Malcolm gives a talk about his adventure

Malcolm will be giving a talk about his sailing adventure on Sat 20th September in Solihull Methodist Church Hall. Tickets will be £6 each with a major part of this going to the Educaid charity and Malcolm's three nominated cancer charities. The ticket price will also include a pudding at half time. The evening starts at 7.30 and will finish between 9.30 and 10.00.

Please request tickets at malcolmandcathy@btinternet.com

It is recognised that the location of the talk will preclude quite a number of the Malcolm's blog readership!!!!!!!!

The Great Adventure comes to an end. Wow, what an end!

My last blog ended with us preparing for the last short race from Den Helder (Holland) down to Southend-on-Sea and the final Parade of Sail up the Thames to St Katharine Docks. One thing we had not anticipated was our skipper, Vicky, coming to the whole crew and saying that we had developed into such an efficient and competent crew that she would step back and allow us to develop our own strategy for the race, be responsible for all routing decisions and to sail the boat as we deemed necessary. She would retain overall responsibility for our and the boat’s safety and all legal requirements placed upon a skipper. This was both a surprising and daunting thing to hear.

So our preparations were extra rigorous and heightened our excitement and apprehension about the race. On the day before the race, we attended the usual whole fleet race briefing by the Race Director of Clipper. He gave us all the usual information including the weather forecasts for each 12 hours up to 48 hours from the start. These indicated that the winds would be good to start with but would lighten as we got closer to the Thames. However, if the boats managed to do faster speeds, he had set two additional routes to ensure that we arrived at the marshalling point and finish line at Southend by 7.30am on Saturday the 12th July.

He also made a special point about drugs. Holland has a more liberal attitude to soft drugs than the UK but he stated that under no circumstances should any one on the 12 yachts take any substances on board no matter how small the amount. The penalties if found would be arrest for the person responsible, arrest of the skipper of the yacht and the name of Clipper being brought into disrepute. The warning was stern. After his presentation, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston got up to speak about the end of the race, how proud he was of all the crew members who had taken part and also added a rider. He emphasised the power of Customs and Excise by telling us that whilst he was taking part in the Queen’s Pageant on the Thames on his boat, Suhaili, he was boarded by Customs and Excise during the celebrations. I think he declared that he had a couple of bottles of Scotch on board as the weather was a little inclement!

Race day held quite a surprise. A relatively strong wind was blowing and once the race had started, the sea state became a little lumpy. The North Sea down to the Thames Estuary is full of Traffic Separation Zones (ship’s motorways), oil rigs, massive wind farms, fishing vessels and narrow channels between sand banks and we had to be on our most alert all the time. We were in the middle of the pack and doing quite well until we heard that the whole fleet were going quicker than expected due to the increased wind speeds and that we were then sent back up the east coast of England to and beyond Great Yarmouth. By this time the seas had taken on a quite choppy character mainly due to its shallow nature, the tides and the wind. Crew members began to feel ill. At one point we had to change our foresail, something that would and should take about 15 minutes from getting the sail onto the deck, attaching it and getting it hoisted. We took a lot longer because the three people up on the bow undertaking this job were coping with high winds, waves crashing over them and all three being sea sick simultaneously. They battled on whilst being violently sick but the result was that the whole operation took one and a half hours and we dropped to the back of the field.

We managed to make up two places once we turned south and the sailing became easier running before the wind. At about 10.30pm we passed the finish line in 10thplace and with a great deal of relief and excitement, we all cheered, shook hands and hugged. For the Round the Worlders, this was the end of an 11 month adventure. For me it was the end of an amazing experience over three months.

We then slowly motored around a set area until dawn and took it in turns to get some sleep. At 7.30am we were all had breakfast and then started our journey up intoLondon. We cleaned various parts of the boat, mainly the galley as other areas had been deep cleaned in Den Helder. As we passed through the Thames barrier we hoisted our banners and flags and conducted the Parade of Sail upto Tower Bridge. There were thousands of people on the river sides and many in spectator boats. Many people in the apartments which were once warehouses came out to wave at us. The weather in Southend had been drizzly and murky but as we approached the city the sun came out and the day was glorious. All the hard work we had done on board, mainly with muscles in the upper body came into great effect as we waved and waved and waved to supporters.

