72 Days to Go.... All the gear, no idea

We're allowed a maximum of 20kg excluding boots, sleeping bag and foulies which at one time felt quite adequate.  But given that I have only the barest idea what I am letting myself in for, I have gone on a huge shopping spree.  I have bought and returned so much stuff- I could have kitted out the whole boat.  Still, in the next 6 weeks I need to finalise my kit list and be ready to go.

Mand modelling my 3-layer
waterproof sleeping bag

The big stuff is done - sleeping bag, boots, kit bag, thermals, fleeces, mid-layers, outer-layers and I should really just stop there.  But there have been loads of discussions about other useful if not essential pieces of kit that is making it difficult to lay off the late night shopping.

The latest one is 'do I really need a dry suit?'.  I did in fact buy one (for £900!!) which I swiftly returned (not without trying it on first - see below) and it promised to keep me warm and dry in the coldest, wettest seas.  Excellent.  But can I really justify spending nearly a grand on something I'll probably use for a maximum of 4 weeks?

So that went back, and I guess I'll have to see whether that was a huge mistake.  Problem is - I'll only really know when I'm well and truly freezing my tits off.

And then you start to think about how many pairs of waterproof socks you really need.  Recommendation is 2 pairs per leg.  But at £30 a pop, can I get away with just one pair?

Now - I know this sounds like a kvetch, and surely I realised that sailing was never going to be a cheap way to pass the time - but I'm not sure it ever occurred to me that I'd be spending £30 on a pair of socks!

But whilst my bank balance is taking a battering, I am loving all this.  Look at me - I almost look like a sailor!  One freaked out their mind - but a sailor none-the-less.  And whilst I don't exactly know what I'm doing, having the right kit will at least give the illusion I do!

The Race - Quick Facts

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is the only event of its type.

Anyone, even if they have never stepped on a boat before, can join the adventure and circumnavigate the world in an eleven month-long marathon.

12 BRAND NEW 70-FOOT OCEAN RACING YACHTS

 A 40,000-MILE CIRCUMNAVIGATION, 15 RACES, 13 COUNTRIES, 1 WINNER. (Although I'm only doing half of it...)

40% of people (me being one of them!) competing in the Clipper Round the World have never set foot on a boat before.

Between the crew there are roughly 230 different professions.

Tie every warp, line, sheet and halyard together from the Clipper Race fleet and the ropes will stretch for a massive 15 kilometres – that’s twice the height of Mount Everest.

During the Clipper Race the teams will get through about  17,500 loo rolls, or 438,000 metres of toilet paper. That’s the equivalent distance of flying from London to Paris.

In the Southern Ocean there is a place called ‘Point Nemo’, this is the most remote spot on the planet, furthest away from any civilisation.  The nearest land is approximately 2,000 miles away.  If there was a cosmonaut on the international space station, they would be the closest human to ‘Point Nemo’.

82 Days to Go - No experience necessary

I was one of the many that succumbed to the advertising on the tube.  The poster said 'Are you ready for a challenge of a lifetime?' and at that particular moment, I definitely was.  Then, when I found out about Clipper and sailing around the world, the thing that tipped me over the edge - was that little statement at the bottom that said 'No experience necessary'.  So I was hooked.  Not only was I going to learn how to sail (from scratch!) but my first real sail would be to Australia.

The snake pit

So this was right up my alley, but I don't think I realised at that point what learning to sail really entailed.  There is a whole new language to learn.  I remember doing a theory course as my first foray into this world, and was totally blown away with the vast amount of stuff I was going to need to get to grips with.  All the ropes on a boat have a certain name, they all are clearly vital for something and in the heat of the moment, when times get really tough - you cannot afford to sit there thinking about it.  Sailing is instinct, and I am a long long way from that.  But I do remain optimistic that whilst my French is poor, Sailing is a language I will pick up. For the sake of my team, I will have to!

And that's before we even start with navigation.  Am going to call that phase 2.  At the moment, I'm carrying a bit of rope around with me, so if I'm waiting for the bus, or need a break at work, I'm practising my bowlines, clove hitch, admiral stopper and twisty twisty hitchy hitchy knots.

Luckily - most of the people doing Clipper have got some experience and are super patient and happy to teach, and some of them even have boats that they let me try and work out what the hell is happening.  So its slowly coming all together, though am still waiting for that hallelujah moment.  Will let you know when it happens!