Before I knew it the time was upon me for my final level of Clipper Race training. Level 4 is intended to be a taste of racing life to come with practice starts, races with other boats in the fleet and drills to ensure we are race ready. As with all the levels of training the weather didn’t fail to disappoint us and ensured the week was indeed a true reflection of what is to come!

We were on CV29 (‘my’ yacht) and sharing with the ClipperTelemed team. We were in two watches (Derry~Londonderry~Doire team as one and ClipperTelemed as the other) and with 21 of us on board it was a chance to understand what going to sea with a full crew will really be like. This was also the first chance to sail with members of the team I’m in and with my skipper Daniel.

It’s odd as when you’re in port the yacht seems small and cramped with people falling over one another but when you get out to sea it feels there is more space! It helps to be in a watch system as when half the bodies are sleeping and the other half on deck this means you are only falling over one another because you’re not yet used to living at an angle. I can tell you now it is going to be many weeks into the journey before I fully master going to the toilet on such a slope – you should try it some day. Put on lots of layers (making sure at least one is a onesie or the like), then imagine walking into your bathroom and finding the toilet at a 45 degree angle and you need to work out how to strip down the layers and make it to the bowl. For added excitement once you’ve finally put your backside on the seat and feel like you’re won this game, you then hear the shout of ‘tacking’ and the 45 degree lean violently changes from one side to the other (all while you’re trying to pee..!). You may be sitting reading this laughing to yourself but it is serious stuff and one of the many challenges to this Clipper Race life. Don’t worry readers, I will update you on progress with the tactics I adopt as the year progresses.

Level 4 is all about preparing you for the race so the week involved two races with other yachts in the fleet. There are two sorts of racing starts in the Clipper Race. One involves a starting boat with the race committee on and a point across from them which creates your traditional starting line. For this type all the yachts are trying to fight for the best position to cross the line and have the advantage of the wind at the exact time the race starts. This is intense and involves some close manouvering with other yachts. The other start is a Le Mans start which is used for races where it isn’t possible to have a committee boat line up. This involves the boats lining up with their engines on and main sail hoisted and the fleet remaining in line with the middle (known as the lead) yacht. All of the crew must be behind the grinder and when the time is counted down the engines are switched off and the crew surge forward to hoist the agreed sail plan for the start of the race. This was quite fun and with everyone involved in the cheering and hoisting we even decided to do a random bobbing dance as the countdown started.

We started off well in race one and were in second place for a time. I was on Mother watch which means cooking duty! It was hard being down below and cooking at the angle. Being kind, I made the skippers a cup of tea only for them both to be needed on deck, the yacht to lurch over suddenly, the teas fly across the galley and empty themselves all over the back of my arm. Needless to say I screamed as it was quite a shock seeing as I had my back turned as I was washing up at the time! Risk assessments show I shouldn’t ever make the skipper a cuppa again! Oh and my shiny white new Henri Lloyd t-shirt is no longer so shiny as it sports a tea stain on the back of the arm – at least I know it’s mine. While we were washing up from lunch the sea state increased and it was hard going down below. I’m sorry to say there is another point on the vomit tally from me as being down below got all too much!

During my afternoon rest I was asleep and suddenly I was woken as I was flung into the side of the bunk (poor Sally was flung out of hers!) and heard a lot of activity on deck. The Code 2 spinnaker had broken! The watch on deck got it down and some of us now awake helped pull the tattered pieces of sail down below. Bye bye C2 and bye bye second place. Lucky no one was hurt and this is just the way it goes sometimes.

I was glad to be back on deck the next day after mother watch and ready to get going for the second race whichhad a Le Mans start. We were lead boat so everyone else had to line up with us which was fun. We started off well again and it was great to see the yachts chasing us as specks in the distance. The weather started off being dry and sunny for this race, however we experienced nearly the full spectrum as the race went on! One particularly low moment (but funny now) was when I was on for the foredeck and we were taking one of the Yankees down as the wind was building. It was hard going as by this point everything hurt but I made a good go and was lying on the sail to help keep it down. We were bouncing about on the waves and every now and then a wave would land on us. I hadn’t fully got to grips with the new waterproof I’d been issued so didn’t notice the smock had lifted up leaving my gaping salapets exposed just as another wave dumped on me. This meant it all went down the back of my trousers and I was soaked through!

We may not have won the second race either but we have learned a lot which puts us in good form for the real races ahead. The last day of training was used for drills such as man overboard, transferring stores (great fun, and what anyone tells you my line made it to the other yacht, just maybe landing on the bowsprit made it more challenging for the other crew to get but still a hits a hit!), transferring people and towing another yacht. We also talked through some disaster scenarios and what to do if pirates come our way.

I’m glad to have met more of the team and sailed with Daniel, my skipper. In Clipper Race terms I am now ocean ready having passed all four levels of training. I’ve come away feeling ready and that maybe this isn’t a dream but is real. Everything aches and I have some impressive bruises so hoping there is a point in the next year when my body gets used to this strain, wear and tear. Although the training is over, the adventure is yet to begin but I am looking forward to what this brings.

