More than 50 firefighters tackle a warehouse fire in Worcester which led to an exclusion zone being set up in the city as a precaution…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: richest city. For a different topic see various types of bras. The blog is also related to: cities city.

An energy company is paying for training for lifeboat crews in Essex and Suffolk over the next three years…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: boat houses. The blog is also related to: boat reviews.

The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (& Racers).

Peta Stuart-Hunt reports on the final stages of preparation for an international fleet of entries

The 24th edition of the world-famous annual transatlantic rally, the ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) has defied the economic doom and gloom and 218 yachts will head off from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on 22nd November 2009 en route to Rodney Bay in Saint Lucia.

Vibrant colour as ARC yachts gather for the 08 edition in Las Palmas

Not only is there a distinctly healthy entry number, but there is also a record 32 nations represented in this year’s event, underlining the fact that the ARC is now an international event and the most popular way to sail across the Atlantic. The 2,700 nautical mile passage on the NE trade wind route takes the fleet, on average, between 14 and 21 days to reach its destination and the finish line.

Cruising or Racing, the ARC offers something for everyone

Whilst fundamentally a fun rally for cruising yachts, the ARC also offers a more serious Racing Divisions, run under the auspices of the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC). Yachts entered in the Racing Divisions are not permitted to use their engines for propulsion (unlike the cruisers), although use of autopilots is allowed.

This year for the very first time, the yachts in the ARC Racing Divisions will carry Yellowbrick satellite tracking devices. This compact and powerful technology developed by Yellowbrick Adventure Tracking, will provide a significant benefit for participants with automatic position reports uploading to the WCC website every six hours via the Iridium Network.

The ARC distinguishes itself by successfully combining racing and cruising yachts with a mix of older and younger participants, all of whom thoroughly enjoy the varied entertainment that is on offer for all ages at both the start and finish ports.

From the outset in 1986 when the first ARC was run, this unique event has developed its own special character. Over the past 23 years many friendships have been forged in the relaxed atmosphere, and the profound sense of camaraderie has become the hallmark of this very special rally that entices people back year after year.

Since January 2006, the ARC has been run by the Cowes-based independent event management company World Cruising Club Ltd, following a management buy out from the Challenge Business. WCC always has the best interests of the participants in mind and will always try to incorporate the most popular ideas and proposals put forward to improve the event. This was the main reason for a switch in the ARC destination from Barbados to Rodney Bay in Saint Lucia back in 1990.The yachting facilities are superior to those available in Barbados and for the first time it was possible to have all the yachts in one marina at the end of the Rally, as they were before the start, thus providing a better atmosphere.

-ENDS –

Notes for Editors

• ARC 2009 will depart from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on Sunday 22 November.

• The finish destination is Rodney Bay Marina in St Lucia, a distance of 2,700 nautical miles from Las Palmas and it’s a passage that will take most of the yachts between 18 and 21 days.

• Whilst fundamentally a fun rally for cruising yachts, the ARC does have a more serious Racing Division, run under the auspices of the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC). Yachts in the Racing Division are not permitted to use their engines for propulsion (unlike the cruisers), although use of autopilots is allowed.

• The current ARC course record is 11 days, 5 hours, 32 minutes and 30 seconds, held by Italian maxi yacht Capricorno (Rinaldo Del Bono), from ARC 2006

• ARC Official Entry list – www.worldcruising.com/arc

• ARC 2009 is sponsored by the Tourist Board of Gran Canaria, the Port Authority of Las Palmas, the St Lucia Tourist Board, Rolnautic, and is run in association with Yachting World magazine.

Yes. I favor not just ambulation, mind you. I favor a whole new demographic of players flocking to eve, engaging in elaborate vatclone combat, with extensive cybernetic augmentations and a surreal range of weapons.

And not just walking around gawking at strippers on a Gallente station – hell no – I will collect any and all notions on having characters explore both zero gravity as well as planetary gravity missions – planets, derelict and squatted structures, shick wrecks, hollow asteroids, your own eve vessel as well as existing stations. And I want them not just to enter dangerous ground endlessly re-enacting starship troopers and aliens – no I’d want players to be able one day to close contracts, negotiate deals, collect information, sell and buy, explore, solve problems, engage in diplomacy — all through ambulation. In fact I’d love it if CCP added a “back to back” ambulatory first person exploration game in a few years that allowed players involved to generate the same number and diversity of skill points as is the case with the space-vessel game – ideally in five years from now we have character only engaging in ambulation and only using ships as troop transporters – and characters never bothering a second with ambulation.

Yes I am 100% in support of ambulation – and floatation as well.  I want more freedoms, more choice, more immersion.

And I am dying for an opportunity to gently seduce CCP into swallowing this whole.

Latest from the Navy yacht HMSTV Adventure and a terrific image take on board HMSTV Challenger

28th Oct – Well we have got through another storm, we still have the seas with us but the wind has dropped and we have had some good spells of sunshine today, and again the boat is drying out. Lots of personal bests going on with helming speeds, as we had the wind and waves from the West. Driving a 45 tonne surfboard down 60 foot waves is an exciting experience for some!! We hope that will be the worst of the weather, but the cynic in me thinks it won’t be!

