Sarah Mercedes - From Trusted Pete

Heard from the foredeck:
Common phrases from the (war) front:
You've just gone off watch but....
All hands on deck!!!
Can it be fixed?
Try pulling the blue rope the other way.. What if you "just" pull harder on the blue rope..

Ocean racing attracts a certain kind of person. Six people being confined in less than 50ft of permanently moving, often violently moving, wet living and cooking quarters, with no more than 6 hours absolute maximum sleep in the equivalent comfort of sleeping in a tumble dryer drum. Not many people would see that as a hobby or an even remotely enjoyable past-time to choose. So you step on an ARC boat knowing you're already amongst kindred spirits. What a team! No matter how bad things got, how little sleep, how mentally drained, our humour saved the day in many dark moments. While each of us could do most roles, (to greater or lesser extent,) and all of us were guilty of chiming-in to "help." In the end, it was reassuring to know, when the Bolognese was hitting the fan, you knew the person at the "other end" of the halyard, sheet, helm, whatever, was going to deliver.

I've sailed over 15,000 Ocean miles, racing and delivering yachts. While I've seen larger storms and seas, I can say the almost 3,000 miles I spent on Sarah Mercedes where some of the most sustained challenging heavy weather weeks, but undoubtedly the most enjoyable weeks I have spent at sea.

Too many moments to list, although one shines out. Our glorious leader "popped forward..." Sat confidently center of foredeck facing aft.... As ever a whirlwind of activity underway... Gives the shout "furl the jib, furl the jib !" 60 seconds later...calls back to cockpit.."I said furl the jib...". ... Foredeck Sam quietly let's dad know..."Dad the jib was already furled."

I'd go to sea with this team again, anytime...