Cape Breton Island Crew Diary - Jim Webster

by Jim Webster on 11 Dec 2009 Carol, our Paparazzi Director, asked me what the difference is between blue water racing and racing round the cans on the Clyde with a close group of friends out of Inverkip in Scotland. Ashore there is not much difference – general madness, very bad jokes and a shared love of mojitos, although so far on the Clipper Race the Cape Breton Island crew have not been asked to leave any premises by the management (give it time).

On the water other than the sheer vastness of the distance between start and finish, the sometime ferocity of the Southern Ocean, the fact I haven’t had a shower since race start, my clothes are generally damp, my bunk regularly moves through four-six metres vertical movement due to the swell, there is a guy with a large base drum banging it intermittently in my ear as we hit waves, a cold wind from a polar ice sheet, I only sleep three hours sleep at a time other than when I am on mother watch, packing spinnakers the size of a tennis court in rolling seas, the danger of broaching while flying kite in 30nm of wind in very lumpy seas, racing a boat more than twice the size, having to bake our own bread...there isn’t much difference!

The camaraderie that has developed in the last two weeks amongst a very diverse group of individuals from different backgrounds and countries is the same as at home, although I have known many of my crew mates for a very short period of time I am sure I will keep in contact with many of them for years to come.

Jim