When BAMO was in Madeira preparing for the next part of the Clipper journey, I asked Chrissie if she could get me some ‘quotable quotes’ for the BLOG. I was wrapped when he rang me at about 5.45pm Friday local time.
He was sounding great .. just the same as always I suppose.
Here are some excerpts from our quick chat from Madeira.
Jan: “WOW BAMO a first place in the first race!!”
BAMO: “It’s great isn’t it. The conditions were all over the place, so it was pretty tricky to get it right tactically.”
BAMO: “It’s great isn’t it. The conditions were all over the place, so it was pretty tricky to get it right tactically.”
Jan: So the whole show is finally on the road?
BAMO: “Yep, and the send off from Southampton was fantastic … really amazing to be part of it.”
BAMO: “Yep, and the send off from Southampton was fantastic … really amazing to be part of it.”
Jan: “Tell me more about the race.”
BAMO: “Well I think you guys know more about the race than we do … from what Chrissie has said about the Race Viewer and the Facebook page.”
BAMO: “Well I think you guys know more about the race than we do … from what Chrissie has said about the Race Viewer and the Facebook page.”
Jan: “What about the conditions?”
BAMO: “We had just about everything. The start was so frustrating. We had the anchor out on 150m of rope at one stage trying not to move backwards with the tide. We saw this pallet in the water with two seagulls standing on it and they floated past us … they were going faster than us at one point. We were totally becalmed. Not that much later we were sailing into a Force 8. Then we got the best of the conditions … sailing down wind is just SO good.”
BAMO: “We had just about everything. The start was so frustrating. We had the anchor out on 150m of rope at one stage trying not to move backwards with the tide. We saw this pallet in the water with two seagulls standing on it and they floated past us … they were going faster than us at one point. We were totally becalmed. Not that much later we were sailing into a Force 8. Then we got the best of the conditions … sailing down wind is just SO good.”
Jan: “Have you been seasick?”
BAMO: “Yeah, I think we’ve all been seasick at one point or other. I really don’t like being downstairs in rough seas when it’s my turn to be ‘Mother’.”
BAMO: “Yeah, I think we’ve all been seasick at one point or other. I really don’t like being downstairs in rough seas when it’s my turn to be ‘Mother’.”
Jan: “How about life on board generally?”
BAMO: “Well you do 4 hours on, 4 hours off and 4 hours standby. I’m starting to get into a bit of a rhythm. Mind you, I only had one shower during the first race – we all got just 2 litres of fresh water.”
BAMO: “Well you do 4 hours on, 4 hours off and 4 hours standby. I’m starting to get into a bit of a rhythm. Mind you, I only had one shower during the first race – we all got just 2 litres of fresh water.”
Jan: “How’s everyone getting on with each other?”
BAMO: “We’re getting on well. There are one or two people who are struggling a bit more than others, but overall it’s good. Richie our skipper is keeping us on track … he’s called the ‘kangaroo on steroids’ you know.”
BAMO: “We’re getting on well. There are one or two people who are struggling a bit more than others, but overall it’s good. Richie our skipper is keeping us on track … he’s called the ‘kangaroo on steroids’ you know.”
Jan: “And you can obviously get the job done?”
BAMO: “Yep, I think we’ve definitely got what it takes in terms of crew and the skipper of course, to do really well … maybe even win the whole thing.”
BAMO: “Yep, I think we’ve definitely got what it takes in terms of crew and the skipper of course, to do really well … maybe even win the whole thing.”
Jan: “What’s Madeira like?”
BAMO: “It’s just a great big volcanic rock really. You know Madeira airport is supposed to be one of the worst in the world … the runway is terrible apparently. Our crew all met the President and he commented to Richie ‘you’ve got a lot of lovely girls on board’ or something along those lines.”
BAMO: “It’s just a great big volcanic rock really. You know Madeira airport is supposed to be one of the worst in the world … the runway is terrible apparently. Our crew all met the President and he commented to Richie ‘you’ve got a lot of lovely girls on board’ or something along those lines.”
Jan: “And it’s off to Rio now.”
BAMO: “Yeah, we start in about four hours from now. It’s going to physically be hard work … we’ll be sailing hard for about twenty days or more.”
BAMO: “Yeah, we start in about four hours from now. It’s going to physically be hard work … we’ll be sailing hard for about twenty days or more.”
Jan: “It all sounds great BAMO!”
BAMO: “Yep, life is good.”
BAMO: “Yep, life is good.”
...... Then the phone went dead. Oh well, Chrissie warned me he was low on his phone card and it was just fantastic to talk with him at all.
No doubt we'll be glued to the Race Viewer for the next 3 weeks or so.
Go BAMO, go team Gold Coast Australia. There are lots of us who are right behind you!!
No doubt we'll be glued to the Race Viewer for the next 3 weeks or so.
Go BAMO, go team Gold Coast Australia. There are lots of us who are right behind you!!
Hi Baz,
ReplyDeleteJan is almost right when she says we will be glued to the race viewer for the next three weeks ..... try the next eleven months! I was glued to the entire 9-10 race and I will be glued to this one, not only because an Aussie boat(x2) is in the race, but because my mate Baz is in this one and I wish I was there!!! Go Baz, Go Aussie, Oi Oi Oi.