Team Building

It's been a whirlwind since Crew Allocation - the Team Weekend, Level 4 training and prepping to sail off into the sunset for two months has kept me pretty busy!

With only 3 and a bit weeks notice, pulling together a residential team building event was always going to be a challenge, but thankfully it all came together and worked out perfectly in the end. I have to say though, I have a whole new respect for the skippers having to herd so many people - corralling 30 of them into one place at the same time and getting their payment, dietary requirements and suggestions for activities was much like what I imagine herding cats to be like!

We spent the weekend at a wonderful 4* hostel by Stonehenge that had everything we could possibly want and then some (think licensed bar, tree-top walkway, zip-wire, two large garden areas, a classroom for race planning, large conservatory/dining room...) Self-catering was the perfect choice for us as everyone pitched in without being nudged, even to the extent of having too many helpers (an excel sign for the Race), and it gave our Leg 1&2 victualler Julie a great opportunity to practice menu planning and shopping for 30 people on the Clipper budget.

On the Saturday we went on a gorgeous 11-12 mile hike around Amesbury, past Stonehenge and across to Woodhenge in the blistering heat (we only lost our skipper the once), before we settled down to an afternoon of race planning and discussions. We managed to get a Q&A session with 13-14 RTWer Sophie Hetherton as well which was handy for crew fund questions.

Thanks to Quizmaster Nigel A (one of THREE Nigel's in TeamRoy!) we spent a great evening in the garden doing a pub quiz. While my team didn't win, we did at least ace the Clipper round! Our "I'm only as competitive as you all want to be" skipper was in the winning team...

Sunday morning started off with a trip through the forest as we explored the on-site tree-top walkway (including a run-by from a wild ferret), zip-wire (hilariously Roy couldn't undo his own knot for a couple of minutes) and playground. A few big kids had great fun on the swings (Andre, Stian, I'm looking at you!) which got us in the perfect silly mood for the event of the weekend - Sports Day!

When I asked the team what they wanted to do, I have to admit I was surprised by how many of then came back with suggestions that all came together to mean we were having a sports day. Just goes to show, we're all just great big kids wanting to play! Activities included an egg and spoon race, relay race, bucket toss, and sack race. After a very competitive battle for points, the Green Team emerged victorious to claim their medals and chocolate orange prizes - interestingly, the skipper's team! The Grand Finale tug-of-war (Yankee sheets are good for more than just trimming sails you know) was hotly fought over three rounds and much discussion of the angle of the slope in the orchard we were playing in.

All in all an excellent weekend of team bonding, race planning and generally getting to know each other that bodes well for the real thing - I can't wait to sail with these guys!

Level 4 run-down to follow soon.

"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

A week at sea and a trip to A&E

Level 3 training? Check!

After talking to Level 3 veterans and frantically cramming the Crew Manual in Wagamama's the night before training, I was worried that the whole "spinnaker thing" was going to be a confusing, tangled nightmare looming over the whole week, when actually I had a blast and a lot of "eureka" moments! (Gybing finally makes sense to me now, hallelujah) 

The awesome Easter crew of CV23! Thanks to Lars for the photo

Highlights

• Finally "getting" gybing
• Hanging off the bow unhanking the Yankee as fast as Carol was easing the halyard (trickier than it sounds)
• Being called "the tough one" by a watchmate - a good boost when I was knackered and doubting whether I could manage to grind up the Yankee!
• Leading lots of tasks with my watch - talking through the process really helped stick things in my head and asking for everyone's input helped us gel as a team and make sure everyone knew what to do and why
• Having a full crew gave us a good taste of what life will be like on the race - it was strange how little I saw of the other watch once we got into the watch system though - apart from the deck handover, we didn't see them at all

Lowlights

• Only getting 45 minutes sleep on one off-watch because of a spinnaker wrap
• Slipping on a hatch and winding up in A&E
• The pervasive smell of bacon - as the only veggie on board a boat where bacon seemed to feature in every meal I spent a lot of time on deck while meals were being cooked!