I knew that a large group of family and friends were coming down to welcome me home. The yachts came into St Katharine Docks in reverse order of race position and so it was some time before Switzerland entered in 5th position. I had spotted a few Swiss flags as we arrived at Tower Bridge but was not prepared for the solid wall of red T-shirts bearing white crosses and Team Malcolm on the back as we berthed in front of them. It is a good job that we were wearing dark glasses as the tears of joy flowed. Team Malcolm were amazing and made the most noise of any supporters for all the boats. So load was it that the young lady commentating from the pontoon for the whole event asked “Who and where is Malcolm?” I went over to the side of the boat to tell her it was me and found myself being interviewed live and broadcast to the whole crowd.

After celebratory drinks on the boat, the whole crew of Switzerland plus other “Leggers” who had joined us went to the main stage to be presented to the crowd and then we were free to meet with family and friends. Team Malcolm swept me off and after a quick and totally necessary shower, we had a lovely dinner in a Thames-side restaurant and I must say it was all a blur.

On Sunday morning I was able to take a number of them onto the boat so that they could see the living conditions down below and how the boat worked. My 82 year mum was able to get on board and she along with most of the others stated that I must have been mad to have taken part!

This was due to have been my last hours aboard “Heidi”, but a conversation with Rachel, our daughter, when she visited me in Derry with Cathy, led to an extension of two days to the adventure. We had been told that in order to get the boats back to their home at Gosport, anyone volunteering to do the delivery sail could bring a family member or friend along for the sail. I had originally declined the chance but Rachel expressed interest and had some leave from work available. When else do you get the opportunity to sail on a 70ft ocean racing yacht that has just circumnavigated the world?  So she signed up and having missed the finish due to being a bridesmaid to one of her bridesmaids, she travelled to London on Sunday and stayed over in readiness for getting on the boat on Monday.

We motor sailed down the Thames and then headed off around Kent. We had 15 on board and took up the watch patterns we used throughout the race. The sea became a bit lumpy and conditions down below were quite hot. This led to Rachel to become familiar with one of the boats buckets as sea sickness struck. She had taken medication but the best thing was getting horizontal in her bunk and getting some sleep. She helmed twice, once under motor and then when we were getting closer to the Solent and under full sail (no motor), healed over at about 35 degrees, she took to the job like a duck to water!!

We moored in Gosport that evening and several of us went for dinner in a local hostelry. We slept on the boat and at 8.30am we said goodbye to the boat that had been my home for three months and over 10,000 miles of sailing.

As I write this, I do not think it has all really sunk in. It has been a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget.

Finally, I would like to pay tribute to my wife, Cathy, who has been at home on her own, worried about me every minute of every day and to whom I will be eternally grateful for supporting me in this adventure.

I also want to thank Gareth who designed the blog website and who has sent you my various blatherings from the boat.

I hope you have enjoyed sharing in the experience.

With best wishes

Malcolm

Reunited at last!

A great third place

The last time  I wrote my blog, we were racing up the west of Scotland and having some frustrating times as winds died away. We were expecting a gale, but there was still no sign of it. After the Butt of Lewis, the wind improved and we were close to a number of our rivals. The scenery was great as we turned east to go over the top of Scotland and and managed to stay in second position, but only by a couple of miles. Our next objective was to get to the Pentland Firth at the right time. This stretch of water can have a tide of 7 knots, which if it is against you, can bring you to an absolute stop. We hit it at the right time although the weather had changed and we were feeling some of the effects of the gale. A number of people were seasick and we worked hard to cover their places. As we progressed we saw many vessels, many support ships for the oil rigs and many rigs themselves. There are strict rules about the distance you should be away from rigs and their support vessels. We also had the traffic separation zones (ships motorways) to negotiate safely. By this time we had slipped to third and were being pressed by Derry. I got up for morning watch at 6am and we had 33 miles to go. Derry were bearing down on us but we were desperate to get on the podium. The fight lasted 3.5 hours and the atmosphere on deck was electric. We trimmed sails intensely and I am delighted to say that we went over the line with about half a mile to spare.

