Now a bell ringing, bee keeping businessman (not always in that order) Keith has limited yachting experience but considerable sea-going experience having served afloat for the majority of his 34 years service in the Royal Navy. This included serving in every class of warship from minesweeper to aircraft carrier, commanding 4 different ships (a minesweeper, two destroyers and an amphibious command ship) and commanding all UK maritime forces in the Middle East for a 2 year period. Concurrently he was the Deputy Coalition Commander of a multi-national force of over 115 warships drawn from 22 different countries. For him the challenge and excitement of being part of the Clipper Round The World Race team has proved irresistible, in particular taking on the four big west-east ocean crossings and the chance to sail across oceans and seas he has yet to experience.
In the words of the UNICEF team song, “Here We Go” .. again, as today we finally say goodbye to Cape Town and South Africa. Next stop, fingers crossed, Fremantle Australia. The Leg 2 team have been joined by Tim, Rob, Thomas, Seb, Anne, Andrew Toms and Sophie – or I should say REjoined in Sophie’s case as she only left the team in Punta at the end of Leg 1 – and we have said our planned goodbyes to Gareth, Christian, Sheila, Joe (until he returns for Legs 7 & 8) and Jeremy (until Leg 8). We are back to a (near full) complement of 22.
So, once again on the eve of a race, how am I feeling? Well perhaps not quite as nervous as last time and certainly ready to go. The Southern Ocean is one of the reasons I first signed up for Clipper. I have never sailed in the Southern Ocean, and I will be rounding the Cape of Good Hope for the first time. The Southern Ocean has a fearsome reputation. Clipper have imposed an ice limit for example and yachts are not permitted to sail south of 45S for example. I expect it to be cold, wet, rough and tough. Extremely mentally and physically challenging.
So, what will it be like this time? Again, here’s what the official race magazine has to say:
“Cape Town to Freemantle is also referred to as the Southern Ocean Sleigh Ride. This leg offers some of the most extreme and testing conditions of the entire circumnavigation, with teams dipping into the notoriously strong winds of the Roaring Forties. Once clear of Table Bay, which is stunning but well known for its tricky, fickle wind patterns, teams will head for the first Great Cape, The Cape of Good Hope. It’s then on to the Angulhas Bank, where the meeting of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans causes very disturbed seas. Spinnakers are likely to reappear and ocean racing tactics will be in full flow. Teams will discover exactly what the Clipper 70s are made of as they surf downwind on swells higher than buildings.
Despite the gruelling reputation that the Roaring Forties command, this is a place respected by sailors as one of the best places to fully appreciate Mother Nature in her most powerful glory.”
And here is what it looked like in a previous edition
and in the 2017-2018 edition when the Greenings yacht was wrecked off the South African coast and subsequently washed ashore and, very tragically, Simon Spears was washed overboard and drowned from Great Britain…….
Time to go. Here We Go. Wish me luck.
For Diabetes UK and the National Autistic Society see:
Words don’t really do it justice. The South Atlantic was everything I expected and remembered. It was tough. Some of my colleagues describe it as the toughest thing they have ever done. I would caution them to add … “so far!” Getting a podium finish for us was undoubtedly the icing on the cake. That it turned out to be a 2nd place was really special.
The 2nd Place pennant flying from the UNICEF mast after prize giving
And this is the official Clipper “take” on our Leg 2 across the South Atlantic. Put together with footage from across the Fleet, keep an eye out for team UNICEF – our sail number is 731X. I promise I was waving!!!
For Diabetes UK and the National Autistic Society see:
Those of you following this blog will know that I have quoted our skipper, Ian Wiggin, once before (see blog 88: We’re a funny lot us sailors ….., published 13 October). Those of you following the “action” on the official website will know that one member of each crew blogs to the official website on a daily basis AND that each skipper blogs every day. For those who might have missed it, here is the UNICEF skipper’s blog from 29th October (Leg 2, Race 3, Day 6 – somewhere in the South Atlantic:
Good Morning,
‘It is another crisp and clear morning down here for us. Excitement is building for some stronger winds which are due later today. The smooth seas and gentle breeze of the past few days have been most pleasant but we are all now ready for what will hopefully be a wet and wild ride all the way to the finish (KW Editorial note: IT WAS!)
Yesterday during our rig check, we found that the cover on our old main halyard had snapped. We were able to lash the sail to the top of the mast and conduct our repairs without any drama or loss of speed. Big respect to the guys and girls who race single handed and have to conduct all repairs on their masts solo.