Thank you to Daniel, Diane and all the crew on aboard for my level 4 – it’s been great to get to know you and I look forward to sharing this journey together.

I’d like to dedicate this next blog to you. Yes you! Without my impressive list of supporters I would not be able to write this blog as my journey would have been over. However thanks to all you amazing people (over 120 of you!) who have supported me, I’ve been able to raise the required funds and pay my last bill to Clipper Ventures. Yes, I, Ruth Charles, have only gone and done it! You have all helped me to raise £25,000 which alongside my 25K loan means the total has been reached.

I have to admit that there have been times in the last few months when I didn’t think I would achieve this and that I was going to fail. There have been many sleepless nights worrying about what I was going to do – what else could I sell? Who else could I write to? Did I actually have along lost Uncle noone had ever told me about…?! What was even worse then the lack of sleep were the nights I did fall asleep and dream that someone donated the final amount only to wake up and realise that wasn’t the case at all! Thank you to those of you who have been at the end of the phone in those moments it has been too much who have listened to me as I’ve cried down the phone and you’ve helped me see a way through.

My thanks cannot be said enough. I’m overwhelmed by the support I’ve received and the stories behind each one of you believing in me and my dream. For some, I’m doing what they wished they had done or are unable to do. I’ve become emotional reading messages explaining donations – one from a friend who is starting chemotherapy and I’m their distraction and hope that dreams can come true. For others the support is because they want to thank me for what I’ve done for them or their children. Others think I’m just plain mad (quitting a perfectly good job? Giving up London life?!) and of course there are those who would happily pay to get rid of me for a year! Whatever their reason, I’m doing this journey for each and everyone of you.

The first hurdle is complete – even though I’ve had a lot of rejection through the process. From companies saying they are unable to support me, to the first crowdfunding online platform going into liquidation and my having to start all over again, these challenges have only made me stronger. I feel that now I really have earned my place on the Clipper round the world yacht race and am proving that Sir Robin is right in saying this race is for ‘anyone’.

Now the journey is stepping up a gear. I’m in my last few weeks of work (the ‘new me’ has been appointed), the packing has begun and in a few short weeks I will be joining CV29, my new home and my family in team Derry~Londonderry~Doire. What will be the greatest challenge? Or have I already been through that by raising the money? Only time will tell and I hope you will continue to support me by following my blog as this epic adventure unfolds.

People keep saying ‘you must be excited’ and yes I am, but I’m also on an emotional roller-coaster with many endings, turns and challenges to face. Some of me can’t wait for it all to start and a part wishes there were a few more weeks to fit everything in. I am proud of myself for getting this far and look forward to the roller-coaster continuing and being able to take on each challenge as it arises.

If you would like to support me financially then it isn’t too late! The more I raise now, the less debt I return to so feel free to visit my ‘donate’ page or drop me an email (ruth@ruthsailstheworld.org.uk).

Here is to Team Ruth – you are all incredible people and each one of you means a lot to me. In the darkest parts of the journey, it is knowing you all believe in me that will help me through. So thank you for joining me on the race of my life!

April 25th had seemed a long way in the future but before I realised it I was heading to the Guildhall in Portsmouth for Crew Allocation.

The nearer to the Guildhall I got the more I felt sick – I can only compare it to that of the feeling pre audition or exam where you are so nervous you don’t really know what to do with yourself. It’s odd really as all I had to do was walk in the building, sit down and wait for my name to be called. However that name call had everything riding on it. It was going to determine not only who my skipper was but the people I will spend eleven months with. For me that was a big deal! What if I don’t get on with them? What if they don’t like me? What if they aren’t as competitive as I am?

The Guildhall was a sea of red Clipper crew jackets – this didn’t help with my nerves as it made it even harder to spot familiar faces as the red jackets make everyone blend together as one mass. We had a Level 1 reunion and it was nice to catch up with people once more and we then all sat together to await our fate and support one another.

The wait however continued as before the crew announcements were made there were presentations to update us on all things Clipper. The start port was revealed – we are starting from St Katherine’s Dock, London on Sunday 30 August with Race 1 officially starting off Southend Pier on Monday 31 August. A location now known made things feel even more real and also exciting that I will start and end my round the world sailing in the city I’ve called home for the last eight years (who would have thought an Oyster card would be all I need to get there too!).

Finally the long wait was over and the 12 Clipper Race Skippers were introduced and called to the stage. Each one in turn would read half their crew and then, when everyone had been, the process would start again with the other half. At this point I really though I was going to be sick and my heart was beating so loudly it was hard to concentrate! Who was going to read my name? Who was going to read the names of the friends I was sitting with? Would any of us be on the same boat? What if my name wasn’t read at all and this was all a dream and not real? The entire Guildhall fell silent as the first skipper stood up, everyone eagerly awaiting their name to be called. Luckily for me I only had to wait for the 4th skipper to step forward before I heard my name. When it happened I didn’t know how to react, I just sat there in a stunned silence thinking this is it, this is my team, the wait is over. The process then became exciting as my friend Nick, who I was sitting next to, had his name called too. And then it continued to increase with excitement as two other names of people from my Level 1 were also called out – Kieran and Jo. In fact the four of us were sitting in a line together! As well as buddies from Level 1, Paul who was on my level 3 was also in the team. Suddenly all my nerves went and it changed to eager anticipation and excitement. What ever was to happen from here on in was going to be OK, I could feel it. We were all part of Team Daniel and followed the rest of the team to our break out room so that we could get our campaign up and running.

