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Our departure from Bermuda was quite spectacular, not only did the Parade of Sail look hugely impressive, but also the Flotilla that followed us out to the start line, a pot pouri of motor cruisers, yachts, Jet Skis, and basically anything else which would float.. Sirens and horns were blaring as the boats weaved in and out of each other jostling for the best positions, all overladen with Bermudians waving and cheering, eager to wish us all Bon Voyage. It reminded me of ‘Wacky Races’, a marine free for all, and it was more luck than judgement that a serious accident did not occur. But to see first hand the crews working frantically to set their sails, thousands of square yards of canvas gradually dressing the towering masts and yards of these magnificent ships, was an experience I am sure they will never forget, an authentic reconstruction of a bygone age.
Of course being part of the crew is hugely exciting at this time and the intensity of the moment is tangible. Forty four people working as a team, lines of people exacting every sinew of energy to raise the yards, bracing them into position, pulling and easing the ropes to enable the belly of the sails to fill with wind and as a result drive Europa forward. As we felt the hull cutting through the waves, a sense of satisfaction filtered through the decks and we all took a brief time out to look aloft and admire the fruits of our labours. And we were rewarded as we manoeuvred into the prime position to be first across the start line leaving the pack in our wake. However there would be many twists and turns before the finishing line eight hundred miles to the west.
Having attained a degree of competency, (the bar was obviously not too high) I was appointed Watch Leader of White Watch, a team of eleven predominantly Bermudian, American and British youth but supplemented by a sprinkling of Irish and American seniors. College students, a tennis coach, a journalist, a therapist, an underwriter and a prosecutor.....a case of tinker tailor soldier sailor etc etc (I can’t remember how the rest goes), which made for interesting and stimulating conversation during the long hours on watch. All had limited experience of sailing, and in particular of the ocean, and as the young strutted around the decks enthusing about kicking ass in the race, I wondered where we would be in twelve hours. We had set sail in a gentle Force 3, the sun was shining and the sea was a beautiful blue.... but I knew what was coming and it was Hungarian Ghoulash for tea!!!!.
‘Baptism of fire’ would perhaps be an understatement for what happened late evening, a storm which left the mighty Kruzerstern partially demasted, .and incapacitated 75% of our crew with severe sea sickness. The reality of life at sea, its awesome power and ferocity hit all hard and the youthful effervescence of a few hours earlier was replaced with fear and intrepidation, a nightmare for some which unfortunately would impact for the entire race. The sight of so many heaving over the side was pitiful, heads resting on arms waiting for the next wretch and although I was free of the scourge I was sympathetic to their predicament .At the height of the storm we were battling a Force 8 gale and the bow dipped unrelentingly, waves crashing over the foredeck. The gunnels on the main deck were unable to discharge the constant flow of water coming across the decks and the ship rolled and lurched as it beat its way through the huge swell ,the driving rain only added to the misery. I lost six of my watch during the night, Kelsey running the Blue Watch only had four capable of continuing which really tested her leadership qualities, and she certainly came up to the mark.
Now its not just a case of sending the crew below and waiting for a storm to blow itself out, no there is considerable risk, and sails need to be taken down or reconfigured in the ever changing conditions. The pressure on the sails and mast is massive and the danger of rips or breaks is very real as Kruzerstern found out. Those remaining had to work feverishly to the Captains orders and any hopes of finishing watches on time were not an option, a case of all hands come what may, and it was exhausting. As well as the sail handling the helm still had to be manned, two crew had to keep look out on the Foredeck and it was necessary to harness people to safety lines to keep them from falling overboard, just keeping ones feet was a challenge. It was frightening, exasperated by the pitch black and there were more than a few tears. If anybody doubts the challenge, adventure and soul searching these voyages can bring about, think again.
Fortunately the storm abated during the early hours and although the sea remained relatively rough it gave the incapacitated opportunity to recover, some quicker than others. For some it was three days and returned as we hit further trouble in the days ahead. A time for reflection perhaps on what might have been and a couple of funny stories came to the fore. When being sick it is imperative to do it on the leeward side, one young man threw up on windward and the force of the wind returned it pebble dashing three other crew members in the process. Now it is one thing to manage your own stomach contents but being showered with somebody elses is a surefire way of inducing a big boke and the domino effect on these three individuals could not have been better choreographed.
