OC Group Blog

In to the south…Dec06

• By Mark Turner in Sailing stuff,

Amazing how suddenly its all different. Cold, low visibility, thundering surfing speeds, tension, fear, isolation - its not just the sailor’s that feel it. Knowing what its like in the Southern Ocean, as the Barcelona World Race fleet head in to the Roaring Forties, adds to the tension on a personal front as well. As a race organiser its a bit like sharing 10% of all the emotion of each boat, but multiplied by the number of boat - end result with 9 boats just about the same as the 100% intensity of managing one boat project/skipper as they battle around the planet. Its hard to imagine that this traverse of the Southern Ocean won’t be without any drama, its not a part of the planet that allows you past without paying some dues. It remains a truly awesome place, untouched by humans, pure, nature, rough, unpredictable, its why every sailor says ‘never again’ at some point, and then usually does go back once more. I remember Hari Hakimo(spelling??), skipper of the Finish entrant in the Whitbread in 1989 saying “Never again, you should not come here, there is no reason to be here, its a crazy place” or something similar! And at the time, I was in agreement. But actually I think I’d like to go back there again one day…