses on your head even when you can't see for water spraying in your face

It was also fun having a few drinks after the talks and bonding with my crewmates over plans to smuggle Mars Bars and Tabasco sauce on board (you know who you are you two), trying on some of the Henri Lloyd foulies for size (pretty much all of us got the smock stuck halfway off), and generally having a chinwag.

Now, no truly great event would be complete without a bag of goodies, and Clipper certainly didn't let us down!

• Clipper Race pen - lets be honest, this is everyone's favourite freebie at every conference/event/meeting ever
• Souvenir Race Magazine - such addictive reading, one copy just isn't enough
• Multi-functional headwear - yeah, I didn't know what this was either. It's one of those amazing bits of fabric that somehow manages to be a snood, a head band, a scrunchie, a beanie, a pirate hat, an alice band, a balaclava and a face mask all at the same time. Pretty cool!
• Unicef t-shirt and wristbands - although I'm fundraising for British Red Cross, that doesn't stop me from wearing Unicef's t-shirt to the gym to help raise brand awareness for them

I may also have bought myself an inflatable Clipper globe, which may or may not have already caused much mayhem and hilarity in my office...

 

All in all a great day, despite the torrential rain outside!

Happy (belated) New Year

Happy New Year! 

Whether you take on a new adventure, learn a new skill, or finally do that charity 5k run - do something amazing in 2016.

My biggest adventure challenges this year are:

• Pass my Level 1 Clipper Crew training and gain my RYA Competent Crew Qualification
• Finish the 232-mile long Cape Wrath Trail trek (I attempted this in 2015 but had to pull out due to injury)
• Complete Level 2 Clipper Crew training

What amazing things are you doing this year? Answers in the comments below!

Around the world in 80 animals - Leatherback Sea Turtle

Thanks to their endangered status, I might not be lucky enough to see any Leatherback Sea Turtles during my circumnavigation despite their range covering most of the Clipper Race route. Still, fingers crossed - they saw one in the 13-14 Race!

Leatherback Sea Turtle fast facts

Type: Reptile
Diet: Carnivore
Average life span in the wild: 45 years (est.)
Size: Up to 7 ft (2 m)
Weight: Up to 2,000 lbs (900 kg)
Protection status: Endangered

Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man:

Did you know? The largest leatherback ever found was an 8.5-ft-long (2.6-m-long) male weighing 2,020 lbs (916 kg) that washed up on the west coast of Wales in 1988.

Did you know? Leatherbacks can dive to depths of 4,200 feet (1,280 meters) — deeper than any other turtle — and can stay down for up to 85 minutes