Now two of my more senior ladies, one of which is rather large chested, were both incapacitated by the storm and were accommodated in the same cabin one bunk on top of the other. The large chested lady hung her bra over the corner of her top bunk and fell asleep. The other lady at some time in the night clearly need to be sick and many of you will have experienced filching round in the dark for some receptacle to deposit their wares. Unable to find her underwear the following morning my friend went to the bathroom to find her bra sitting on the toilet seat, both double D cups brimming with..................oh yes it was!!!
I took quite a heavy fall during the storm sliding from one side of the deck to another and hit my face against one of the pin rails which in turn dislodged a filling, and in terms of my well being it was a bit of a disaster. Gnawing tooth ache is horrible, its always there, and an emergency appointment at the dentist was of course not an option. So it was off to the ‘First Aid Appointed Person’ who deals with all health issues on the ship.
I have a headache...........take two Nurofen, four times a day
I have broken my leg............take two Nurofen, four times a day.
I’m having a heart attack.....take two Nurofen four times a day..oh and have you made a will!!
Annaliese is in fact an extremly well qualified nurse, and the ship also carries a very well stocked drugs cabinet. She can deal with most day to day issues but the fact is if something goes seriously wrong out here then the prognosis is pretty grim. Most of the time we are out of range of helicopters, we sail in waters where there is little or no other shipping and I think it would seriously test Warwickshire Ambulance response times. But when we board we sign up to the practicalities and risks of sailing the oceans and what will be will be, its all part of the challenge.
Anyway as far as my toothache was concerned, it was a trip to the galley as opposed to the drugs cabinet, as a clove was firmly rammed into the cavity which remarkably took the pain away but left me smelling like a badger.
As far for the race we soon lost first place to the Uruguayan ship Capitan Mirander, and the US Eagle and the Rumanian Mircea were bearing down us. The Russian Kruzerstern our other main rival was out of the race with serious mast damage sustained in the storm, and we just hoped that no serious injuries had been caused as a result. By day three the wind was working against us so we moved around the compass trying to second guess the High and Low pressure systems which determine the strength and direction of the wind. If you were to track our movements it would have looked akin to a chimpanzee playing with a spyrograph (remember them), as the crow flies does not apply on these ships.
Tropical storms came and went as did the sea sickness for a few. One night we had over three thousand lighting flashes and thunder directly above the ship so loud crew members cowered as though something was falling from the sky. Eerie draughts of freezing cold air precipitated torrential rain and the swings from one extreme to another clearly unsettled some. You can tell when somebody is having a bad time psychologically, they are anxious, they get little or no sleep, they go off their food, complain of various phantom ailments and continuously pace around the ship. We have had three fall foul of this since Cape Town and all have had their bags packed ready to leave the ship the second the gangway hits the shore. It is not good to watch but it reminds us that the sea is not for everybody, and people need to be aware that long sailing voyages should never just be seen as just a tick in the box or another page to turn over in ‘A thousand things to do before you die’!!
As it was the weather on the last couple of days calmed down, but by this time our position was more north than any of our rivals and we spent a lot of time tacking and waring across the Gulf Stream which was working against us. As such we were kept very busy, as indeed we had been throughout the race from Bermuda, and I was grateful to have led such an enthusiastic, hard working and flexible group of people, who collectively certainly gave credence to the adage ‘the team works’. The race was finished at sea at a given time, marked by the Captain sounding the ships horn, actually we had to do it twice as he forgot to put the clocks back, but it didn’t matter, the race was done and we finished second in Class and fifth overall, a very respectable result.
After a night of partying we edged our way into the port of Charleston joined by a welcoming party of brown Pelicans and of course the usual dolphins, who never seem to be able to resist a quick ride on our bow wave. As we came into the harbour the stricken Kruzerstern came into view, half of its steel foremast missing and its yards hanging down.We all wondered how the young Russian sailors had felt as it had crashed to the deck in the middle of the stormy night. Oh for the grace of god.!!
Doddy
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