The rest of the day was spent as a team, finding out about one another and Daniel’s intentions for us and the team. I am not going to go into details here as you don’t know who might be reading this as after all they could be part of the opposition!!

Now the Team Daniel campaign has begun. I am already beginning to live and breathe itas in the week following Crew Allocation we all filled out questionnaires and from this Daniel has allocated roles to people. I am the Team Coordinator so there hasn’t been a day yet when emails haven’t been exchanged or spreadsheets worked on! We also now know our sponsor – Team Daniel, sailing CV29 are sponsored by Derry-Londonderry-Doire.

This adventure has started a new chapter – lots of my unknowns are no longer. All that’s left to do is raise the final few thousand pounds of the money I need to take part in this adventure of a lifetime and once that is in the bag the dream will be a reality!

It seems that Clipper Race training for me isn’t about gently easing into life onboard a racing yacht but more of a throw-me-in-the-deep-end sort of a challenge! The Clipper Race training programme is intended to do the latter, however the weather has its own agenda…

The first day of Level 3 training was a day in the classroom on an ISAF Offshore Safety at Sea course. This involved thinking about the worst case scenarios of things that could go wrong and discussing ways to overcome the situations. What would you do if the mast fell off? How would you react in the 6 seconds from keel falling off to capsizing? What do you need in the grab bag for your life to continue once you’ve been rescued? What can you do to help prevent any of this happening? (And staying on land is the wrong answer!). Ultimately one hopes that I, or any other Clipper Race team, never need to put this thinking into practice. However I am glad that we have thought about it while on dry land!

We then headed to find our home for the remainder of the week, CV 22 and our training team of Skipper Jan and Mate Dave. This was the first chance to try out a Clipper 70 too, which is the type of yacht we will be racing on. The 70s are a different design from the 68s which I have done my previous training on. The deck is much more open and the crew closer together which makes communications during evolutions a lot easier and also there are two steering gears so you can helm from either side. Below decks the bunks are mainly aft and the galley is in a central point. The sails have a separate sail locker which helps minimise the amount of water coming down below and the navigation station is all the way aft. There are however more low points and therefore risk of banging your head is highly increased!

As we were preparing for leaving Gosport and going through the safety briefs, all twelve of the 2015/16 Race Skippers walked past on the way to their training. It was an odd feeling as I found myself sort of staring at them, like you do celebrities, and wondering which one of them will become my boss for the race? I had to admit that they all looked much friendlier then their official photos make them out to be which is reassuring!

The first day on the water was a great way to get used to the new deck layout and remind ourselves where everything is and what it does. I think I prefer the layout on the 70s as all the jammers which hold the lines are near each other. I know not all agree with me as some found it more confusing having everything so near. There are also two grinders which can either work together or independently for different winches so the learning began in remembering which one was engaged and if they were linked or not! The other noticeable difference is the amount of lean that the boat does. It is a much steeper angle than on the 68s although she still feels smooth going through the water despite the lean. Using the heads however is an increased challenge at the angle! (I challenge you readers to attempt a reconstruction of using the toilet at a 45 degree lean!)

The weather forecast gave indications that the conditions could become a little lively as the days progressed. I’ve come to accept that gale force warnings are the norm on clipper training but this was a new experience for others amongst the crew.

We managed one day of learning about and sailing under spinnaker. For those of you who don’t know, a spinnaker has a massive sail area and is flown at the front of the boat and used for downwind sailing. There are three different sizes designed for certain wind speeds. There is a set way to stow the sails in their sail bag which makes it possible to hoist it without it getting caught in any rigging and so that the sail doesn’t fill with wind until it is up. This involves a process called ‘wooling’ which involves laying the sail out down below and rolling each side up into a sort of sausage and then tying with strips of wool. The wool is strong enough to hold the rolls in place but weak enough to break once the sail is up and filling with wind. Sailing with the spinnaker up involves continuous trimming with the sheets as you have to make sure it isnever too tight, as then you don’t have the power, but not too loose so that it get caught around the forestay. There is real team work involved and it was great to see us all working together even after such a short period of knowing one another. I hope my race crew gels this quickly too.

We continued sailing and started the watch system with the intention of sailing over night to Weymouth. The wind was beginning to build which meant that we were flying along and the lean was even greater. Sleeping during the off watch was a challenge. I’d managed to climb into my bunk and adjust it for the lean with out disaster. However when I was just dozing off I heard the sound of winches and realise the boat had tacked so my bunk was therefore at the wrong angle. After the third time this happened I gave up any hope of managing to get my bunk to the right angle and tried just to sleep at a funny angle. Needless to say this wasn’t so successful (thanks Port watch!) so I returned to watch somewhat bleary eyed. On the race this will be less of an issue as tacking won’t happen as often so you should be able to set the bunk and it remain at that angle for your 2.5 hours kip!