Personally I think there is something quite reassuring about having a team to help and look out for you. To show our team how cool and down with the times I am, I even took a virtual 360 – slow motion video of my face on the way down. I say virtual because I didn’t have a video camera. But, imagination doesn’t require any batteries and my “epic selfie face” still got me some respect from the millennials. From the top of the mast I was able to see a few small white dots on the horizon. UNICEF getting points at the scoring gate is looking unlikely at this point but we will keep pushing as hard as we can.
You may notice that I often tend to avoid discussing food. So please indulge me briefly. It was pointed out (KW Editorial note: NOT by me it wasn’t!) that my dinner was made by one of the (former) most senior ranking officers in the Royal Navy. Now who can say that 1. they have a Commodore on their team and 2. that they personally made them their gluten free pasta. “Come dine with me” eat your heart out!!
The food this trip is bittersweet …… not because the chefs are confusing the sugar with the salt but because our amazing victualled, and valued RTW crew member Angie was not able to join us on this leg. Having sailed 5500nm on Leg 1 sadly she took a slip in the shower ashore in Punta del Este on the first evening and injured her wrist. In spite of this, Angie helped us organise our provisions which is above and beyond anything that we could have asked. We are thinking of you, can’t wait for you to rejoin.
Here we go.
Ian and Mike.
PS ….. we also produced the first cakes of leg 2!
For Diabetes and the National Autistic Society see:
The departure from Punta del Este was exciting and emotional. I finally reached the stage when I just wanted to get on with it and get started. Have moved all my kit on board on October 22nd and weighing in very comfortably inside the target for multi legged crew members all my kit to last me until Fremantle not just Cape Town came in at 13.4kg including my bag!
Just a few highlights from departure and first few days. Firstly we were happy with our race start. First across the line and a close run race particularly with Quindao who just pipped us to the first mark. We “finished” third but of course none of that counts. We then had a bit of a tactical slow patch while we sorted a few things out and watched the fleet divide.
Since then we have been racing hard and have watched ourselves claw up the leader. Board from 9th, through 7th and 5th to the morning of 25th when we were 2nd. We still have over 3000 miles to race. The weather has been sporty to say the least and we have been clipped on ever since leaving Punta. With the wind and sea on our starboard quarter we are surfing and rolling quite a bit and 3 of our number have been laid low with seasickness. Sadly 2 in my own watch. We are giving them every encouragement and support.
Life on board has settled quickly into watches and a sail, eat, sleep, repeat routine. Sunrises and sunsets have been beautiful and my first night watch was under spectacularly clear skies with the entire Southern Hemisphere star system on display. We had a dolphin escort in bioluminescent trails on night one and have seen plenty of bird life including albatross.
Our watch system runs fairly simply. Typically I would be shaken at 22.30 with just enough time to put on socks, 2 layers on my legs and 3 layers on my top followed by Musto sailing sallopettes that go over both and then my UNICEF jacket and sailing boots. These have waterproof gaiters that roll up over my sallopette trousers and stop seawater getting into my boots. My life jacket goes on over this. Add a hat, gloves, knife, headtorch and bingo- there you have sartorial elegance Clipper style. Probably best to brush over the fact that I haven’t actually changed any of my clothing yet!
The watch runs from23.00 until 0300 with the next watch being woken at 02.30. I then get some sleep before being shaken at 06.00 to dress and have breakfast before going on watch again at 07.00. I am then on watch until13.00 with the oncoming watch being called at 12.00 to dress and have lunch. I get my lunch at about 13.15. I’m then off watch until called again at 18.30 to go on watch 19.00-23.00. And so it continues this time off watch from 23.00 to 03.00 and on watch 03.00-0700.
By the time you read this, thanks to clever programming, I should be 48 hours into a 3,555 nautical mile crossing of the South Atlantic. Those of you watch the Race Viewer via the official Clipper Round The World web site will have a good idea of exactly where we are, and how we are doing.
Meanwhile, here are two videos of what Leg 1 looked like. Enjoy:
For Diabetes UK and the National Autistic Society see:
Sunset, Punta del Este, 22 October 2019, the eve of Leg 2.
I will be onboard the team UNICEF yacht, the big blue boat from about 10am Uruguay time this morning (around 2pm UK time) ahead of race start for Leg 2. Ian, Mike Miller, Dan, Danny, Holly, John Dillon, John Dawson, Mike Willis, Anthonie, the other Keith, Alex, Andrew, Sandra, Joe and Geoff who all completed Leg 1 plus me, Christian, Gareth, Sheila and Jeremy joining for Leg 2.
