This is the latest 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.
Over to Charlotte Willis, Legs 7&8 with the Garmin crew in Clipper Race 15-16 - enjoy!
Why Clipper Race Legs 7 & 8?
For me, I could only ever do a part of the race due to the time required off work so the whole circumnavigation wasn't an option for me. I originally just signed up to do Leg 8 for two main reasons - one, because I wanted to sail across the Atlantic, and two, because I'm a born and bred Londoner and I wanted to sail home. So Leg 8 suited me perfectly! But then I started my training, and once you start to meet other clipper crew, the buzz about the Race is just infectious and I instantly knew I needed to do more than just one leg. By this point, the majority of the legs for the 15-16 race we full though so I requested that I be added to the waiting list for Leg 7 which Clipper did. I was told I was second on the list so assumed that a place would never come up, but then two legs into the Race, it did! So of course I accepted and I now cannot wait to start my adventure in Seattle instead! And it also means I get to travel through the Panama Canal which will be amazing!
Any hot training or kit tips for future crew?
Spend money on the important technical clothing which will mean you stay as dry and as temperature controlled as possible. But then for the thermals, the base-layers, the fleeces, the mid-layers, etc. re-use as much stuff as you might already have for skiing or other sports. And most importantly, don't buy everything up front; you'll learn what you actually need (and it's surprisingly little when you're living in the same clothes for days on end) as you go through your training. There's a strict weight limit on board each boat during the Race so get used to packing only the essentials. And put everything in waterproof bags - the boats leak once they've been thrashed around at sea for a while!What's the best/worst thing about not joining the crew until Seattle?
The worst is the FOMO (fear of missing out)! I've got to know my Skipper and team mates really well though pre-race Clipper events, a team-bonding weekend, training, and race prep activities. So I feel very much a part of the team, except I'm not actually on the boat yet. So whilst the crew on board do the actual sailing, the rest of us crew back home waiting to join have become a bit of a support group for each other - constantly chatting on social media, meeting up for drinks, hourly race following (and shared conversations dissecting every small bit of the race as well as the other teams) and we've even got to know other crew members friends and family too as we're all supporting the same team. So the best bit is the cameraderie amongst the remaining crew and supporters, and the bonds we've formed. And probably the sheer excitement of counting down day by day until it's my turn!What was your funniest moment in training?
There are way too many :) People getting things wrong, stories of snoring and/or sleep-talking, extreme situations which aren't hilarious at the time but all form great stories after they're done... Just generally getting to share this experience with such a random and diverse but like-minded group of people who are all a bit bonkers but all there because they want to do the same thing you do. And whilst most people's friends and families think we're all mad to do something like the Clipper Race, us crew just 'get it'. I have made friends for life along my Clipper journey so far.
- Charlotte Willis
No comments:
Post a Comment