We had made it to Weymouth and were sailing around the bay. When we got the latest weather forecast the decision was made not to go in to Weymouth but to head back towards the Isle of Wight as the weather was turning and predictions of gale force 10 winds coming our way! The fog and rain decided to join the party which made the Needles look impressive as they appeared through the mist on the approach to the Isle of Wight, but made navigation harder work. Dave however helmed us through seamlessly making us all hope we would be that good at helping one day too. We all learnt a valuable lesson about sailing with reefs in when it’s raining. If you tack and are near where the sail bags up as the boom goes over you get a load of water dumped on your head. We all thank Peter for experiencing this on our behalf so that we could all learn from his experience!

Arriving in Cowes was quite fun as you forgot how big the Clipper 70 is compared to the average yacht in the marina. Everyone watched us come alongside (no pressure there then!) and we had a regular stream of people on the pontoon standing and staring at us! When you’re at sea you don’t feel big at all but in fact quite insignificant compared to what Mother Nature throws at you but by land you become imposing and large in the yacht world.

Because of the weather we stayed sheltered in Cowes overnight and for most of the next day. We used this time to learn more theory about racing (on level 3 you are meant to experience racing but as we were the only level 3 out we won everything by default!) and the type of racing starts that happen during the Clipper Race. A group of us got acquainted with the nav station and learnt what every single button and switch is for and how it is used (there really is a switch for everything on the switch panel). We also learnt how to maintain a winch by taking it apart and putting it back together again and did some winching drills.

As the weather eased (it was now only a force 9…!) we headed out on to the Solent for one final sail. We had the storm jib and trisail up which are designed for stormy weather. It was amazing that even with such small sail area we were still making 7.5 knots and even managed a spell of downwind goose winging! (When the jib floats to the opposite side to the main sail, as the wind is directly behind you).

Before we knew it we were back in Gosport and safely tied up once more. The only thing left for us the following day was the joyous deep clean. It’s a bit like a reversal of an IKEA flat pack furniture build just without the instructions on how to re assemble! Everything is taken off the boat and along with everything left it is cleaned and anti backed and then returned to the right place. This is a massive team effort and you can really smell the difference when it’s complete!!

I also got to have my first taste of the top of the mast on a Clipper 70 as I was lucky enough to do the rig check. It’s impressive looking down on the yacht from the top of the mast and I can’t wait for the first chance I get to do this at sea!

Now readers I’m sure your all wanting to know what the vomit stakes are like on this week of sailing. I’m happy to report that I remained vomit free for all the time! Let’s not read into the fact we did a lot of down wind sailing nor the sea state being less then on level 2 but take the positives that maybe the vomit tunnel will not always be something I have to contend with (famous last words and all..!).

I have met another great group of people and enjoyed sailing with them. Being on a clipper 70 makes the Clipper Race all the more real. It’s not long now until Crew Allocation when I will find out who my skipper and team are. My focus will then be completely on the team and preparing for the race. I wonder how many of the people I have sailed with will be teamies and how many competition? Will we remain friends if we are on separate teams or will the competitiveness take over? I hope that we are still all talking to each other and that isn’t the case!

Thank you to my level 3 crew for building my confidence, inspiring me and firing me up for what is to come. Jan and Dave were a great teaching combination, Starboard watch made watches fun (myself, Nick, Allen, Sergej and Trudy) and to Port watch were all lovely too even if they tried their best to throw us out our bunks (Jo, Peter, Mike, Sharon and Paul).

I am looking forward to the challenge ahead, the people I will meet, the times that will test me and times I will grow. I have learnt so much thus far and hope that this continues throughout the race. The next stage is daunting and exciting and I hope you continue to read my progress as I (hopefully) make it through. Now to go and nurse my peeling hands!

I am very grateful to Simon Taylor and all at Boroughbridge Marina for supporting me through help with getting the kit I need for the Clipper Race. Sailing round the world involves acquiring a number of specialist items, from technical clothing to dry bags, to ensure everything stay dry throughout the race. All this adds up, so the fact that Boroughbridge Marina was able to offer me a special discount has made a significant difference to my kit budget.

As well has having a chandlery and boat sales, Boroughbridge Marina offers fully floating pontoons, marina facilities, cruiser lifting, boat hard standing and trailer storage, slipway facilities and engineering services. All this in easy reach of the A1 and River Ure. Do having a look at their website which can be found here.