I’ve been at sea in the South Atlantic before and indeed I’ve been around Cape Horn twice, but it’s been quite a while – about 27 years to be more precise – and I’ve never crossed the South Atlantic west to east before.
How am I feeling?
Excited. Nervous. Apprehensive. Keen to get down to the yacht. Keen to get started. Worried not to let anyone down. I’m used to all these feeling immediately prior to going to sea. I’ve been here before, but again it’s been quite a while. Strangely it never seems to get any easier. I’ve never liked goodbyes either. And today, somewhere on the jetty of the Punta del Este yacht club, or more likely somewhere a little more private, I will say goodbye to Ruth, at least until Cape Town. I’ve done this before too. Again it’s been a while. Again it doesn’t get easier with time or previous experience. So why do I do it?
For me Clipper is really all about two things. I have spent most of my adult life as part of maritime teams. Groups of people, be they military or civilian, who share a common bond, a deep affinity, a huge respect and, let’s admit it, in some cases even a love for the sea and all things maritime. This is what has always “floated my boat” and “spun my props.” Clipper does this again for me. Secondly, as I wrote when first setting up this blog, sailing west to east across the 4 big ocean crossings of the world is my circumnavigation. It represents an enormous personal, physical, emotional and psychological challenge. I have rarely if ever settled for the easy way out in anything I have undertaken and I don’t intend to start now.
What will it be like? Well I’m tempted to say, “watch this space” as I intend to blog when and if I can and should anything get in the way I’ll be writing down as much as I can in order to blog more fully from Cape Town. But for the record, this is what the official Clipper 2019-2020 magazine has to say about Leg 2:
“Upon leaving South America, teams will encounter the trade winds and rolling swells as they head towards the Southern Ocean with spinnakers flying. Big tactical decisions await; previous editions have seen podium places decided by just 15 minutes. Heading south before turning east will be the longer route, but may offer more consistent wind conditions. Heading east shaves off hundreds of miles, but could leave the yachts too close to the windless centre of the St Helena High (South Atlantic High). As the fleet ducks south, long rolling swells will provide fantastic conditions for surfing down waves. An exhilarating leg, boat speeds will easily be in excess of 20 knots. Previous teams have recorded speeds of more than 30 knots as impressive fountains of water emerge over the bow. The Asymmetric Spinnaker features heavily in this leg, although crews will need to be careful not to overpower it as a blown spinnaker will compromise performance for the rest of their race.
Mighty Table Mountain will be visible from quite some distance away, but the race is not over yet. The wind shadow of Table Mountain offers one last hurdle in a race that is known to be a closely fought battle right until the very end.”
And this is what it has looked like in a previous edition and the 2017-2018 Leg 2 recap:
Time to go, and as the UNICEF song says, “Here we Go!” Wish me luck.
For Diabetes UK and the National Autistic Society see:
Welcome ASADO and Uruguayan hospitality sampled ………. CHECK
Tango moves practiced ………. CHECK
Old friends from previous levels of Clipper training bumped-in-to and a first drink with the other Keith W on the UNICEF team ………. CHECK
Assisting in the sail repair of the team UNICEF Code 2 Spinnaker (with plenty of help from crew supporters ………. CHECK
Up at 0415 to watch England vs Australia in the rugby World Cup ………. CHECK
Clipper Refresher sailing complete ………. CHECK
Packing the food for the next 20 days or so (again with help from crew supporters ………. CHECK
Tour guide for visiting Punta del Este school children …………. CHECK
Late evening return of the UNICEF mainsail to the yacht ………. CHECK
Ruth adding her signature to the list of people who have kindly donated to at least one of my JustGiving pages whose names are now recorded inside my Musto sailing smock ………. CHECK
Bags all packed ahead of the weigh-in and bag drop in the morning ………. CHECK
Am I ready?????????????
……… I guess I must be!!!!!!
For Diabetes UK and the National Autistic Society see:
We are a funny lot, sailors. I’ve been one, lived with many and been privileged to have commanded a few in 34 years in the Royal Navy. I continue to work with them at Harwich and at the HHA. And now I rub shoulders, in some cases quite literally, with more at Clipper and team Unicef.
