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!!

Level 1 training Part Two: Highlights, Good to Knows, and Learning Curves

This is the second of two blogs talking about my Level 1 Clipper training, and looks at my highlights of the week, learning curves, and list of Things That Are Good To Know. For the super keen, I've also included the syllabus at the bottom as well. Part One covered Top Tips and Kit Chat.

We were pretty lucky with the weather - light airs for most of the week, but much better than Storm Katie which the guys after us had to deal with! Despite the sunburn and Force 0 wind for a few days, at least we managed to get out on the water every day. It did make taking the forecast pretty predictable though  - "force zero, variable, smooth, fair..."



Massive thanks go out to my Skipper Paul Hopkins and First Mate Emily Caruso - these guys were incredible teachers and really made the whole week a fun experience and a great intro to sailing and Clipper. Emily dancing around to Danger Zone to warn of the dangers of the Cockpit Cautionary Zone will stay with me for a long time!

Skipper Paul

First Mate Emily

Highlights of the week

• Shaking out a reef - on my own! Crazy hard (really need to work on my core strength) and I thought I'd fall over at one point while grinding the main up, but a totally amazing experience that helped prove to me that I really can do this sailing malarky
• Cooking tasty porridge for 11 (so tasty in fact, that everyone had seconds, and one person even had thirds!)
• Clambering around the bow hanking on and off the Yankee sails like a monkey - definitely one of my favourite jobs on board
• Being watch leader for putting the boat to bed after our second day out on the water
• Making friends with such an amazing group of crewmates - the Wincanton Over-60s have nothing on us! (crew in-joke - it made sense on the boat!)

Photo of the week!

Blue Steel

Team Porridge

Learning curves

• I'm definitely a fan of bow work - I felt totally at home in the pulpit
• Factor 30 is absolutely useless at sea
• Putting your hand up for everything may end up being hard work, but it is totally worth it as you often get first shot at trying new things (even if you don't realise that that thing is shaking out a reef on your own...)
• Even if you're fun sized and not super strong, you can still do everything on board if you take your time, use the tools around you and work with your crewmates
• I'm even more competitive then I realised!
• Land Sickness is a real thing and can last quite a while after getting back on dry land. Hint - avoid alcohol while recovering. However fun it is at the time, it'll just make it a hundred times worse the next day (especially if you're camping in the middle of Storm Katie)
• Clipper bunks are surprisingly comfortable and are way better than my camping mat
• Lightbulb moments may take a while (the running backstay for me was particularly tricky) but they do come eventually - just keep working at them
• New mainsails are very hard to flake
• I'm actually a competent sailor! Hurrah!

Good to know

• The most useful knots to practice in advance:
• Bowline - used for practically everything. Practice this upside down, back to front, blindfold, and most definitely tie it around things otherwise your brain will get confused when suddenly its perfect bowline routine is muddled by the massive sail attached to it!
• Round turn and two half hitches - useful for keeping your leecloth upright and securing open hatches
• Admiralty - stops lines and sheets running through jammers or through your hands too quickly!
• It's worth buying a RYA logbook to track your sailing time and miles - £5.84 from the Marina shop in Gosport with the Clipper Crew discount, and your Skipper will talk you through filling it out and signing it off for you at the end of your course
• Carry your wet notes with you at all times. They will become your bible. I cannot stress this enough
• You'll have to row a dinghy at some point in order to pass your RYA competent crew certificate. If your Skipper has you do this in pairs, try to pick someone roughly the same height so you're not leaning at strange angles trying to avoid capsizing while doing a handbrake turn with an oar
• Your last day will be the Deep Clean - if your crew is efficient and works hard, you can leave after lunch rather than at 4pm. Hint - blast the radio and provide plenty of sweet treats and you'll get through it faster and in good spirits
• You'll probably go to The Castle pub for a quick drink on your first night to get to know each other. The Castle is basically the Clipper local and you'll spend a lot of time here over the course of your training in Gosport. Likewise for The Anchor in Cowes
• It's traditional on Level 1 for the crew to take their Skipper and Mate out for dinner on the last night. Unless your Skipper/Mate really want to go somewhere else, you'll likely be going to the 'Clipper Clubhouse' that is Hardy's (http://www.hardys-catering.co.uk/) - great food, but a little pricey so if you're not planning on going all out for three courses with wine, maybe have a word with your crewmates before you go so there's no awkwardness at the end of the night about splitting the bill 100% evenly when your portion is a fraction of the cost of everyone elses
• Last but not least, it's an AMAZING experience

