"And your skipper is..."

What a weekend!

The long awaited Crew Allocation truly lived up to all the hype - nerves, excitement, and much partying.

After a long and nerve-racking morning waiting for my name to be read out, I am thrilled to announce that I am part of Team Roy / TeamCV28 / Team ThreePointFive (we've been officially a crew for all of three days and we already have in-jokes - amazing!).

Skipper Roy's Bio

I'm also super happy to be crewing with not one, not two, but SIX of my training crew mates from Levels 1 and 3 (including five who helped look after me when I had my accident), and the rest are shaping up to be a damn cool bunch.

We spent a great afternoon getting to know each other and thinking about what we believe makes a good team, how competitive we want to be and other crew business, during which I somehow volunteered myself to be Social Secretary (Roy asked who *might* be interested, and I was the only one who put my hand up!). The first test was sorting out dinner after the initial drinks - luckily the wonderful Fran stepped up and sorted out enough tables for all 40 of us while I herded everyone in the right direction. The next test will be organising a residential team building weekend away with only 26 days notice...watch this space!

As well as all the excitement about finding out our crew, at long last the Race route was revealed to us, and although I can't say where I'm going just yet, I can say that I'll be seeing these cuties!

Magellanic Penguins

Exciting times ahead!!

P.S. In a burst of productivity I've set up a Supporters Group for friends, family and fans (!) - please join to become part of Team Roy's journey and show your support

Current Crew Q&A - July 2016

A few weeks ago at crew briefing we had a great Q&A session with some of the 15-16 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
• Sue Pither – Clipper 2015-16 Race crew, Leg 4, Garmin
• Deio Jones – Clipper 2015-16 Race crew, Leg 1-4, Derry~Londonderry~Doire
• Neil Bennett – Clipper 2013-14 Race crew, Leg 1-4, GREAT Britain
• Michelle Porter – Clipper 2013-14 Race crew, Circumnavigator, Derry~Londonderry~Doire

Race Finish is tomorrow, what was going through your mind as you sailed back up the Thames on completion of your race in July 2014?

Michelle: When we left Den Helder in the Netherlands it was strange, we had this experience of our lives, eleven months of sailing around the world and all of a sudden it was going to be over. When you realise that it’s pretty overwhelming and sad as your crew are your friends and you don’t want it to end.  

Neil: It was the weirdest feeling, you meet everyone at the beginning of the race but then everyone does their own leg so there are some crew you see more than others. As a legger I joined our team spectator boat at Race Finish so all the crew were back together again, it was amazing despite having been back for six months I was still very much part of the race but when the fleet comes up the Thames, you then realise it really is over. 

What did you do at the end of the race?

Michelle: You live in the Clipper Race bubble for the duration of your race and when you get back you are adamant you are not going to get back in the rat race but I live in London so I guess it was inevitable, I am working long hours like I did before the race. You never forget the Clipper Race and we are still experiencing it today. 

Neil: It’s definitely a shock when you first get off the boat. I got off the boat in Australia, I flew home on the Friday and was back at work on the Monday. My boss told me it took six weeks for me to focus at work - he was a very understanding boss! It is tough but you do get back into it and as Michelle says you are always a part of the race, like today, when we are standing here sharing our stories. 

What goals were you were looking to achieve from the race?

Jenny: Crew Allocation is a really exciting day. When your name is read out it’s like being at a school assembly and off you go with your team mates and skipper to discuss what sort of team you want to be. For us on board Garmin, we decided quite early on that we wanted to be in the top six on the overall leaderboard and as the race progressed and we achieved more podiums we changed for the new goal of being on the overall podium at Race Finish. The goals do shift and change as you go through the race, as a team, as well as individually. 

Deio: I couldn’t make it to Crew Allocation but I know that my crew mates scored themselves as to how competitive they were and we seemed to be quite a competitive team. We did come up with some personal goals too and for me, my goal was to get a podium once and to try being a watch leader and helm in big seas. We got more than one podium, I got to helm and I became assistant watch leader during my race so I was very happy with that.  

Sue: I signed up two years before my race started so I had an incredibly long lead up to it which is great in some ways but also strange to be looking forward to it for so long. I remember our skipper explaining what being competitive meant and he was good at explaining what you had to give up to achieve it, it really made you think about what it is you really want from your race and sometimes that can change. I think our boat was great at working on the team and individual crew members’ goals, we pinned our objectives up on the wall to keep in the back of our minds.  

