Ocean Globe Race: Jan 3 - A turning point - Brian Hancock Daily Blog #98

Explorer - Southern Ocean - Ocean Globe Race - January 2, 2024 © OGR-2023

The Ocean Globe race is a no technology crewed race around the world sailing the the traditional four leg Whitbread Round the World Race course. The Ocean Globe Race celebrates 50 years of Whitbread Round the World race, boats and sailors. Brian Hancock, a noted Round the World sailor and writer is providing a daily blog for the Ocean Globe Race. Here's the January 2 edition - #98 in the series:

The crew on Explorer are still enjoying champagne sailing as they make their way up the Tasman.

A steady 10-15kts from behind and a spinnaker flying. There is a pothole ahead that could cause some extra grey hair, but that's life.

Sterna - well, they are trucking along in a good old-fashioned South African way. "Just make tracks each and every day," is how my Mum put it. "One foot in front of the other."

I think that she might have wanted me to become a doctor, but instead, I became a sailor. I didn't mean to, but sometimes things just happen, and for the 45 or so years since I left South Africa to go sailing, it has been a charmed life.

I have met two Kings (of Norway and Spain). One Princess, as in Diana, who was and will always be the Peoples' Princess, who was more beautiful in real life than in photos.

I have met more senators than I care to remember and I almost got to meet a US President, until some wank*r shot him and President Reagan had to cancel our little shindig at the White House.

Pity because I heard that they have good snacks there but probably a good thing because at the time I was one of those "Illegal Immigrants."

More about the Princess in later update. Let's talk about Translated 9.

Now this boat had a huge effect on my life, well to be more specific, the original skipper had a huge effect on who I was to become.

Clare Francis did the single-handed Transatlantic race back in 1976. She was cute and blond. She is still cute but a little older (we all are) but I was so impressed as a young kid that I started dreaming of sailing around the world.

She wrote a great book called "Come Hell or High Water." It's sitting in my bookshelf right next to where I am writing this.

Clare went on to skipper ADC Accutrack in the '77/78 Whitbread with a mixed crew, meaning both men and women. That boat is now Translated 9 and I'm told that it has been immaculately restored.

I didn't go on board in Southampton; I was too shy to ask and as pathetic as this sounds, having sailed over a quarter million miles offshore, I was too shy to say "Hi" to Clare at the Veteran's Dinner a couple of days before the start of Leg 1.

True story. Let's just keep going.

The boats and sailors will be back at sea soon and there will be new memories and new stories.

Now I have to face the music and get my car inspected.

About the author: Brian Hancock (RSA) is a sailmaker, racing yacht sailor and writer. He has sailed more than 250,000nm; competed in many transoceanic events including three Whitbread Round the World Races - 1981 Alaska Eagle (U.S.A.); 1985 Drum (United Kingdom); and 1989, Fazisi (Soviet Union); he is a writer on sailing topics. For The Ocean Globe Race Ocean Globe Race Brian is writing a day by day account based on his previous experiences in the Whitbread Round the World Race and other events, often related to the current position of the lead competitors on the Ocean Globe Race course.

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