Level 1 Syllabus

For the super keen/interested, here's a detailed outline of the Clipper Level 1 syllabus:

Day 1

• Introduction to Clipper and familiarisation to Gosport Marina and facilities
• Comprehensive down below safety brief
• To include detailed explanation of use of bunks and lee cloths
• Moving down below and use of grab rails
• Actions to be taken in event of fire, flooding and gas leak
• Knot practice
• Figure of eight
• Admiralty stopper knot
• Clove hitch
• Round turn and two half hitches
• Single and double sheet bend
• Reef knot
• Rolling hitch
• Bowline

Day 2

• Comprehensive above deck brief
• Action to be taken in the event of abandoning ship
• Set a Clipper Training Yacht for sailing
• On water training
• Hoisting Mainsail
• Hoisting Yankee
• Hoisting Staysail and use of running backstays
• Upwind helming and tacking
• Man overboard under power including recovery and use of harness
• Evening lecture
• Points of sail
• Rules of the road

Day 3

• Reefing Mainsail
• Racing headsail change (changing up to bigger sails only)
• Downwind sailing
• Use of preventers
• Gybing
• MOB downwind including recovery and use of harness
• Evening lectures
• Flares and their use
• SART
• VHF and Mayday call
• Basic meteorology including weather forecast, and how to read a synoptic chart

Day 4

• Refresh
• Reefing
• Headsail change (changin up to bigger sails only)
• Long triangular course
• Sail trim
• A flappy sail is an unhappy sail
• If in doubt let it out
• Use of tell tales by the helm and trimmers
• Introduction of car positioning to create twist/different headsails
• Interaction between traveller/vang/mainsheet/preventer
• MOB under sail with recovery
• Evening lectures
• Proper use of log book
• Plotting GPS position on to a chart
• Manners and customs (as per RYA competent crew syllabus)

Day 5 and 6

• Refresh and strengthen any weak areas of above syllabus
• Offshore challenge
• Overnight passage to include an early morning arrival at anchor
• Introduction to the watch system
• Preparing the anchor to drop
• Dropping and setting the anchor
• Importance of anchor watch
• Safe recovery and stowage of anchor
• Storm sail drill
• Emergency steering drill
• Rig climb (if conditions allow, at anchor or alongside)
• Use of dingy
• Evening meal

Day 7

• Deep clean
• Individual crew debriefs

Thanks to Fran Baker for being resident Pap on board and taking such great photos!

Level 1 Training Part One: Top Tips and Kit Chat

Hurrah! A week, countless bruises and much hilarity later, I am officially a Clipper Race Level 1 qualified sailor with a RYA Competent Crew certificate to boot!

 

This is the first of two blogs looking at the various aspects of training, and will focus on my top tips for future crew about to embark on their training, as well as taking a good look at kit. Part Two covers the (many) skills we mastered and my list of Things That Are Good To Know.

My Top Tips

• Try to learn the vocab before you get to Level 1 - even just knowing the difference between port and starboard will help you focus on the practical skills and not get all tangled up in learning a new language. You can print out my vocab flashcards for free here.
• Practice your bowlines backwards, forwards, blindfold and upside down. They are easily the most commonly used knots on board the Clipper yachts and are often tied in a 'pressure bowline' situation with everyone watching you.
• For those who are thinking about going gloveless - stop moisturising your hands at least three weeks before you set sail. Your hands will be battered and bashed constantly by wind, salt, seawater, heavy ropes, lifting sails, climbing the mast, operating corroded hanks...you name the task, your hands will bear the brunt of it and the softer they are, the harder it'll be on you.
• Take Factor 50 suncream and remember to wear it! Even if you aren't usually susceptible to burning, the combination of sunshine (if you're lucky) and light reflection off the sails and sea will render Factor 30 practically useless. Don't forget to apply to the backs of your hands if you're going gloveless!
• Use a high SPF lip salve religiously. Between the wind, salt and light glare, your lips will feel like you've been grating them. If salve doesn't help, try a little bit of Savlon to encourage healing.
• Knee pads will help save your knees from the worst of the abuse you're going to put them through by learning to sail with Clipper. I didn't take any, but will definitely taking some for Level 2 and I know at least 3 of my training crewmates will be as well. Especially important if you suffer from sore, stiff or generally painful knees.