Level 2 Clipper Race training began with a day-long Sea Survival course. This involved a day in a classroom learning about all the things that could go wrong and the theory of what to do in each circumstance. We learnt everything from distress signals to when you should pee on entering a life raft (!). The day ended with a two hour pool session where we very quickly got to know each other as we learned how to tow a casualty and stay together in the sea as well as launching and getting into a life raft. We also had a team race to see who could link together their entire team and swim a length of the pool (obviously it goes without saying the team I was in won -whoop!). It is incredibly hard to swim when your lifejacket is inflated and even harder to pull yourself up the ladder into the raft. A life raft is a bit like a floating bouncy castle in that it is inflatable (although not for jumping on!). My first attempt on getting in the raft ended in a near quick exit straight out the other side! Luckily attempt two, which was when we had a team scenario, was much more successful and my group managed to get everyone in safely. They aren’t very big inside and I can’t imagine what it would be like to be in one for a long period of time in a choppy sea. I really hope that I never have to put my training into action although I am glad to have had the pool experience to prepare me further for the sailing adventure.

After the sea survival course we all headed to Clipper race training HQ to find our yachts, and homes, for the remainder of the week. I had been allocated CV2, which seemed like home as this was the same yacht I had done half my level 1 training on (read my blog about level 1 to find out why only half the week!). It was also nice to see familiar faces from level 1 with Jo and I being allocated the same yacht and Jono was our skipper once more. Our training began straight away and ended with just enough time to make a visit to the local pub before the day was over.

The next morning we awoke bright eyed and bushy tailed all eager to get to sea. Unfortunately there were a few stumbling blocks in the way with regards to the weather! We went out in the afternoon for a sail with the plan of returning to Gosport that evening because there was bad weather planned and our skipper didn’t want to throw us in the deep end. We were in the Solent, when we hoisted the mainsail and then went to put the reefs in (the wind was strong!). As this happened there was an odd sound and reefing lines 2 and 3 both snapped! This put a halt to our sail and we dropped the sails and headed back to the marina. Readers please note however that we girls of CV2 made a ‘no shower’ pact as we were meant to be at sea and decided we weren’t allowed to shower until we returned at the end of the training.

The following morning we waited for the Clipper repair team to come and fix the reefing lines which they did without a hitch. So again the crew of CV2 eagerly awaited the call to depart when we were then informed that an embargo had been put on all vessels for movements in the marina due to the weather (we were getting gusts of 40kts tied up!). Sadly, although the yachts are built for the wind, they aren’t at all manoeuvrable under engine and there was no way of getting safely out of the marina. We carried on with training as best we could and practiced man overboard with the manikin ‘Bob’ being rescued from the pontoon! Finally the wind eased and we were able to slip our mooring lines and head off out to sea.

We successfully managed to hoist our storm sails and start sailing on the Solent. We then changed to our mainsail which involved me going up the mast to get the storm sail down. You would have thought gravity would have helped but it got stuck and it was quite a challenge to get it down successfully – good job I’m confident up a mast and dangling on one leg! After that we managed to get the reefed main up and the new reefing lines did their job. We did a few evolutions to remind ourselves how to tack and also did a man overboard drill before going into the watch system. The watch system we were following was 4 hour watches during day light and 3 hour watches at night. This meant that you slept in short bursts which was an odd experience as in a 24 hour period you went to bed 4 or so times so you never quite knew which day you were on! Lucy and I successfully survived mother watch which involved cooking the dinner for everyone and then went to bed ready for our first night watch. When we were woken for watch it was then apparent that a number of our fellow crew mates had join green watch i.e seasick. I felt OK until, as I was putting my oilskins and life jacket on to prepare to go on deck, two people vomited in front of me and the smell was something else. I dashed on deck and started out to sea in the hope that all would be all right. Sadly it didn’t take long for me to make an inspection of the stern of the ship, obviously just to make sure it hadn’t fallen off or anything…! I kept going and was asked to helm which I did. Thankfully Lucy wasn’t too far away from me so we did a double act so that every now and then I would say ‘Lucy please take the wheel’ then I would disappear for a few moments and then you would hear ‘I’m back’ and I would take the wheel again! Out of the six members of starboard watch (the watch I was in) only three of us made it on deck for the first part of night watch which meant that both the skipper and the mate stayed on watch with us. There was one somewhat stressful time for me when I was helming and the rest of those on deck, who were in any fit state to work, were all forward sorting out the storm jib. Well the motion of the ocean got to me again but there was nothing I could do. I couldn’t let go of the wheel, nor could I spew on my feet so I just had to do all in my power to keep us sailing in a straight line and not be sick. I was somewhat relieved when the team returned and someone was able to take the wheel for me! You may be interested to know where the rest of the watch were. One member was sent to bed as they were very cold and ill, another decided to fall asleep in one of the heads with their head literally in the bowl (nice!) and another was on deck with us but getting someone acquainted with Bob (the man overboard dummy) who was somewhat covered in said person’s stomach contents! Apologies if that is too much detail for you readers but I wanted you to have a feel for what we were going through! I was very glad when Port watch arrived and I was able to go to my bunk for some sleep. 2.5 hour later we were woken to go back on watch. Luckily for me although I still feel nauseous, I was able to carry on and wasn’t sick again.