Our reception in Den Helder was very good. It is mainly a working port for the Dutch Navy and oil field support vessels and icebreakers. There is a marina and connection to the canal system and the authorities put on a fair/festival for the weekend. We have also all been given a gift of a pair of clogs. I must say if I attached a mast to one of them, I may be able to enter it for the next race.

We are now preparing for the last race. The crew are ready for the end now. We have consolidated our overall 5th place and are very happy with our performance. We have been the fastest boat during the last two races, quite an accolade.

We have also raised sufficient money for the boat's charity, Mercy Ships, to perform 21 life changing operations in west Africa.

The finish in London on Saturday will be spectacular and emotional. Many of us have said that we will be wearing sunglasses whatever the weather. I look forward to getting back to home life and and if we engage in conversation about this adventure, please tell me to shut up if I ramble on too much.

Best wishes to you all,

Malcolm

NOTE: For those reading this via email update, don't forget to visit the blog at https://malclipper.blogspot.com where you can pledge support via donations to Malcolm's chosen charities - the Bobby Moore Fund tackling bowel cancer; the James Whale Fund for kidney cancer; and Prostate Cancer UK.

"Awkward! You could have told me it was red-jackets-and-beards day!"

Puffins, Jellyfish and Land

The last race ended up with us in ninth place and we did not win the ocean

sprint as we had thought. We were just 12 minutes behind the winners over a course of 150 miles. Although a little dejected by this, we could not fail to be uplifted by the fantastic welcome we got in Derry. The town holds a Maritime Festival for the week when the Clipper Round the World Race comes to town. The town and marina is reached by a 2 hour motor sail down the Foyle River and through Lough Foyle. After safely navigating our way in, avoiding mud flats and many old disused jetties and other constructions, we were faced with a quay which was lined with hundreds of people, dozens of stalls and a funfair. All the other boats moored up had been dressed with Derry flags and many of their owners were partying as we arrived at 7.30pm. The excitement had been raised by the fact that the Derry - Londonderry- Doire yacht had won the race from New York and had come into port earlier in the day.

Our visit was fabulous with crew members being treated like minor celebrities. Everyone wanted to speak to you and the race was so important to the town. Besides the Clipper excitement, it was also so interesting to visit such a troubled town and community and it is uplifting to see the strides being made towards peace and reconciliation.

We left Derry to rapturous applause and support about 36 hours ago and were treated to a special Red Arrows demonstration at the start. Wow are those pilots brilliant and brave.

Initially the winds were OK but nothing special, but over the last 18 hours or so have become much lighter. We have had to employ all our skills and techniques to gain best advantage from them and have now just passed the Outer Hebrides. One technique we use is to have as much body weight on one side of the boat or other. Apparently, my 16 stone or so is significant and I always have to be sat in the correct place. So 16 stone can have an impact on a 50 tonne boat, whatever next!

This race is different to our other ocean races as we stay close to land for most of the journey to Holland. Although we cross the North Sea, it will seem like land as we negotiate our way through the oil rigs and their associated communities.

As we are close to many of the Scottish Isles, birdlife is in abundance. It has been a pleasure to watch many puffins darting across the sea, just a foot or so from the water and to see them sat on the surface and diving for food.

More sinister than the lovely puffins has been the many large jellyfish we saw earlier today. The bodies are orange with purple stripes and spots. On some, the tentacles or body parts have been up to a metre long. They have been quite an incentive not to fall overboard.

We are in a leading group of six boats and the racing is hard and close. We watch each other closely and engage in a number of manoeuvres to gain any advantage we can. However, I must get some sleep now as the forecast is for gale force winds in the next 12 hours and I do not think I will be able to balance the computer on my lap during that time.

With best wishes,

Malcolm

NOTE: For those reading this via email update, don't forget to visit the blog at https://malclipper.blogspot.com where you can pledge support via donations to Malcolm's chosen charities - the Bobby Moore Fund tackling bowel cancer; the James Whale Fund for kidney cancer; and Prostate Cancer UK.

Has anyone seen the Mayor of Derry?

