From Heartbreak to Headwinds

Crew Allocation Day at the Guildhall in Portsmouth — the moment everything started to feel very real. Finally, we were about to find out who our skippers, first mates, and the rest of our crew would be, including those I’d be spending up to 11 months living, working, and racing alongside.

The day kicked off early. The Guildhall steps were covered in Clipper banners, the media team was out in force chatting to people about why they’d signed up. Walking in, you were directed to someone who gave you a wristband — it would light up when your skipper was announced — followed by your official Clipper Race jacket, which I have to say looked pretty sharp. Then, into the main hall where you could feel the buzz, the energy, the nerves. Familiar faces from training everywhere, and in true Clipper style, I hear someone shout, “Squirrel!” across the room… of course it was Jacko, the Big Bear, and his family — including his daughter who’s also doing the race. Turns out I’m known as “the Squirrel” well beyond just Jacko now.

I ended up sitting with a few of the crew from my Level 1 training, all of us together in anticipation, watching the stage and waiting to see when our wristbands would light up, each one linked to a skipper. Every time someone’s band flashed, there was a ripple of excitement, people standing up to join their new teams, while the rest of us waited for our moment.

The presentation kicked off, with different Clipper staff talking us through the race ports, logistics, and stories from previous editions. Then a highlight — a talk from Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the man who founded it all. Hearing him speak, knowing his history, was a proper moment. Absolute legend.

Then came the main event — the skippers and first mates on stage. The wristbands started lighting up, one by one. People I’d sailed with standing up, lots of happy faces, but also a few moments of “ah, we’re on different boats.” Down to the final two skippers: Lou and Phil. Quietly hoping for Lou, fingers crossed. Lou came out on stage with her first mate Brian… then boom — my wristband lights up. Absolutely buzzing. I’d hoped for Lou from Level 2 and here we are. No other familiar faces standing with me but it didn’t matter — it was time to get to know a whole new crew.

Afterwards, it was photos on the Guildhall steps, quick introductions, and chats about everything from strategy to expectations — even a few early debates about the meaning of winning versus experience. Classic first-day dynamics: some already in full competitive mode, others just excited for the adventure ahead.

The conversations naturally shifted to how we’d all work together on board. We talked about the key team roles that would need to be filled — engineers, bosuns, sail repair leads, and the crucial team coordinator. Everyone would get a say in what roles they were interested in, and a couple of days after crew allocation we were sent a questionnaire to fill in — what we thought our strengths and weaknesses were, our top three preferred roles, and where we felt we could contribute most to the crew.

It was interesting hearing people’s backgrounds — some with sailing experience already thinking about bosun or sail repair, others with practical skills looking towards engineer, and a few naturally organised types eyeing up team coordinator. You could already feel the sense of responsibility building, knowing the race isn’t just about sailing, but about running the boat like a self-sufficient team at sea.

A few days later, I got a call from Lou. She asked if I’d be up for taking on the role of Team Coordinator. It felt like a big responsibility but also a really good fit. The Team Coordinator helps the skipper with yacht admin and overall organisation. It’s a varied role that involves good planning, time management, and communication. Before stopovers, I’d be helping Lou liaise with the Clipper Race Office and the Race Manager to make sure we arrive in port fully prepared — sorting out paperwork for customs and immigration, keeping schedules on track for meetings, media duties, corporate visits, and social events. On board, I’d be responsible for bunk allocations, helping to prep the boat for new crew joining at stopovers, and making sure key information is passed on during daily team meetings… including the important stuff like birthdays and celebrations.

It felt like the first proper step into this team — not just sailing the race, but helping run the team behind it.