Life at an angle - the cooker is actually level!  Thanks Matt N for the photo

With a full crew of 17, plus Skipper Matt Mitchell (ClipperTelemed+ skipper in 15/16) and First Mates Carol Eccles and Alex Laline, CV23 was a pretty busy place! We split into watches right from the beginning with 8 in Port (my watch!) and 9 in Starboard. After spending the day studying ISAF theory in a stuffy little classroom it was a relief to be getting on with the boat walkthrough, checking life jackets on deck and settling into our bunks. Amusingly, before we went into the watch system full time and those in the forward bunks started hot-bunking, we had one person too many for the crew bunks so Lars ended up locked in with the sails for a couple of nights on the spare bunk tucked in there.

After some creative acrobatics (a few of us got a top bunk for the first time and didn't quite get the knack of climbing in straight away) and a fair few bumps to the head, we rounded of the night with a trip to the Castle. 

Tip: grabbing the edge of the cave locker by your head helps give you a lift as you launch yourself up - just remember to make sure your lee-cloth is fully loosened so you don't get your legs tangled in it as you swing them over...

Days 2 and 3 followed the usual routine - safety brief below and on deck, pontoon MOB (I was 'swimmer'), and sailed over to West Cowes where we put the boat to bed and headed off to the pub for a drink, then a long day sailing across to Portland reminding ourselves how to do everything and getting used to the layout of the 70's (plus another MOB, where I was swimmer again!).

Thanks Jonny for capturing some of the action!

Once we left Portland we headed east and fell into the watch system properly on a 4 on, 4 off rolling pattern. Saturday saw us hoist the spinnaker for the first time, which went very well, and then drop it and wool it. To the uninitiated and clueless (as I was until I was handed a ball of wool), "wooling" the spinnaker means rolling it up in a very specifically odd way, and then tying strands of yarn all along it and folding it. Sounds easy? Ha! The sail fills the entire below decks, gets tangled, has coloured tapes you need to "run", and the wool likes to break at annoying moments. We're told we'll learn to love it.

Tip: don't ask an ex-race RTW'r (Alex) how many times a day they did this on the race, it will only drive you to comfort eating brownie bites and chocolate bourbons while sobbing into your tea 

After merrily sending Starboard watch down below, the Port watch decided we wanted to hoist the spinnaker again (undoing all that lovely wooling). Sadly, it did not go as well the second time round. The wool broke free part way up the hoist, filling the sail and wrapping it around the forestay. Oops. After trying to untangle it for about an hour, we decided to head to a sheltered spot out of the wind to sort it out, just in time for Starboard watch to come up on deck. 

I was on mother watch with Felicity and in charge of getting dinner ready, so we headed down below with the instruction to have it ready in 45 minutes while everyone else went to sort out the Port watch mess. We duly cooked the pasta and pesto bacon for the appointed time (8pm), only to hear that the spinnaker situation was taking a lot longer than hoped and we'd need to hold it a while longer. The weary and hungry Port watch finally started stumbling down below around 9.30pm where they scoffed a miraculously still warm dinner and threw themselves into their bunks - we were meant to be off watch at 8pm and had to come back on at 12am. As mothers Felicity and I stayed up with the Starboard watch until around 10.15pm or so to make sure everyone was fed and watered and the galley was cleaned up before trying to snatch what sleep we could in the 90 minutes we had before we had to get up again. Who says Clipper is a holiday?!

Tip: don't plan meals involving cooking pink food under a red light - its blooming hard to know when bacon is cooked if the whole galley is bathed in red! 

Happily the next morning dawned brighter, with the Easter bunny visiting the crew during the 8am watch change on Easter Sunday. I'm very impressed that the little smarties filled eggs I'd brought with me had managed to survive intact despite being in my kit bag shoved and kicked at the end of my bunk with my boots being chucked on top of them every 4 hours. Another good day sailing with some stronger winds driving us home, and everyone falling into the 4 on/4 off pattern a little more easily.

Unfortunately with just 2 hours left on what was expected to be my final watch, disaster struck. We were speeding along nicely at 10-11 knots with 3 reefs in and an angle of around 40 degrees when I went to have a turn helming. As I went to grab the guard by the helm a wave shifted the angle of the boat and I slipped on a hatch landing heavily on my nose and right knee. Luckily I was clipped on, so I didn't slide very far down the deck, but it was clear pretty much instantly that I had done some serious damage, potentially breaking my knee, and I needed to get to hospital.

Within about 30 seconds Matt was on deck and assessing my injuries while Carol did a great job of keeping me calm while checking my head and neck over. Their training really showed, and I had absolutely no doubts about their ability to look after me. Handily, there was also a retired GP and nurse on board to help out and get me splinted up using gaffa tape and a wooden stick they found in the sail locker.

While I can't say I enjoyed being the subject, the accident did offer my crewmates an excellent opportunity to practice dealing with a real emergency, and I think they did marvellously! They rallied round, handing over their sleeping bags to wrap me in and keep me warm on deck, sitting with me and including me in the ongoing game of "would you rather" Port watch had started the day before, and generally keeping my spirits up during the long motor back to Gosport and help. They even wrapped me in a sail bag to keep me dry (or so they say, I think they just wanted to get a picture of me pretending to be a sail!).

After a painful few weeks stuck at home on crutches being sent from hospital to hospital and doctor to doctor, I was told that my some miracle I hadn't broken my kneecap or damaged my cartilage as everyone thought, but "just" impinged my intrapatellar pad which should heal in plenty of time for Level 4 training in July and won't need surgery. 

I'm so lucky it wasn't worse, and for once in my life I'm doing as I'm told and resting up so that I can heal quickly - my eyes are firmly on the prize: crossing the Atlantic in August!

P.S. During all the drama my boots had to get cut off - if anyone has any decent size 7's going spare, let me know!!

Life saving

After a long day in London at the end of a long week (I just started a new job),  today I was officially qualified as a First Aider by the RYA - HURRAH!

Basic first aid is such a simple skill, I really recommend everyone go out and do a course. Sailor or not, through the RYA or not (the British Red Cross offer local courses for very reasonable prices), it's just one day out of your life that may help you save the life of someone you care about.

Go save a life - get qualified too!

P.S. Full run-down of my Level 2 last month to follow soon, I promise!

What if...? The Level 2 Fear

With only 6 days left to go until I head down to Gosport to start my Level 2 training, I have to admit, I'm equal parts incredibly excited and utterly terrified.

The excitement part is fairly obvious - I've been desperate to get back out on the water since I disembarked for the last time at the end of Level 1, and can't wait to learn more and really get to grips with being at sea for more than just a day at a time, plus meet more Clipper Crazies. Kit-wise, I've been packed for a week already (I got a wee bit over-excited by the arrival of my new Musto holdall...) so I'm looking forward to trying out my new thermals and dry-bags (a sentence I never thought I'd say a year ago!).

On the other hand, I am pretty scared. In my head I know that I can get through training - after all, I got through Level 1 just fine and even managed to shake out a reef on my own, I hiked 110 miles across the Scottish Highlands in June, and there'll be a whole crew in exactly the same position as me and a first class Skipper and Mate to guide us through.

My stomach is a completely different matter! 

What if I've forgotten everything? (I'll probably remember more than I think I will)  

What if I suddenly hate sailing? (like that could ever really happen)  

What if I can't manage physically? (if I can drag myself plus a 17-18kg pack 110 miles while climbing 6000m over rough mountain terrain with various injuries, I can definitely manage a week on a boat with crewmates and winches to help carry the load)  

What if my cold turns into full-blown flu? (it's pretty unlikely if I'm sensible (!) and wrap up warm and hydrate) 

What if...?  

What if I just go for it and have an absolute ball of a time?

Bring it on Level 2!

Clipper Fever

I knew Clipper Fever was a serious condition since I've been infected with it for a year now with no sign of a cure, but I sadly underestimated just how contagious it can be... since Race Finish last weekend, Clipper Fever has swept through my office and globes, mugs and stickers have appeared all over the place. 

To avoid risk of infection, please stay away. If you've already been infected or have been affected by this rapidly spreading condition, a free support group is available here: Clipper 17-18 Round The World Yacht Race (Facebook)

110 miles for British Red Cross

We made it back!

I just spent two weeks hiking the Cape Wrath Trail with my friend Helen to raise money for British Red Cross. Our assault on the UK's toughest thru-hike was amazing - despite the midges and the crazy heat wave - and we had a fantastic time and met some great people along the trail.

I managed over 110 miles and 6km of ascent/descent in 2 weeks before multiple injuries meant I sadly had to pull out of the final stretch, and Helen managed an impressive 130 miles. Fear not though, we'll be back to finish the last section after I sail across the Atlantic next year!

Thank-you so much to everyone who sponsored us and helped us raise a whopping £1,325.31 (including GiftAid) so far for the British Red Cross.

If you haven't already, please support the amazing work of this charity and help us hit our target here: www.virginmoneygiving.com/redshoescaitlin

Lochan Fada

Nosey neighbours at Strathcarron

Book review: Grand Adventures by Alastair Humphreys

Hi guys - I'm back! 

Sorry for the unexpected hiatus - I've been busy busy busy at work for the last month leaving me too exhausted to even think about blogging. Despite the hectic busyness, I have been feeling super inspired thanks to Alastair Humphreys' new book Grand Adventures. After being introduced to his Twitter feed by fellow adventurer Sean Conway, I saw the launch of his new book advertised a few weeks ago and couldn't help but go out and buy it. 

I know this is something of a departure from normal service, but I just have to share my love of this book - by page 17 I felt like my whole perspective on adventuring and life had changed, and it's not often I say that about a book!

Like it says on the cover, this book is designed to help you dream big, plan quick, then go explore. Now I'm definitely not one for judging a book by its cover, but that's a pretty intriguing premise and is what made me go out and buy it. 

The book contains interviews and expertise from around 100 adventurers, and is jam-packed with some phenomenal photographs to get you excited about your next adventure. While all of the people who've been-there-done-that Alastair interviewed have wise words for their fellow adventurers, these are some of my favourites: 

In all honesty, there is no shortcut to turning your dream into a reality. It will take hard work and determination. However, that capability does lie within everyone if you want something badly enough - James Ketchell

Things have a habit of sorting themselves out, especially if you want it bad enough and make it your priority. If you really want to go on that adventure you must move it to priority one - Grant Rawlinson

While I may already be a bit of a Grand Adventurer, thru-hiking the 232-mile long Cape Wrath Trail this June and sailing across the Atlantic with Clipper next year, I often still suffer from the all-too-common mindset of 'oh I can't do that, it will cost way too much, I can't afford it, I can't leave my job for that long, etc. etc.' The first part of the book deals with how to get past these common mental blocks that stop people from having the grand adventures that they dream of - money, time, commitments and relationships - and gives invaluable advice on how to hatch a plan and a list of the basic kit that will get you through most adventures.

For me, money is the biggest block to adventuring. I'm still single, and don't have a mortgage or kids so have no major commitments that I can't walk away from for a while, and I can get 6-7 weeks of holiday a year from my company if I choose to buy back holiday days, so time isn't a massive issue either (except for those mega adventures that would take months or years). Having taken out various loans for my undergrad and postgrad degrees, and with the large chunk of money going to Clipper every month to cover my trans-Atlantic sail next year, the idea of finding enough money for a Grand Adventure is daunting. Alastair tackles this with the suggestion of putting £20 a week into an Adventure Fund that you don't use for anything except your adventure. Within a year, you'll have saved £1000 without facing the intimidating task of suddenly having to find that much money - it'll sneak up on you. If you put away £10 a week (less than the price of a round in the pub), that's still only 2 years to get enough together to do something truly epic. 

While this idea of just putting money aside every week is nothing particularly new or even groundbreaking, the idea that such an easy measure that most people can afford to do (even me with my many student loans and Clipper payments) has really made me flip my thinking from 'I can't get/spend that kind of money on an adventure' to 'I want to do X, Y, and Z, how much can I put aside each week so that can I make that happen?' It's exciting, it's liberating, and it's downright awesome that I've gone from dreaming about maybe one day doing some of the things I want to do to making plans about how I can make that happen.

Now all I need to do is decide which of my ideas I want to do first! Luckily Alastair's Hatch A Plan section helps you to start figuring that out, and the whole of the second part of the is dedicated to inspiring you with tales from around 100 other adventurers. I will say though, my modest list of 5 or 6 adventures had expanded to 14 by the time I finished the book (and now 16), so be warned. 

My verdict? An absolute must-read for anyone who has ever dreamt of doing something adventurous or just a little bit crazy and doesn't know how to start.*

*Warning: this book will make you start planning a Grand Adventure within moments of opening it - if you don't think you can handle that kind of excitement, stay away!

"But what about your career?"

Since announcing that I'm a signed up crew member for the Clipper Race 17-18 the question almost everyone asks is "But what about your career?" In response I tell them that taking part in the Clipper Race 17-18 will test my physical and mental strength in extreme conditions, when I'm sleep deprived, too  hot, too cold, sore all over and cannot take a break. This is no holiday - more people have climbed Mount Everest, than have sailed around the world. 

To me the Clipper Race represents a wealth of opportunity to test myself to my physical and mental limits (and find out where those limits are), learn new skills, and explore the world in a truly unique and exciting way. Taking part in the Clipper Race is also a chance for me to be part of something bigger than myself – working to support the invaluable work of British Red Cross and Official Race Charity UNICEF, and inspiring others in my local community and company to push themselves to take on new and exciting challenges every day.

Many of the skills I'll learn out on the world's oceans are transferrable and I hope will make me a better Editor. 

• Innovation and creative problem solving - when you're 2000 miles from the nearest land and something crucial breaks, you have to learn to think creatively about how to fix it
• Developing team tactics and strategy - it is a race after all!
• Dispute resolution - when you're stuck living in the bunk below someone for weeks or months at end, there is no room for lingering arguments or holding grudges
• Leadership - I hope to take on the role of Watch Leader for part of my circumnavigation, which involves taking responsibility for all the crew in a Watch and working closely with the Skipper
• Teamwork and collaboration - it is impossible to sail the yacht if you don't work together as a team and collaborate to achieve your collective goals
• Communication skills - in order for a crew to function effectively and safely, all crew members need to communicate clearly, well, and often
• People skills - living in close quarters with 20 strangers for weeks at a time with little contact with the outside world will certainly improve my people skills

These are all transferable skills that I will have for life. I believe that the lessons I learn out on the water will help me to improve how I do my everyday work and, ultimately, they will help me develop my career in publishing. That's why I'm happy to take time out of my career now - the investment I make now will pay dividends for the rest of my life.

If you or a company you know would like to join as one of my Crew Supporters and take advantage of being associated with this global event with a viewership in excess of 900 million people then please contact me for more information about the rewards I am able to offer my supporters and the types of support sought.

First Gold Level Supporter!

I'm thrilled to announce that I have my first Gold Level Supporter, Michelle Matthews, who has generously committed to a monthly contribution worth £1000. With Michelle's help, I can now sail another 786mi / 1266km - that's 1/5 of Leg 2 from South America to Southern Africa!

Here's a taste of what her support will look like when I'm out racing across the South Atlantic:

Why Clipper 17-18?

I have always had a fascination, love, and healthy respect for water and the sea, and when I first heard about the Clipper Race I immediately knew that I wanted to take part. Taking part in the Clipper Race to me represents a wealth of opportunity to test myself to the limits (and find out where those limits are), learn new skills, and also to explore the world in a truly unique and exciting way.

While taking part in the Clipper Race I intend to raise sponsorship for British Red Cross, a charity that is very close to my heart. I have already raised over £1200 this year by taking part in walking and hiking challenges, and I can't wait to take to the seas for this incredible charity and help raise funds and awareness of the work that they do.

Taking part in the Clipper Race is also a chance for me to be part of something bigger than myself – part of a team, working to support the invaluable work of British Red Cross and Official Race Charity UNICEF, and inspiring others to push themselves to take on new and exciting challenges every day.