A life changing affliction!!

Anyone else been afflicted by a terrible disease called Clipper-itis? - I have a condition that seems to be manifesting itself in a variety of ways but would be good to know if I am the only one, or if others have other symptoms:

- I now understand the the shipping forecast

- I commute/walk to work tying bowlines, admiralty stoppers and figure of eights (hoping someone will ask me why i am behaving like someone out of 50 shades)

- Everyone i work with started to address me with Pirate greetings

- My wife is counting down the days till she gets rid of me for 3 weeks (as well as gets a trip to Brazil and South Africa)

- My Christmas and birthday present bundles are all nautical

- My mother starts worrying that i will be cold, wet, wont get on with the crew

- People ask if i can swim in case you fall overboard - but never seem to realise that i am  sailing over 3,000 miles and so swimming to safety is not really an option

- i avoid any media about disasters at sea whilst everyone else asks if i have read the latest book on the Fastnet

- i have started using phrases such as 'stowed away' and 'heads' in polite conversation - to looks of confusion from non-sailors (Land lubbers)

- i say 'on Clipper this, clipper that'

- i say 'The Race' and expect everyone to know what i are talking about

anyone with any cures, please let me know

Level 1 - Competent Crew Training - Done

Well, that was fun!!

Finished an excellent 7 day competent crew course in the Solent and now know one end of the yacht from another, in my instance, this yacht being 'Derry-Londonderry'

Mixed crew of 3 Brits (Me, Wendy & Jonathan (RTW-er), 1 Dutch (Joachem), 1 French (Ana), 1 Malian (Abdoul), 1 German (Roland), 2 Americans (Karen and Jimmy) and a Brazilian (Cassius) - as well as 2 skippers, both of whom are race skippers - and absolute legends.

Pete Stirling
Patrick van den Zijden

To take 10 novice/no experience crew members out on a Saturday morning and send them off the following Friday having the confidence to pass them as Competent is a great achievement - having exposed us to Force 7 winds, a channel crossing, racing head sail changes and trusting us with the helm at night was simply awesome.

Knots as the boat is heeled right over are an experience in themselves, chuck in the rain and the fact it was dark starts to add to the sense of occasion - sleeping below decks at night is an art to say the least - especially as a vibrating mast sounds like the screws of a massive cross channel ferry steaming straight towards you and your mind shouts 'of course they have seen it', whilst your heart screams 'get out, get top side!'.

Man overboard drills with 'Bob' the fender were an interesting experience - apparently Level 2 will involve a more lifelike dummy, wheels that come off in your hand and happen at night - making it all the more serious.

I am still in pain from laughing so much - fear is a great leveller but laughter is even better - especially when Joachem, the Dutch motormouth was about to launch into yet another burst of stupidity when his face was filled by a massive wave from Neptune himself!

Casualties - 3 hats were sacrificed to Neptune but nothing more - and on a personal level, I have some interesting bruises from various pieces of equipment catching me unawares but all my kit, from the wonderful people at Force 4, held up brilliantly.

Next stage - Crew Allocation on the 11th May in Portsmouth

Time is getting close...

to head to sea. Off on the first week's training course on 12th April and hopefully will have more information to share about how to keep dry, how not to fall in and how to maintain a sense of humour with no sleep.

Before then, I have 12 knots to learn, bits of a boat to learn and the 'rules of the sea' so hopefully by the end of Easter break, I will know the difference between a bunch of b$stards and a reef knot!

The first fund raising idea - The West Country 4000

Bristol - Penzance - 200 miles across 3 counties, all of which have fond memories for me

20 people on bikes -1 weekend - 100 miles per day = 4,000 miles covered
Several pubs visited and ales sampled
Lots of money raised (hopefully)
Now all I need is another 19 idiots who think this is a good idea and I think I have identified a number of them already

Doesn,t look too far on a large scale map

The Ocean going Michelin man

Well, they never said it was a fashion parade - and the Ocean racing smock and sallopettes are a testament to that!

Seeing the Clipper 70 for real

On the weekend of the London Boat show, I took a short detour to St Katherine's dock to see the Clipper 70 in all her glory - and boy, she didn't disappoint.

The marketing team had done a great job surrounding the local area, drumming up interest and encouraging people to come and take a sneak peek - and then, there she was in all her glory, the newest edition of the Clipper.

It was a thought provoking moment, standing at the helm, staring down the deck and wondering what it will be like to be wrestling her through the 80 foot seas of the South Atlantic - as she bucks and heaves through walls of water. If I am honest, this is where the enormity of what I have signed up for kicked in - nerve wracking but exhilarating at the same time.

The Galley - for when I am on Mother

I suspect I will have to learn what all these ropes
 mean as well - assume colour is important

At least it appears I fit in the bunk

Sitting in the nerve centre - me and technology, never a good idea!

And just to prove that sailing is not my strong point

I think these were taken the last time I was on a boat where there was a slight chance that I might need to do some sailing - and much to Pip's embarassment and Neil's disgust, I grounded Tir-a-Nog not once but twice - in front of their sailing club friends. Funnily enough, I have been asked back since.

And in my defense below - it was a small dinghy with not much clearance, even before I got in it!!

Fundraising ideas

Been having some thoughst about how to make some money and raise funds for my nominated charities for this event

- cover 4,000 miles under my own steam between now and the race start

- organise a group of friends to each cover a set distance to add up to 4,000 miles

- do something involving 4,000 to equal the distance - bounces of a basketball, eat baked beans, press ups, sit ups...drink pints (might not make the boat)

Umm - think I need to keep thinking but watch this space

Clipper 70 - First viewing this weekend

Saturday morning at St Katherine's dock in London, I will see the Clipper 70 in the flesh for the first time - massively exciting as well as being something that will make me nervous!

Photos to follow after the tour

Launch of the Clipper 70

Training dates confirmed

Well, thats that - I have now finalised the dates for the training prior to my adventure - and, more by luck than judgement, I have hopefully managed to miss the worst of the weather and so will be training in relative calm - although, maybe it would be better for it to be miserable so I know what to expect

Stage 1 - 12th - 19th April - apparently the objective is to encourage us
Stage 2 - 8th - 16th June - so my 35th birthday will be spent at sea - apparently the objective is to put us off
Stage 3 - 5th - 11th July - team bonding

All told, it should be fun!!