We spent 5.5 days on the water and 2.5 days in the classroom. We slept on board, which provided us with our first real exposure to what it’s like to live & work on board - once the sleeping arrangements and bunks were sorted, we quickly discovered who snores [I’m one] and who talks in their sleep.
Our training was onboard the good ship Serica; a Colvic 60 foot yacht. She is part of the earlier Clipper fleet and has sailed around the world 4 times.
Our crew was made up of the skipper Merv (Bristol UK), the first mate Richard (Hobart Australia) & we novices; Lexi (studying wine making in NZ), Catherine (Isle of Skye Scotland), Lesley (Bristol UK), Paul (West Yorkshire UK), Tony (South Africa) Robert (West Yorkshire UK), Peter (Aussie pilot based in Singapore), Stephan & me. Stephan is a Frenchman from the Island of St Pierre et Niquelon and is the only one with sailing experience.
The training incorporated instruction in first aid, safety on board, equipment and points of sailing. It included a variety of drills to familiarise ourselves with all the gear, hone our skills raising and lowering the sails and learning knots.
By the time we said farewell to our crew mates, we knew that most would be friends for life. The bonds that were built during the training were strengthened by the common goal of us taking part in a round-the-world ocean race; plus the fact that possibly your crewmate could make all the difference when it comes to taking on the challenge of racing (and surviving) at sea.
NB: I will upload a more detailed account of the training in the next day or so.
*The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England. It is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels and an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting.
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