We continued in the watch pattern and were all glad to see day light as that seemed to make everything a little easier for everyone. We’d done one circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight and were back in the Solent where more drills were carried out. We had a full crew meeting and it was decided to carry on sailing and to do another circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight. This was slightly mind messing as we were often feeling, ‘have we seen that before?’ when of course we had the previous day! The second night at sea found all six members of Starboard watch on deck together (well for part of the night anyway!) and more of us had stopped being sick (although sadly for some this continued). By this point the last few days were taking their toll and we were all tired. I was finding it hard to stay awake at one point on watch which was soon sorted out as a cold icy wave appeared out of nowhere and I took it full in the face – most definitely awake for the rest of the watch after that! The second night at sea made the drills go more smoothly as we were all getting into the swing of life at sea and things were becoming a little easier to cope with.

Once the sun had come up we were all told the watch system was over and all crew would remain up for the rest of the day. This allowed us to continue with training and carry out tasks such as racing headsail change and of course more man overboard drills (and oh my did Bob need a wash after all the spewing on him!). We were also lucky enough to be treated to a show while we munched on our lunches by Ben Ainslie who was out training and sped by us a couple of times in his catamaran. The day time hours pass a lot quicker than the night ones do and before long it was time to drop all the sails and head back to Gosport marina once more. We were treated to an impressive sunset while we stowed the sails.

The pact was over and we had all survived and very much enjoyed the shower on return to land. It’s odd really as while you are sailing you don’t care about these things. There isn’t time to do more then sail, sleep and eat (ok and vomit) and you are all in it together only caring about sailing the yacht along. However once you can see showers you suddenly think about the lack of washing that has occurred until then!

The last day together involved the deep clean of CV2and rig check. I was lucky enough to get to go and do half the rig check which involves being winched to the top of the mast. I also had to change the steaming light bulb while I was there. I taught everyone a lesson in how not to do things… I was sent up with the skipper’s phone so that I could take photos of any defects while I was up the mast. This was all going well until I got lowered to the first spreader and went to look underneath it for defects, thus tipping backwards slightly. Suddenly I felt something falling… you guessed it reader, it was the skipper’s phone! I took a sharp intake of breath and then saw it hit the deck and luckily bounce inboard. It didn’t half make a thud! Even falling from this great height remarkably only the screen smashed and I have had reports it is now fully working again. Not the best thing to do to any object but especially not the skipper’s phone! We did a good deep clean and then level 2 was over.

Level 2 has definitely got me thinking. We were wet and at times cold for three days and out of the 12 crew onboard 10 of us were seasick. Am I going to be able to sustain this for 11 months? There were however a lot of laughs to be had along the way and we know that there will be dark time throughout the journey, like there can be in life on land. I just hope that the crew I’m in for the race contains at least half the amount of laughs we had in the training as these are the moments you live for and keep you going. Take the icy cold wave that hit me in the face. Yes it was cold but it was also quite funny as if I had turn a milli second later it would have hit the back of my hood instead. Or the variety of different approaches to seasickness -although you feel horrid while it was happening once the sun came up and we all started to feel better and you could have written a lifetime’s supply of comedy sketches from just our crew. The further I get into the clipper journey the more you realise it not just about sailing. Anyone can learn that part but it is the people you meet that make the experience worth it. I mean who in their right mind would sign up to spend 11 months in cramped conditions, being wet and cold, vomiting on a regular basis, changing you underwear once a week and showering rarely? I have, because despite all that I am really realising what an amazing experience I am part of and how much this experience is going to shape me. I have come through smiling thus far and intend that this will be the case for the rest of my training and the race itself.

So thank you Skipper Jono and Mate Paul for you guidance and teaching. Lucy, Ed, Dave, Ana, and Helen (aka Starboard watch), Jo, Denis, David, Roz, Charlie and John (aka Port watch) for making me realise I can do this. I wish you all the best for your own journey and believe you can all do this too. See you on the water!

January saw the first Clipper Race Crew briefing of 2015 with eager crew members gathering in London to find out what information we were to be given. The first duty was to have our photo taken which will be used on the crew photos once crews have been allocated. This was the first sight we got of the Henri Lloyd Rio jackets we are issued as this was the outfit for our photos! Once inside there was a buzz of crew eagerly awaiting the briefing to begin.

What made this briefing more enjoyable than previous Clipper Race gatherings was that I was able to see some of the people I had done my level 1 training with (big hello to Barry, Emma, Jo, Mandy and Nick!). It was good to catch up and hear what they had been up to and continue to form friendships with them as well as meeting new people. I can feel my Clipper family is forming and growing in size at each briefing and training I take part in.

There were a number of presentations to us from different member of the Clipper Race team. This included our first speech by Sir Robin Knox Johnson who welcomed us to the Clipper Race family and reminded us that the journey was to become ocean racing sailors. He seems a genuine down to earth sort of chap. You couldn’t help but become excited about what is to come after listening to him – and Sir Robin, I’m waiting for you to pop onto my yacht with my bowline at the ready!