Kit

Starting to think about packing for Clipper training can be pretty intimidating. Here are some essential things to think about when pulling together your kit:

• How warm is your sleeping bag? Is it 4 season? If not, why not? Getting a good night's sleep, even when you're absolutely physically and mentally exhausted, is really hard if you're cold. If you don't have a good sleeping bag already, it's definitely worth investing in one now. You don't have to go all out and get an Ocean Sleepwear, any good quality 4 season will do (hint: go for synthetic fill as it dries faster in case your bag gets wet (which, let's face it, it probably will)).
• Do you really need to buy new gear for training? Do you hike or camp? If so, you probably already have a lot of the kit you need anyway - most of my gear has been repurposed from my thru-hiking and camping kit and worked just as well as some of the expensive sailing-specific gear my crewmates had on.
• If you like dry feet, it is probably worth getting a pair of sailing boots for training. They don't have to be crazy expensive - as long as they keep the water out your quality of life will be improved by 100%. I bought a £45 pair of Gill Marine Tall Yachting Boots and loved them (full review to follow).
• When choosing a head torch, it's worth making sure you go for one with a separate button for the red light. Having to cycle through the white lights will blind everyone around you which, let's face it, probably isn't going to go down too well when they're coming on watch at 3.30am, can't see where they're going, and they fall over an ankle breaker.

For those who're interested, here's a complete list of the kit that I took, and what brand key items are:

• Large rucksack
• Sleeping bag (5 season down, Field & Trek)
• *Bivvy bag (Quechua)
• Cotton sleeping bag liner (Mountain Warehouse)
• Clothes
• 1 x long sleeve merino base layer (Orvis)
• 2 x legging base layers (M&S)
• 2 x mid layer trousers (Mountain Warehouse) 
• 1 x fleece mid layer (Mountain Warehouse)
• 1 x waterproof shell jacket (Mountain Warehouse)
• Pyjamas x 1 set 
• Underwear
• Thick dual layer hiking socks (Mountain Warehouse) x 3 pairs
• Thin cotton socks x 2 pairs
• Wooly hat
• Neck buff
• Gloves
• *Sailing boots (Gill Marine Tall Yachting Boots - review)
• *Deck shoes (Musto Dynamic Deck Shoes - review)
• *Head torch (Geonaute Onnight 200+ Headlamp)
• Multitool (Mountain Warehouse)
• Laundry bag
• Glasses retainer
• Toiletries
• Personal toiletries & medicine
• Spare glasses
• Quick drying travel towel (Mountain Warehouse)
• Suncream
• Lip salve
• Flashcards of key terms
• Crew treats (Magic Stars, chocolate raisins, Skittles)

Impressively (I think), I only took four items that I didn't use:

• Sleeping bag liner - my sleeping bag is so warm and cosy (especially with a bivvy bag covering it) that the liner was more of a tangled annoyance than a help and was quickly abandoned after the first night
• Gloves - this was a personal choice as I felt I could handle the lines and sheets better without gloves, almost everyone else wore them
• Multitool - I think this was due to chance of circumstance, as I did use a crewmates during the deep clean as it was closer to hand
• Glasses retainer - the weather was very calm so I didn't feel the need to use this

Thinking forward to training for Level 2 and beyond, there isn't much kit that I think I need to add. I'll definitely be getting another merino base layer top as I really appreciated how (relatively) fresh smelling it stayed after a week of some pretty heavy wear, and it kept me toasty warm when everyone else started to pile on their mid-layers and foulies. In a similar vein, I'll be trading in my M&S synthetic leggings for merino leggings for longer lasting freshness and cosiness. I'll also definitely need to take more stuff bags for separating out my kit into easily grabbable piles. Hot tip - I laid out my clothes for the next day each night before bed and wrapped them in my waterproof shell jacket so that I could quickly grab them when I woke up without having to rummage around looking for a missing sock or fighting to find the other end of my leggings. Keeping your toothbrush and toothpaste close to hand is also pretty useful!

I might switch my cotton sleeping bag liner for a silk one for training in the summer months when my sleeping bag is too hot (although England being England, I'll probably only end up using it for one night...). 

And that's all on kit from me for now - specific kit reviews of asterisked items will follow soon. Any questions, just ask in the comments section below!