How does the mix of circumnavigators and leggers on board work in reality?

Michelle: I was Team Coordinator for my team, we had ten circumnavigators and 45 leggers.  As a team we agreed early on that there would be a shore side contact crew member and we coordinated weekly emails to and from the boat to the whole team to keep in contact with each other while racing. We also ensured that crew joining their race were involved in the stopover and preparation of their race in advance, helping out with jobs in port such as finding the local supermarkets for us to victual, finding hotels for the team to book into and so on. They were always one step ahead of us when we got into port and this shore side support really helped the efficiency of our team and our integration with everyone as a whole.

Jenny: I did two legs independently, not back to back, and I really enjoyed doing it that way. It makes more sense financially to stay on the boat than keep flying back and forth but those were the races I wanted to participate in and I was happy I did it. For Leg 1 there is no integration needed really, everyone is starting out new together, it’s everyone’s first experience together. The transition coming back for Leg 7 to see how everyone, especially how the circumnavigators had developed was fantastic and you are looked after by everyone on board. A big thing within our team was the communication as well, we had a team facebook group that we plugged everyone’s comments into, crew, family and friends and it’s a great way of connecting with the team and help you join in too. 

Deio: We had a weekly email and shore side support too on the boat, the circumnavigating crew were split evenly between two watches and we looked after one another and helped one another out. It happened naturally and after a few days you are immersed, you get to know your strengths and weaknesses as a team and individual, and it’s in everyone’s interests to make an effort with one another and get up to speed as quickly as possible.  

Sue: I joined in Australia, there were quite a few of us joining and it was challenging to come onto a slick watch system. Unfortunately I received a minor injury on the first day that required me to sit out for 24 hours, doing this I was able to observe how the team performed and see how I could contribute to that. We also had a buddying system, if you ask anyone on board they will help you and the little things really help.  

Neil: We hot bunked on our boat and I shared my bunk with a circumnavigator. We figured out a
nice way of sharing our bunk together. When one of us got up to get onto our watch we would roll our sleeping bag up, put it on the bottom of the bunk, get the other person’s sleeping bag out and unroll it to allow your bunk buddy to get straight into their bed readymade. It was a small thing that made such a difference, we didn’t quite go as far as putting chocolates on each other’s pillow though! 

Did you plan to get back to work as normal or did you have other ideas?

Michelle: When I took part in the race I was on a sabbatical from work, by the time I had gotten to San Francisco after the Pacific Ocean race I couldn’t bear the thought of going back to my old job so handed my resignation in. I had realised I didn’t care for lots of money or materialistic things but slowly you do get back into London life but you never forget what you did. The race has changed me completely as a person but I think ultimately if you live in London, the London life will creep back in but I don’t regret it at all.  

Jenny: It’s a good question but I think it comes back to what you personally want to get out of the race. If you are using it as a vessel to make change in your life back home, it certainly is a great way to do that. Some people don’t put pressure on the experience and themselves and wait to see what happens before making decisions about what to do afterwards, and sometimes you just naturally get back into the swing of life.  

Deio: I stayed in Australia after my race and I have only been home for two weeks, I am flying back out to Australia to try and work as I now have a year’s visa. That was not planned, the race has helped me make a change in my life, what I was doing, where I was living – I am now renting out my house back home and working in sailing in Australia – which really is something considering I had never sailed before my Clipper Race adventure began. 

Sue: The race gives you time to think about what you want and how you can make your life different, so sometimes it can change things.  I did realise that I want to be closer to my family so moved nearer to them but for me personally I wasn’t looking for change specifically.  

Neil: I knew I was going to go back into the rat race, I had six months off work and my plan was to do the first three legs and then take a month off to ease myself back into work. When the race announced the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race as part of the route I knew that wasn’t going to happen and I ended up doing the first four legs and going straight back to work. I knew I was returning my job and I realised on the race that I actually really liked my job more than I thought I did rather than wanting to change it afterwards. I wanted to take some time off, my boss said I went away fairly relaxed and chilled and now my boss says I am very relaxed and chilled which I think is good. It has made me want to look at other adventures but nothing like the race, it’s a once in a lifetime experience. 

Can you tell me more about the watch system and how that dynamic works as a team as a whole?