Highs and lows

When I last wrote we were into some pretty rough sailing in the North
Atlantic. That continued as we entered iceberg territory. The Race Director
had given the fleet some coordinates which represented the southern edge of
the area where icebergs were located with instructions not to go north of
these coordinates. However, we still had to remain vigilant and for a
couple of days we always had a person on iceberg spotting duty. This was no
easy task, particularly at night and when we were also looking for
'growlers' which are small but significant chunks of ice (car size)
floating just below the surface.

We emerged from this area unscathed and continued on our planned route and
in third place.

Our next change in route was was then to decide how to get through or
around a high pressure system with little wind in order to pick up
beneficial wind from a low system which had developed in Spain and had
moved into the Atlantic. The weather forecast showed that we could get
around the high by travelling east and then heading north once we hit the
low. Our strategy started well but then we had our 24 hour horribilis. The
wind just just started to disappear and we found ourselves in a windhole.
For that 24 hour period, we only mad 6 miles in the direction we wanted to
go. We dropped from third to twelth and the mood of the crew hit an all
time low. Our skipper held a meeting with us to decide on a course of
action. We could continue to go east and try to get out into the low as
planned or turn around and try to find some more wind in the west. The vote
was to try to get to the east.

My watch went of to bed , subdued and wondering what the next watch would
bring. We got up, still anxious and went on deck to find some wind which
was encouraging, but that we had turned around. A further weather report
had come through showing that the high pressure area was travelling faster
than us and we would never get through it.

So, we felt a little better, but still disappointed and low that we were in
last place. Then suddenly a shout went up to look backwards. There were
about 40 pilot whales and several dolphins coming to join us on our stern.
What a sight and we understand that normally pilot whales are timid and
keep their distance. They are not very big but to see so many was lovely.

Then we spotted a sperm whale and calf about half a mile from our port
side. Beautiful. However, this was a potential problem in that whales pose
us a significant risk and I was then asked to go on whale watch at the very
front of the boat. I made 10 different sitings, some just the water spouts
from the blow holes and some of the whales' backs just on the surface. This
was a significant group on the move. After an hour or so, I was stood down,
 but what a magical time for the crew. This and some wind certainly put us
back on a high.

We found more wind and are now on a course direct for Ireland. The
schedules from Race HQ show that we have been the fastest boat in two
particular time frames and we have overtaken three boats. We still have a
long way to go to overhaul some of the others, but our mood is much better
and we are very much focussed on our performance.

Perhaps the only drawback is that we are still approximately 850 miles from
Derry and will be at least a day late in arriving and being reunited with
friends and family. I cannot wait to see Cathy and Rachel who will be
coming over.


Best wishes to you all from the Atlantic.  Malcolm





NOTE: For those reading this via email update, don't forget to visit the blog at https://malclipper.blogspot.com where you can pledge support via donations to Malcolm's chosen charities - the Bobby Moore Fund tackling bowel cancer; the James Whale Fund for kidney cancer; and Prostate Cancer UK.

Getting stuck in!

A game of two halves

We have been debating on the boat as to whether the World Cup has started. We think it was last night and hence I am using a well-worn football term to describe our journey so far.

We discussed the weather and tidal options before this race and quite frankly, the final diagram was an absolute maze. Leaving New York saw us sailing upwind with a variety of kites (spinnakers) and we wondered what the fuss was about talking about the cold, high winds and big seas. Shorts and T-shirts were the order of the day. We continued in the warmth when our strategy of getting to the Gulf Stream worked and we were carried by a 4 to 5 knot current of water at 25 degrees. This went on for longer than we thought and our place in the field reflected that, second. People were happy and there was much talk about how great the reception is at Derry and what a party they put on. Then the whistle went for half time and we entered the 'second half'.

The Gulf Stream diminished and we hit the cold Labrador Stream coming down from the north. The winds shifted and we are now heading into the wind with all the bouncing and crashing and were also heeled over and the temperature has dropped. We now have a sea temperature in single figures and are posting lookout watches for icebergs as we have had notification that although we are at a latitude just south of the icebergs, we may still encounter one.

The lumpy seas have brought out the seasickness in many of the crew with a small number not even able to get on deck. We are picking up the wind in the low pressure systems and must ride these as long as we can.

