From Heartbreak to Headwinds

Before getting into Level 4 training, a fun surprise — the Clipper media team reached out following the interview I gave after Level 2. The first bit of coverage was in the Reading Chronicle . I didn’t actually speak to them directly — it just popped up on my newsfeed one day. I glanced down and there I was: a photo of me helming during training. “That’s me!” was my first reaction.

Next came a BBC Radio Berkshire interview with Alex Grundon (link to follow). Alex was brilliant, full of great questions. I didn’t quite manage to answer everything in detail, but it was a lot of fun. A short article then went up on the BBC website. None of the media really tells the full story, of course, but it was nice to get a bit of exposure.

On to Level 4 Training

This was our first time out sailing together as a full team on our race boat — currently known as CV23 — with Skipper Lou and First Mate Brian. The boat was shared with another crew led by Skipper Gavin and First Mate Zoe, and a mix of both teams made up the crew for the week.

Team Lou Crew:

Loveday Fethney (UK, circumnavigator)

Sara Brewer (UK, circumnavigator)

Bruce MacDonald (UK, Legs 1–4)

Kate Armstrong (Canada, Leg 1)

Andrew Hamilton (Canada, Leg 1)

Naomi Mitchell (UK, originally from Australia, Leg 3)

Tom Figgiano (Canada, Legs 1 & 2)

Team Gavin Crew:

(Not sure on everyone’s legs, but great people all round.)

Thomas (France)

Claire (UK)

Leo (Germany)

Nigel (Northern Ireland)

Arno (Sweden)

We kicked things off with the usual introductions and brief on what the week would involve. The highlight would be a mini race against five of the other training boats at the end of the week.

The first couple of days were tough for some — the seas were a bit bumpy, and seasickness hit hard. A few crew were completely incapacitated: curled up in the cockpit looking pale, or crouched over the side being sick. Down below, the heads were… a scene. Buckets everywhere. I was fortunate to feel good throughout — just trying to keep clear of the worst of it and stay out of the splash zone. Naomi was a trooper, though — she’d be sick over the side, then immediately jump on the grinder or take the helm. Legendary stuff.

Racing, Stars & Speedy Backstays

Once everyone had recovered, we had a bit of fun with a running backstay challenge — a timed competition to see who could rig it into guard position the fastest. Even the skippers and first mates got involved. Leo smashed it with a lightning-fast 5-minute time. My first attempt… let’s just say it was humbling at 20 minutes. I managed to get it down to 9 after a few goes. A great way to learn — and laugh.

One night, we anchored and had the rare chance to chill out on deck under the stars. A couple of hours on anchor watch became some of the best conversations of the week. It’s amazing how easily you can open up at 2am, under a sky full of stars, with someone you’ve only just met. We shared stories, talked about what brought us here — the kind of conversations that make this journey so much more than just sailing.

Then came race day — a proper Le Mans start like the ones I described in an earlier post. We launched off the line into second place, solid start. But as the other boats hoisted spinnakers, we chose not to. The difference was instant — they shot ahead and left us behind. One boat was already coming back the other way before we even hit the first marker. Eventually we clawed our way back into third… then the wind died, and we ended up finishing fifth. Still, a brilliant experience, especially seeing the dynamics of a real race environment start to form.

Wrapping up Level 4

It was an amazing week. Being on board with the crew I’ll be racing with gave everything a new level of depth and realism. The drills, the race, the chats, the laughs — it’s all starting to click. I’m now running evolutions, feeling far more comfortable, and trusting myself more with every manoeuvre.

Throughout the week, I had some great chats with the Team Lou crew — really lovely bunch of people. It was nice hearing their stories, finding out what brought them here, and sharing a few of my own. A real mix of backgrounds, but all with the same drive to take on something big. There’s something powerful about those small moments between evolutions or over tea that really build the crew bond.

I’ve absolutely loved every minute of the Clipper training journey. Every crew I’ve sailed with has taught me something. I love being on the water, love learning, love the sense of team that builds so quickly when you’re at sea.

This was meant to be the final training session… or so I thought. (To be continued.)