The biggest announcement of the day was the official start date for the 2015/16 Clipper Race. This is going to be Sunday 30th August from a yet to be confirmed port in the south of the UK. That’s 33 weeks time which really isn’t that far away! Now that I know this it is a slightly odd feeling. It makes everything more real. In 33 weeks time, little old me will be setting off on the adventure of a lifetime. Just typing that brings a smile to my face along with a few butterflies in my tummy. Even though at this stage not everything is confirmed I at least have a date to work towards with regards to selling my stuff and packing up my life to go away fro 11 months. Its odd to think, sitting here typing this blog, that by the time I go everything around me will have either been sold to help raise more money or put into storage.

After the briefing we were all treated to a glass of bubbly from the official Clipper Race wine supplier Stormhoek which was a lovely way to end the briefing and gave another chance to mingle with fellow crew.

We also had the chance to go and have a look around one of the Clipper 70s which was in St Katherine’s Dock for the occasion. This gave me another opportunity to have a good look and poke about at what my floating home will be like.

2015, my race year is here and the briefing really brought home that fact. The next time we will meet en masse like this will be crew allocation in April when I will find out who my Skipper is and the fellow crew with whom I will sail with.

For now I need to remain focused on the fundraising as I still have funds to raise to pay the final few instalments to Clipper Ventures. I am very grateful to everyone who has supported me so far and was very lucky in the amount of donations I received over Christmas so thank you to each one of you. There is still time to support me if you are able and I continue to be on the hunt for a business that would be interested in sponsoring me also, so if anyone reading this can help please get in touch with me.

Let the 33 week countdown begin!

On Friday evening I experienced something incredible which touched me so much I don’t know how to respond. Three amazing people, Emma B, Emma P and Charlotte came to me a few months ago and said they wanted to do something to help with my Clipper Race fundraising. All are linked to the Brownie group I run as either a fellow leader or a parent of one of the girls. What they achieved has gone so much over my expectations that I am sharing this with you all in my blog.

What the team arranged was a quiz night with silent auction. All I had to do was write the nautical round, be quiz master and bake some cakes, the rest the team sorted! The Brownies got involved with the evening too by creating a round of questions, making Christmas decorations to sell and some current girls, as well as those who are now too old, helped on the evening in various ways too.

The hall was filled with seven quiz teams with a mixture of people who knew one another as well as teams created on the night. The first thing I found overwhelming were the number of people in the room who had all come to support me in my dream. I was actually quite worried about giving my speech as although I enjoy talking, I’m not very good at speaking about myself. I tried to give people a sense of who I was and  an insight into what I’ve signed up to do. I was also able to reflect on the fact that my first experience of being a leader was when I was 8 years old and became a Sixer as a Brownie and has to lead a small group of girls. Being involved with guiding has cultivated my sense of adventure and challenge and all the skills I have learnt will stand me in good stead  during the race.

Before the evening started, Emma B had mentioned a total that the team were aiming to raise for me. I was stunned when she said they were aiming for £1000 (I was thinking a few hundred pounds would have been a success). One of Charlotte’s daughters said that if we reached that total she would have a bucket of ice-cold water poured over her head so I declared that if the total was more then £1500 then the same would happen to me.

As the evening progressed, the silent action bids were updated on a big screen (all the prizes had been generously donated) as the quiz went on. At the break for fish and chips, the total was reaching the £750 mark – I couldn’t believe it.

The first round after dinner was one which the Brownies had helped create. It followed the concept of ‘family fortunes’ in that the girls had all been asked a set of questions and the teams had to try and guess their top answers. Emma P had then videoed the girls asking the questions along with ending with a video message from the Brownies to those who were at the quiz. It was fun to watch the parents of the girl’s faces when the answers were revealed, which included showing the answers that didn’t make the top three, with the parents hoping it wasn’t their daughter who has answered in that way (in answer to the question ‘name a capital city’ someone had written France as being their answer!).

During the final round the silent auction team were calculating the total amount that the auction had raised. Suddenly I was aware that it was being announced this total was over £1500 and so the bucket of ice water was being prepared… I couldn’t believe it! I was so unprepared for the total to be that great that I hadn’t thought the water was going to be coming anywhere near me and didn’t have a change of clothes with me or even a towel! My improvisation was to raid the Brownie cupboard for some spare uniform so that at least I could keep my dress dry to get the bus home in. As you will see from the video at the bottom of this blog, it was a somewhat cold experience, and yes I was still somewhat soggy when I got the bus home!

I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who supported the event. To the most amazing team for making it all possible and everyone who came along and took part. I couldn’t have dreamed that the final total would be as high as it is, and I am utterly grateful for each and every penny.

In total, the evening has raised a whopping £2001.39 which equates to sending me another 1601.1 miles on my journey. I hope that I can inspire the girls who attend my Brownies that they too can follow their dreams.

When I signed up to do my Level 1 training for the Clipper Race in October I was expecting that the elements would give me a taste of what is to come. Well they certainly didn’t disappoint me in this instance!

