Level I – Begin the beginning

Adventure Log | 31.10.2018

1 trip to Liverpool and 2 interviews later, both my daughter Iona (18) and I passed the necessary and were accepted to start the Clipper Race training for 19-20 edition of the race – yay!

The start of a family adventure for 2019-2020. To create lasting memories. To step out of our comfort-zones, share and pursue an intentional life!

Returning to Gosport, near Portsmouth, UK in October 2018 for our first bit of Clipper race training, taught us all to throw out any previous thoughts of how to operate the deck gear. Because a 70-foot race is not setup up for short-handed sailing. The forces involved demands many hands to do even the most basic of tasks, until, the crew is totally at one and operates in ‘flow-mode’.

The training is quite simply of the highest standard. Thorough, patient, engaging, detailed and above all applying latest best practices.

It’s quite amazing to think what the instruction team at Clipper Race has to do in order to take a bunch of amateurs (some of whom have never set foot on board a boat before) and bring them to the point of competence and safety.

Once kitted out with our ‘Foulies‘ (foul-weather gear) – Drills start almost immediately before setting sail. Man-overboard (MoB) and recovery. Mast inspections. Equipment familiarisation. Winch safety. Fire drills.

To ease us away from shore-life, most nights were spent aboard but in the protection of Gosport Marina. So, a lovely hot shower was never more than a few hours away – luxury!

Every day is punctuated with at least two MoB drills for the day. Sometimes that means going over (harnessed up) yourself into the sea to recover the life-sized dummy casualty – we named ‘Bob’.

You can imagine with a mix of genders and cultures onboard – Australian, American, and British; the Banter and cultural exchanges were pretty lively but always good-natured. Good friendships formed and a strong sense of community reinforced. Bring on level II! Both Iona and I loved it!!!

A long wait now until level II in Feb ’19.