We now get less sleep because we have to be up earlier than usual to enable us to put on more clothes and all of our foul weather gear. Moving around the boat is harder and cooking at between 30 and 45 degrees is a real test. However, I pride myself in making a cake two days ago when I did my 'mother' duty for the day. I think that was the last time we had a full complement of crew eating.

So these are the hard times and everything is energy sapping, particularly with waves breaking over the bow and over us. But amongst these difficult times, we do get moments of joy. Yesterday morning I was just about to go below to get another sail up on deck when the cry of “dolphins” went up. Swimming towards us were a large number of them, some leaping out of the water. Then one jumped clear out of the water, just 5 foot from the boat and 10 feet away from me. What an incredible and beautiful sight, one which will stay with me for a long time.

Best wishes from the north Atlantic.

Malcolm

NOTE: For those reading this via email update, don't forget to visit the blog at https://malclipper.blogspot.com where you can pledge support via donations to Malcolm's chosen charities - the Bobby Moore Fund tackling bowel cancer; the James Whale Fund for kidney cancer; and Prostate Cancer UK.

Telling the Flying Fish story as we leave New York

New York and fat feet

We have been in New York for five days now and much has happened.

The race from Jamaica was very intense with many and varied conditions, we had downwind sailing, upwind, light airs, the Gulf Stream and two snapped sheets (one inch thick ropes!).

After our success with 3rd place in the Jamaica race, we decided to be very focused and do our utmost to perform well in the NY race. Well it was intense and we did get into second place at one time. Weather was critical with winds ranging from virtually nil up to 30 knots and always changing direction; it was a real test of our seamanship. It was also exhausting at times. On one six hour watch, I think we changed sails six times and had to wool 2 spinnakers. At the end of that I went off deck and sat with head in hands for about half an hour before getting into my bunk for two and a half hour's sleep. Am I getting soft or old?

However, our skipper handed me two opportunities towards the end of the race. The first was to be at the helm over the last half an hour of the race and to cross the finishing line. The second was rather more challenging. With just 24 hours notice, she asked that I passage plan the route into New York. This means you prepare the navigation plan to arrive safely at your destination. Having given the task, she then added that NY is the busiest port on the whole east coast of the US and we would arrive at night. No pressure then with various things to avoid such as exclusion zones, unexploded devices, security zones where we could be shot at and heavy traffic including cruise liners. Well we arrived at 5am and I must say a can of beer for breakfast tasted pretty good.

There has been a lot of cleaning, maintenance, food shopping and more to do. However, I did have a full day to see NY. I became quite emotional when I visited Ground Zero. The new tower block they have built in the corner is impressive, but it is the two large water features depicting the base of each tower with the names of all those that were lost that really stirred my emotions. Having watched the events on TV as they happened and now having visited the site, I cannot understand how man can be so callous and wicked to fellow man.

Then onto Grand Central Station, a fabulous building and a location for a number of films. Will Birmingham's new New Street Station come anywhere near?

My daughter had recommended the Rockefeller Centre over the Empire State Building – and it was both educational and offered breathtaking views from the viewing galleries on the 68th and 70th floors. A brief walk in Central Park and through the financial area including Wall Street concluded my site seeing.

So where do fat feet come in? Well, the heat of the leg down to the Tropics had caused my feet and ankles to swell considerably. A major additional factor is that you do not walk anywhere on board. Consequently, nothing gets pushed back up. To cut a long story short, a 3 hour medical examination, x-rays and ultrasound proved all was OK and diuretics have been prescribed. So passed fit for the Atlantic. Derry here we come.

We set off on Saturday morning and will sail for about 14 days depending on winds. Homeward bound and rather keen to see my family.

Oh and just to finish, does NY have the biggest dog population on earth? I have never seen so many blokes walking dogs of all sizes and breeds as I have here.

Best wishes to you all.

Malcolm

The crew of Switzerland arrives in New York

NOTE: For those reading this via email update, don't forget to visit the blog at https://malclipper.blogspot.com where you can pledge support via donations to Malcolm's chosen charities - the Bobby Moore Fund tackling bowel cancer; the James Whale Fund for kidney cancer; and Prostate Cancer UK.