Deio: In the first leg they manned the watch systems by sailing experience and then when we got into Rio we were asked if we wanted to change the watch system at all. The two watches were quite different and we liked that it worked well, the whole way around the world we only had two or three crew that asked to change watches just to have a bit of variety and see what the other watch was like. You don’t tend to see the other watch very often and that is the reality of the race and how it is but it’s important to make an effort with one another in port and whenever you can.  

Sue: Like anything in life not everyone gets on with everyone else all of the time but if there are any niggles on board generally you work that out. On board our skipper and team coordinator would think very carefully about what watch they would allocate a joining legger to, based on many things including experience. For me personally I really enjoyed the watch I was on and interestingly we were all very different. I was glad but each team does it in a different way.  

Neil: We mixed it up quite a lot as much as we could, there is the hour or so before the watch changes where you can go up on deck early to chat to the other watch, find out how the last six hours racing went as they hand over. There are different ways of engaging with each other. 

Jenny: On board Garmin if the spinnaker was up and the weather was good, we would all eat lunch or dinner together as a whole crew which was really good. It meant you got to have conversations with the crew and a bonding experience which helped keep team morale high. 

What one item could you not live without on board?

Sue: My daughter made me a book to take on board with me and I had to read a page a day. In it there were pictures of her and my grandchildren and messages from them all - so I cried everyday looking at that but it was wonderful. The more practical thing is sandwich bags to put all of your little items in to help keep them dry and clean.  

Jenny: Mine is a bit more practical for the ladies which is a really good sports bra or two. I did the hotter legs and it was 45 degrees below deck, so trying to sleep or do anything was hard and you have to feel comfortable. On the hotter legs you aren’t going to be wearing much clothing so it’s important to be comfortable in what you are wearing socially and physically - you aren’t going to be changing very often! 

Deio: I think on the third leg I had a normal sleeping bag which was fine, but when someone left I borrowed their proper ocean sleepwear bag and that was the only dry thing I had. If you are on a cold, rough leg a proper warm waterproof sleeping bag is a must.  

Neil: I took a kindle with a whole load of books uploaded to it, you will eat, sleep, sail for up to a
month if not longer so to have something to escape to during your down time is a great idea. It also helped me to sleep, not that I needed much help.  

Michelle: Mine would have to be my tablet for the times I needed to switch off and watch a film. If you have had a tough night watch sometimes it’s nice to take some time out and put the headphones in. 

After all the training what was the challenge that you had when you started the race that you weren’t expecting? 

Michelle: I think when you do the training you get into the routine of doing the man overboard drill. You do it so many times and you don’t think that you will ever need it, but you shouldn’t think that. We had a man overboard in the North Pacific and an hour and 40 minutes we got Andrew back, you realise that all the times you did man overboard it is for a reason but it felt like a drill until we got him back on board, which took me massively by surprise.  

Jenny: When you complete all your levels of training it’s quite a smooth transition sailing on board the race. On Leg 1 it was in some ways easier than the training - weather dependant of course - but you work yourself so hard in the training to learn everything, when you have longer and more varied conditions it falls into place.
I surprised myself that everything had clicked into place and I can now sail and here I am speaking to you about my experience, it’s great.  

David: I did most of my training back to back and did the delivery from Gosport to London which I recommend. It’s a great way to get to know the boat and other crew, how everything works and prepare it for the race. Another thing is that you do get more tired than you think you are going to get, it’s amazing how your body falls into line, you can be down below and asleep in 15 minutes if you want. The forces that go through the boat, the waves and the wind, were also a challenge the Solent doesn’t prepare you for, the boats are massively powerful when you get the big storms it’s immense but it is a surprise. 

Sue: Joining Leg 4 we had 50 knot headwinds for two days and the inability to get out of your bunk or trying to cook something when the boat is being thrown around, I knew it was going to be like that but until you do it you are never prepared. Another thing that surprised me was that I was never frightened or scared which I thought I might be, I had total trust and confidence in my skipper, crew and the boat. 

Neil: You are surprised at how well prepared you are for the race and for me, the challenge and the surprise was living in a confined space with 23 other people for a month at a time. Trying to maintain relationships and trying not to get angry about stupid things was hard and you don’t get that on training, when you are 14 days in and have 14 more to go to dry land, training did not prepare me for that but I learnt. 

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.

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!