Part Two on Things That Are Good To Know and what sailing skills we covered to follow soon!

Debbie Porter, 15-16 Legs 1 & 2

Welcome to the latest in an ongoing series of guest posts from my fellow 17-18 Clipper Race crewmates and current 15-16 crew members! This is your chance to learn a bit more about them and why they signed up for Clipper, hear about their experiences, and benefit from some of their hot tips for training and kit. Keep an eye on this space - I have another FOUR in the works already! 

Now, over to Debbie Porter who sailed Legs 1 & 2 with GREATBritain in the 15-16 race - enjoy!

It’s very hard to believe that it is three years since I made the decision to join the 15/16 Clipper Race but I can honestly say, despite all the angst and second thoughts and worries along the way, it is the best decision I have ever made.

I’d known about Clipper for a while having being taught to sail in Gibraltar years ago by one of the current skippers – Darren from IchorCoal – but never seriously thought it was something that I could do as a very amateur sailor. However, I work for the Government and was invited to the dinner launching the last GREAT boat in 13/14. Seated between two members of staff from Clipper, I had no chance once they found out that I sailed and by the end of the dinner I was signed up!

For me, Clipper was about a number of things. I wanted to take a break from my life to take stock and have a proper gap to really think about what I wanted to do next in my career and general life. As a close friend of mine said ‘it’s hard to think about your life when you’re in your life’ and there is nothing like staring out at an endless horizon of sea to help give you perspective on things. I also wanted to become a better sailor. I had done some RORC racing but really wanted to challenge myself and a couple of ocean crossings seemed a good way to do that so I signed up for Legs 1 and 2.

So the three things I wished I’d known before I set sail? First, all the things that I worried about ended up not being problems at all. Yes, you face challenges, things you might not want to do, things that might scare you but once you are out there on your boat and there is only yourself and your team to rely on, you will be amazed what you can do without thinking. Secondly, your team are the most important part of the boat. It is your team that get you through – when there is a bit of a breeze on (ahem) you all need to pull together; when you’re becalmed and it’s hot and sticky you need to hold your tongue and support each other even when someone is irritating; and when you need a hug it will be your crew mates that you will be turning to. And hopefully at some point it will be those lovely crew mates standing next to you grinning ear to ear on the podium! Learn about yourself and what’s annoying, make a point of understanding first when someone seems annoying to you – it is your team that will get you through and they will become your best friends. Finally, I wish I had known how hot it would be on Leg 1. On a hot leg it is like a sauna down below and it can be very difficult to sleep – make sure you take a silk liner as well as that super thick ocean sleeping bag!

In terms of training: it is excellent and make the most of it.  I found level 1 very difficult and a bit of a shock to the system, others found the same. Even if you have sailed before you are learning a whole new way of doing things and the scale makes it 10 times harder. But stick with it and it gets easier. Take the chance to make friends – these are the same people you will be having fun with in port and it’s great to know people on other boats and to compare experiences. Also use the training to try out different bits of kit – don’t  buy loads at once as it may not work for you (merino makes me itch!) and buy your boots close to the end of your training as they will get a hammering at sea! Level 4 was the best training as it was the closest to the final experience and starts to awaken everyone’s competitiveness!

I’ve been asked for kit recommendations a number of times. The best thing I took was a hand held fan that cost about £3 and was the source of much jealousy on Leg 1 as it least moved the air around by my face. My other top tip is to seal your knickers in plastic sandwich bags! The lockers are often full of water (sorry but they are!) and there is nothing worse than wet pants! If they are sealed in a bag you know they will be dry (and also which ones are clean!)

Finally, I’ve been asked what my funniest moment was on board. It’s hard to say really there were so many. But, as ever, the misfortune of others makes us all laugh. Cut to my crew laughing their heads off as I was totally swamped by a wave only 2 minutes after coming up on deck in new dry gear! Or the flying fish to the shoulder blades that happened to numerous crew. My watch leader’s favourite moment was when he asked me to put a compass reading of 370 degrees in the log – took a few moments to remember it only goes to 360!

So there we are – Clipper in a few words. My main advice - just enjoy every moment! Because before you know it someone will be asking you to write a blog about your experiences and you won’t be able to believe that is all over!

• Debbie Porter 

https://www.facebook.com/debbie.porter.7796

Charlotte Willis, 15-16 Legs 7&8

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 

https://clippercharlotte.wordpress.com/ 

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