Final Preparations

Day after day the fourteen crew put in long hours on preparing the boat and themselves for the race. Equipment is unloaded for the training sail of the day, the job list is attacked, and whatever we break that day is fixed before the boat is put away for the evening. A quick shower then out to dinner, then it starts all over again. Friday had us finish at 2pm, then meet back at 4pm to head out for training in the dark. Back at the dock at 2am we put the boat to bed, and had a few hours before it started again.

The net result of this is that we are climbing the learning curve, learning from our mistakes, and coming together as a team.

Crew dinner last night was a good reward for the hard work, and now on Sunday (the eighth day of labour), we’re getting wear patches put on the mainsail – up the mast to measure where we need them, then get the sail off the boat to apply the material. The navigators will get a briefing, and we hopefully finish up before too late as the Lindy ladies have lined up Christmas dinner. Monday is our day off to relax and prepare for the ocean race.

We’ve seen the start list – we’re starting on the front line (there are three line as there are so many entrants), with the seriously big yachts; and we’re in class 1.

The yorkshire tea and hob-nobs will be loaded aboard today, along with other food, and we’ll be set… Just need to sail fast, go the right way, and not break too much.