We work hard, we play hard. We are not adverse to the odd grumble. It is sometimes said you should only worry about a sailor if he or she has nothing to complain about. But woe betide anyone from the “outside” who criticises our ship, our crew mates or our unit. We can be fiercely loyal, make friends for life, and have an ability to pick up a long lost friendship as if we have never been apart. Generally we are always up for a challenge, we are robust, determined and live life to the full. The old adage “When the Great Scorer comes to mark against your name, He marks not that you’ve won or lost, but how you played the game” could have been written for many sailor I have known and do know. Sailors can also be superstitious, romantic and sentimental. Many, even those who never get over being sea-sick, have a deep, deep respect and affinity with Mother Nature and the Sea.
For those lucky enough to have been in charge of a boat or to have commanded a ship there is something else. Something special. A particular link, a particular connection with the ship herself. You talk to her and she talks to you. You get a feel for her and her moods. As I mentioned in my previous blog, someone standing next to me in St Katherine’s Dock as the Clipper yachts were slipping their lines commented to me that of all the yachts, Unicef – the yacht herself – actually seemed eager to get started. She was actually physically straining to be “released.” I made no comment but I had noticed the same thing myself.
The next day I read Ian Wiggin’s morn’ of race message on the private (Unicef Crew only) crew hub. I’ve never quoted from the crew hub before and I hope Ian won’t mind. Here is his message in full:
“Today is the 1st of September. Today is the day we slip lines and parade under Tower Bridge. Today is the start of our racing adventure!
I had to get up a few times in the night to try and calm CV31. I said “Easy girl, shhhhh, eeeasy girl” as I rubbed her top sides. Her nostrils were flared and she was pulling on her mooring lines. This morning she is like a fully charged race horse and is restless. St Katherine’s Docks have been great, but I know she wants to stretch her legs and that the worlds oceans are calling her.
The Unicef crew were calm last evening. We explained how our first race is going to be around 7-8 days and that 1300nm is very similar to a L4 training course. Once we get away from the London excitement and adrenaline we are looking forward to settling into an ocean racing routine. I am sure emotions will be running high today, but that is completely natural. We will soak in this great experience today and then once we get to Southend tonight we will drop anchor and regroup. Tomorrow morning at around 10am we weill start our race. As I said to the team, the race cannot be won tomorrow……. but it can be lost. An ocean racing mindset is all about consistency, focus, and looking after everything. We will not be trying to win this first race at all cost. We need our sails to last 40,000nm. We need to look after our crew and equipment.
Lots of people have been asking if I am nervous. I am not nervous. We are about to sail 1300nm, most of which is near coastal. We have an amazing support team on shore, we have a great boat, our crew is unbelievable, and our boat speed has been good in training. I am not thinking about a round the world race. I am mainly thinking about getting to Portugal.
We have a great team and wider team of supporters. We have had so much support over the week. You have managed to build such a buzz over the past few months. Our “movement” has built great momentum. I have been very proud and flattered by the kind words that our visitors have said about our team, our attitude, and our performance. Very few people think that we are crazy!! In fact, many, many people are envious of our team dynamic and would love to be part of what we are doing together.
When William Ward (CEO) checked the JustGiving fundraising tally page for the first time the other day …. he thought the system was broken because we had raised so much!! On the same morning Sir Robin signed our C3 spinnaker. He knows about our team efforts and was very complimentary. Unicef UK are so proud and grateful to have us as a team.
Sir Robin wrote on our C3 “Everything is possible, anything can be.”
From the poem:
Listen to the MUSTN’TS, child
Listen to the DON’TS.
Listen to the SHOULDN’TS
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WONT’S
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me –
Anything can happen, child,
ANYTHING can be!!!
Thanks again for such a great start. If you are supporting in London today please make lots of noise. I look forward to updating you all once we get to Portugal.
Portugal….. HERE WE GO! Ian”
Free for editorial use image, please credit: Matthew Dickens/imagecomms The Clipper Round the World Race fleet leaving gosport for the race start in London.
Like I said, we’re a funny lot……..
and as if more proof were needed …….
I note that I landed in Uruguay, my Clipper Race departure country, yesterday – Saturday 12 October. It was my first landing in Uruguay, indeed my first landing from sea on the Atlantic coast of South America. I couldn’t help but note that the date was the anniversary of the first landing of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492. Now I know I was a pretty good navigator in my time, and I am NOT likening myself to CC, but I also note that in some Latin American countries the 12th of October is also known as “Dia de la Raza” or Day of the Race!!!
Pretty Much All At Sea 