Advertisement
Published: February 20th 2009
Edit Blog Post
Leading up to the Clipper 07-08 arrival in Sydney, Nova Scotia The pack ice had finally left Cape Breton in May, and I was looking forward to getting out on the water again.
A couple weeks before Clipper arrived in Sydney, I had an opportunity to deliver the new Irish Mist home from Halifax. My first coastal passage on home waters and in cold weather, it opened new horizons for sailing in higher latitudes. I wish I could describe the beautiful scenery of Nova Scotia, but as expected there was fog most of the way up the coast!
In preparing this log, I looked back in my old journals to see what I was up to before joining Clipper - I found an interesting and relevant quote:
June 5, 2008, On top of Coxheath Mountain, Cape Breton “Last time I was up here in early May, you could still see the pack ice in the distance. I guess you could say Cape Breton goes from winter straight into summer.
“I’m trying to get motivated for my next adventure, but I am still uncertain what it will be. How funny I’ve been home 7
months and still haven’t figured it out. All I know is I want to get my own sailboat, learn as much as I can about sailing, and, when the time is right, cast off and sail around the world.”
A friend of mine restored an older boat and sailed it south recently…she has been living the sailing lifestyle and handed me a piece of advice I quoted in my journal that day:
“It may sometimes feel like time is standing still, or time is being wasted, but as long as you keep your goals and dreams in mind every step of the way you will stay on the right path. Once you reach your dreams, the purpose for each step will become apparent.”
I thought of what she said, and decided to be content with where life was heading. My next thoughts:
“My hands are getting numb from the cold and it is June. That’s crazy! There is a risk of frost tonight. Time to walk back down the mountain.”
Clipper 07-08 Round the World Race arrives in Sydney, NS Keeping in mind I didn’t know what the Clipper Race was all about when
it arrived, I was excited to see ten 68-foot racing yachts in the Sydney Harbour. When I found out the crew were not professional sailors, my interest went up a notch.
Below is a personal account, written for friends and family, of how I came to join the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race... Over the past five years, sailing has become a passion and represents a large portion of my thoughts and plans. Returning to Cape Breton after an extended period of South Pacific and Australian cruising has inspired me to pursue further sailing challenges. All winter I sat in my quiet Westmount apartment, read sailing books, and pondered what to do next. I knew I wanted to sail around the world, but with such a large goal, where to start?
In June, the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race made a stop in Sydney, Nova Scotia. It was an honour to see such a high profile racing fleet in our little town. I awaited their arrival on a Friday night. In 40 knots of following wind, they made their way to the Big Fiddle. Standing at the Dobson Yacht Club
breakwall, spray flying towards me, I watched the first yachts arrive.
The ideas started forming...
The following day I went to the Sydney side to check out the Clipper fleet in person. The Nova Scotia boat held my interest. In a race with only 10 boats, representing the entire earth, one was named after my home province. I stood alongside for fifteen minutes, looking at each aspect of the rigging, and how the racing gear was set up. Mistakenly thinking the Nova Scotia boat was deserted by exhausted crew members, a woman climbed above deck. Maria, a UK native, wanted to sail with people from other countries, thus being placed on the Nova Scotia. She spent the next hour describing her experiences on the Clipper Race, with a tour down below to show me the finer aspects of living aboard.
I thought of a quote from a recent movie, "Watch for the signal, when life as you know it ends". While aboard the Nova Scotia boat, I decided this Clipper 09-10 Round the World Race was something I wanted to do. There was no changing my mind, only sorting the details.
That afternoon I met with
David Cusworth, Clipper recruitment manager, and had my interview at the Royal Cape Breton Yacht Club. A photo shoot on the Nova Scotia race boat was scheduled for the next day. Mom and Dad accompanied me, with even Mom being boosted on board for a tour.
A contract to join the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race arrived in the mail the following week. I will be crossing the start line in September 2009, representing Cape Breton Island and the Province of Nova Scotia.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.101s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 11; qc: 47; dbt: 0.0402s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb