Scarlet Oyster - Blog 30/11

So we are into day 7, we are coming up to our mid way point, having covered 1200 nautical miles (nm) since Gran Canaria, with 1500nm left to go until the long awaited Rum and shower in St Lucia... Ross did put a palm beach
picture on the computer to motivate us!

The yacht continues on an effective routine of 3 hours on watch, 2 on standby and 3 hours of rest.

After 1200nm of racing and in the very middle of the Atlantic Ocean we have just met up with Captain Blind who are only 4nm ahead of us. Being a faster design yacht this is good news for us as we are beating them by handicap,
however we are all aware that there are still 7 days of racing to go. They are a French crew and been affectionately nicknamed 'the enemy'. They have proved to be very hard to hang on to, and we are quite sure their Captain is
not blind! They certainly appear to be a class act, and any mistakes on our part will make it very difficult to keep her in our sights. We can see them just off our starboard bow (1-2 o'clock as you look at the front of the yacht for those of you that do not speak nautical). They act as a good target and many a comparison to the movie 'Master and Commander' has been mentioned.... Including boarding and taking the yacht!

So I thought today I would introduce you to the crew a little. I can safely say that I enjoy the company of the whole crew (something that was one of my only concerns prior to the trip... After all we are all stuck on board for 2 weeks together with nowhere to go!) We have an International English speaking crew of 10:

1. Ross (UK): The skipper. Ross is a natural leader and keeps us all focused in the yacht. He knows his yacht inside and out and annoyingly makes helming in huge swelling seas with changing winds seem like child's play. Ross keeps our minds on the objective of winning, but with a balanced management style that keeps a happy crew. We are clearly in very experienced and safe hands with Ross. He is a machine... Keeps us motivated, stayed up all night fixing a broken Spinnaker and constantly drives us to go faster. You can see why he has won this race 3 times already.

2. Mark (UK): Co-Skipper and chef. The pirate 'Long John Silver' was both Cook and Captain on board Hispanola in Treasure Island... I don't think Silver cooked such a good Green Thai Curry though. Mark I know through the
Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust where he is lead skipper. We sailed once together before, however sipping champagne on board the Trust's yacht 'Moonspray' anchored up in Newtown Creek is a far cry from here! Mark has a calm approach with the crew and manages to tell us what we should have been doing in a very amiable manner. I now feel that we have shared many an intimate moment over tying up and fixing spinnakers, Mark can show you a trick or two with a spoon.

3. Jasper (UK): Oxford Uni grad, proud ginger, lawyer turned aspiring professional sailor. Has many a good story to tell. Jasper plans to spend the rest of the season in the Caribbean.

4. Oleg (Russia): Quiet but deadly.... With a helm and sail trim. Oleg had a very impressive leg on the helm one night when we were all struggling with the conditions. Oleg is looking forward to Rum and a big Cigar at the other end.

5. Joris (Netherlands): "I am a banker, not a butcher"... His response to comments from the crew as he serves up fat from the Cured Ham. Joris is both a character and a steady and reliable crew mate and a pleasure to have on my
watch.

6. Ebbe (Sweden): Ebbe is our Chief Technical Officer... I i.e. He knows how the computer works and has been setting up the 'Go-Pro' for us all to look cool on facebook when we get to some wifi, although I am more impressed with his knowledge of dating apps!

7. Rickard (Sweden): The official photographer, Rickard has recovered well from initially feeling ill. A clearly fit guy, Rickard surprised us all back in Gran Canaria when he asked us if we wanted to go for a run... We chose beer instead :)

8. Marco (Italy): "I am dreaming of ice cream... Italian naturally". Marco is a the all round impressive crew man. He is like Spiderman up the rigging, good fun to be with on watch and generally very capable on the yacht. What he is doing living in Derby God knows!! Joking Derby lovers!

9. Joe (USA): Joe is our 'bowman'. Joe has had a very colourful background and every day he surprises us with a story, whether it be working with the US Government or driving a taxi in NYC. Joe is a true gentleman, however is
also rather thrifty with his use of the 'F' word :) He manages to keep going with no sleep, jumps into every task with enthusiasm and is very well liked by all the crew.

10. Me!

So if I were to summarise the trip thus far, I would say the downsides are: Wearing the same pants for many days in a row (it's like being back on board my tank), getting to know every creek of the yacht and not letting it make me go insane when trying to sleep, the rain in Gran Canaria (sorry GC, but I won't be coming back for a holiday)... And tying spinnakers down below in swells!

The highlights for me thus far have been getting to know the crew, the sun sets and sun rises holding hands with Jasper (joking) looking out to sea and generally learning every day.

But my favourite moment thus far has to be seeing the previous winner of the 'Spirit of the ARC' (Ross) and 'EMCT lead skipper' (Mark), both skippers and well respected in the sailing community, in their board shorts swinging the
'heads' ('toilet' to those non nautical) drainage tube against the stern of the boat trying to clear it from blockage.... Showers were administered after this I am glad to say! We still managed to maintain a good 10 knots of
speed throughout the whole escapade... Confirmation of the determination Ross has to keep both a speedy yacht and happy crew... That to me says 'Spirit of the ARC' all over!

Cy Lloyd Jones
Scarlet Oyster Crew Member, Arc Race, 30 Nov 2014