Introduction:
In March 2012 I'm going to sail across the Pacific Ocean from Qingdao in China to San Francisco, USA. It's a simple little sentence but doesn't really tell the full story of what will be involved to simply get to the start line in China, never mind sailing over 6000 miles (10,000km for the more metric minded) in a 68 foot (20.7m) boat across the largest body of water on the planet. And that's where this blog fits in really - a bit of background into the challenge and then a diary of the training, final preparation and then the race itself. It's funny though, reaction so far from those I've told about this has been a kind of "oh", which I must confess has surprised me a little. I expected "you're insane" or even just "that's exciting", or maybe even the odd "wow, I'd love to do that", but most people seem rather underwhelmed. I do find that once you get a map out and actually show people the route and distance involved that they seem a little more interested but I still think people either don't know or simply aren't interested in what it all involves. On that basis this may be one of the least followed blogs of all time.....oh well! One person who bucked the trend was my old friend Tim Sparkes who I'm very pleased to say, with the backing of his lovely wife and his employer in the City (who said the City doesn't have a heart!), loved the idea so much has decided to join me on this adventure.
Some Background:
The race itself is in fact the sixth leg of the Clipper Round the World Challenge which is a biennial sailing race around the world for Novice crews. The race takes roughly 12 months to complete and some foolhardy members of the crew will in fact undertake the entire circumnavigation of the globe - to put this in perspective this is a feat achieved by far fewer people than have climbed Mount Everest. I have to say I look forward to meeting the people about to undertake the full circumnavigation. They will number around 40 in total and, for the mere cost of about £40,000, will get to spend 12 months in a small and cramped boat at sea in damp and often freezing cold conditions, with a total of 20kg of luggage, a maximum of 1 shower per week and having to cook their own food, clean the toilets, sleep in rock-hard bunks and of course sail the boat through whatever the oceans throw at them. Foolhardy? Masochistic? Or old-school adventurers? I will update you as and when I do meet this strange breed of folk. So in July 2011, ten identical boats will set off from the UK, crewed by teams of 18 novices and 1 professional skipper and complete over 40,000 miles before returning to the UK in mid 2012. Each leg is a race in itself lasting roughly 1 month each, and then of course there is the overall race of completing the circumnavigation in the fastest overall time.
In the coming posts I will update on the training we'll be undertaking, the kit needed, life on the boat, all the logistics involved and then a diary of how the first set of training goes at the end of November in ice-cold conditions. I hope you enjoy the blog and look forward to all your wonderful and insightful comments and posts.