The idea behind the Level 1 training is to ease you into the ways of the Clipper Race and give you the chance to start sailing in their way. You get shown the basics and complete the RYA Competent Crew Certificate, which shows you have gained a basic knowledge of how to sail a yacht.

I didn’t get off to a very good start in that between my flat and the station I lost my Oyster card. For those non-Londoners out there this is like losing your car keys as you suddenly realise you are stuck and can’t travel anywhere… luckily for me there are good people in this world and it was handed in. However it did mean I missed the train I intended to catch, so was somewhat stressed on my final arrival at Clipper Training HQ in Gosport!

The yacht we had been assigned for the six days was CV2 which is one of the Clipper 68s which had completed 4 circumnavigations of Clipper Races. We were met by our training skipper Jono and mate, Nigel and led to the yacht which would be our home for the following six nights. I had been quite worried about going on the training as this made everything somewhat real – what if I didn’t like it? What if I wasn’t any good? What if I hadn’t packed something vital? What if this was all a big mistake?

There were ten of us on the training in total with a mixture of ages and backgrounds. It was great to see a friendly face amongst the crew as I had met Mandy the day we were both interviewed at the start of our Clipper Race journeys last December. We were put into pairs to carry out different duties from being engineers, to the ‘chosen ones’, to cooking and making sure the kettle was on as mother watch.

The weather certainly decided that is was going to test us Clipper Race novices out somewhat as the Solent was filled with 40kt winds, thunder, lightning and hail (which was a big shock to Michel who is from Barbados – what ice falling from the sky?!). This did mean however that practising putting reefs in was not just an exercise but a necessity for us.

For our first man overboard drill, I was the ‘chosen one’ which meant I became the swimmer to rescue the casualty ‘Bob’ from the water. This involved having a halyard attached to the climbing harness and being lowered into the sea to grab hold of the casualty and be winched back onto the boat. ‘Bob’ is a full sizes dummy that weighs 75kg before getting wet so it really is like seeing a person in the water and having to recover them. It was hard work once I had clipped ‘Bob’ on to the rescue line as I also had to hold the weight as we were winched up together. I have to say that I hope this never happens for real but carrying our the drills will make all the difference if the unfortunate has to happen. We not only had man overboard drill but an accidental bucket overboard situation which unfortunately ended in said bucket not surviving the rescue as it sunk just as we had turned the yacht back to make the rescue!

It wasn’t just the weather that decided to test us out as a crew either as we also encountered engine problems. This caused us to have a close encounter with a warship leaving Portsmouth as we had to make an abrupt U-turn on discovering smoke coming from the engine as we left the marina! This resulted in having to shift yacht and continue the remainder of the training on CV9 which had subtle differences to CV2, just to add to the confusions!

I learnt a lot during the training, from how to hank on a sail, use winches (both things that I hadn’t encountered in my previous sailing as the Tall Ship is winchless and the sails always attached!), how responsive the helming is, the process of setting the main sail, stay sail and yankees and how cumbersome it is to get the sails in and out of the sail locker. I also had a wardrobe fail in that it turns out waterproof trainers are only any good when the water in beneath you and not when waves come crashing over your head! This ended in my rocking the very sexy plastic-bag-over-ones-socks look which I am sure you will be seeing on a catwalk near you soon..!

Over the days we all came to realise how physically demanding sailing a racing yacht is – there were bits of my body that were aching that I didn’t even know existed until this point!

It also became apparent that seasickness is going to be something I need to combat – although Level 1 is mainly day sailing so I spent a lot of time feeling sick rather than getting through that feeling and out the other side (something to look forward to on level 2…). Its odd how some people are affected and others are not and I wonder how far round the world I will be before it isn’t a recurring problem. Don’t worry though readers as I did vow will my fellow crew that I would start a Vom blog so that you can all keep up to date with my progress with this one too (so far it’s Ruth 1, vomit 0 as I didn’t actually feed the fish)! Saying this however it didn’t stop me from enjoying the experience – even being permanently wet and looking like a prune.

One of the most exciting things for me was going up the mast. Those of you who already know me are aware that I enjoy being up high! I’m not sure my crewmates were as enthusiastic when they realised they had to winch me to the top of the mast. I was however appreciative for their efforts. Everything is about team work and communication as without this I could have plummeted back down to the deck at an alarming rate or still be swinging about up there!

Before we knew it the training was over and it was time to experience our first deep clean – this involves scrubbing every single inch of the yacht! I am happy to say that nothing I experienced has put me off my dream. I know it is going to be hard, exhausting and emotional but the feeling of helming the yacht, being at the top of the mast and facing the elements head on will be worth all the sacrifices that I am making.

I will look back fondly on my Level 1 and look forward to seeing those I was training with again on the water, if not as a fellow crew-mate then I will look out for them behind me in the race. 😉 See you soon Nick (the other half or Ruick), Emma and Barry (Emarry), Kieran and Jo (Kiero), Jacky and Michel (Jackel), Mandy and Peter (Maneter) and thank you to Jono and Nigel for putting up with my madness!