Viv is disappointed that she didn’t set off her life jacket yesterday when Feet decided the boat wasn’t dry enough for his liking, I’ll let him spin the dit! Although Feet, Kat and Steve C all added one to their tally. There are some onboard saying that the new exclusive life jacket club is for those who DON’T set them off We appear to be keeping station ahead of the other two yachts at the moment, but we still have around 1750 miles to go. Today, we passed into another time zone and we are now 6 hours ahead of you guys, we also are 80 degrees East, and are almost into single figures for days to go and we are finally heading North, slightly! So the excitement levels are just starting to increase as we can see Perth on the chart plotter. The big event for today is the birthday of our fighting arm the Royal Marines. So Happy Birthday fellas, It’s been a pleasure.

24th Oct – For over 2 days the crew of Adventure have been battling against the “Roaring 40’s” with high seas and wind speeds gusting into the mod 50Kts. Flying just a Storm Staysail at times and then with Trysail we have managed to cope with the freezing, wet, tough conditions a pleasant experience it was not, however, we have  proved that as a team we can cope with these extremes at sea and are stronger for it. It’s a good job too, within 48 hrs we are expecting a new deepening low close to out position and with winds in excess of 40 knots F9 no doubt gusting storm force 10 we have more tests of resolve before us. Currently we  are running East at approx 41 degrees South with a following wind 20-30 Kts, 3 Reefs and No. 3 Yankee, Speed 8 Kts.

We are enjoying the sunshine in between the squalls and trying to mend and fix and dry out before the next battle.

Here's HMSTV Challenger surfing a big sea

Shout outs

Hey up Grandad It’s Lee. I know you’ll be the only one who will be checking the website, it’s horrendous but I’ll be glad to complete it. It’s a journey! I’ll drop in when I get back. Tell Grandma I’m getting some culinary experience on the boat, including some tips on flapjacks.

Happy Anniversary Mara love Mike.

There are many quotable quotes in here from Dusty Miller on board Discoverer.

Here’s one to kick-start proceedings:

“What matters most is that we all get to Fremantle (and ultimately Gosport) safely and do so in the spirit and manner of single-Service and tri-Service teamwork envisaged by the architects of Exercise Transglobe.  So far, we are scoring exceptionally well in that area.“

DISCO BLOG Tuesday 27 October 2009

Dusty the Disco blogger ...and a mighty fine one he is at that!

I thought you might appreciate a slightly more straight-laced blog to mark the occasion of our passing the mid-point of our great adventure – normal service (scatty typing) will be resumed as soon as possible, I promise.  Please forgive me if I end up repeating snippets from recent blogs.

There is an almighty sense of achievement aboard as well as a slight sense of relief that we are at long last climbing slowly out of the Southern Ocean and into the warmer climes of the 2000 or so miles still to run towards Australia.  The first week out of Cape Town seemed to deliver little progress while we battled to round the Agulhas Bank, and many of us were pleased to see Africa disappear in the metaphorical rear-view mirror.  There then followed a period of chasing the wind, wishing for more wind then almost immediately wishing we had not done so, and again the milestones crept past very slowly.  Now, having passed the nadir of the great circle route in the previous 24 hours, the wind has filled-in behind us and Disco is racing towards our destination potentially as little as 15 days ahead.

Adventure and Challenger have occupied a similar patch of this vast ocean to Disco throughout the trip so far albeit they had a little more luck with their weather decisions in the early weeks.  The downside of being ahead was that they were the first to experience the dramatically horrible weather I described as a ‘bomb’ just over a week ago and we, hanging tactically in third place, were able to configure ourselves for the onslaught and just felt a little ruffled round the edges in the winds that touched Force 10, and literally huge seas.  In the past couple of days, Disco has started to close the gap with our sister yachts by again taking a slightly different tactical approach to the wind and weather.  Does any of this really this matter?  I think we would all like to be aboard the first yacht to cross the finish line at Fremantle but, and quoting one of the skippers during a week-one radio conversation, this is a marathon, not a sprint, and this applies to the year-long exercise just as much as it does to our own Leg 4.  What matters most is that we all get to Fremantle (and ultimately Gosport) safely and do so in the spirit and manner of single-Service and tri-Service teamwork envisaged by the architects of Exercise Transglobe.  So far, we are scoring exceptionally well in that area.

We have all had our share of technical problems even though the 3 yachts were very well prepared both from the outset in the UK and at each staging point along the way.  Such is the nature of sailing the open oceans – even the most rugged installations are exposed to continual vibration, enormous physical stresses, salt water ingress including immersion, and downright pounding, so we should not be surprised when odds and ends decide to give up the ghost and stop playing.  Read any contemporary tale of ocean sailing or racing, the Vendee Globe being a good example, and you will read of exceptionally well prepared yachts suffering all manner of breakdown just days out from their home port let alone in the depths of the Southern Ocean.  Disco’s troubles have included the water maker which, to put it crudely, takes in sea water and squeezes it at very high pressure through a filter to provide potable drinking water.  Ours stopped working and in an instant both Adventure and Challenger independently volunteered to sacrifice their lead in order to provide us with water.

Adventure has had trouble with her Satcom so Disco has been providing the daily weather update to all 3 yachts.  Finally, when Challenger was roughed up by the weather bomb, tremendous moral support was given between the 3 skippers in their daily HF calls while Challenger made good the damage to her sails.  If you could distil, bottle and sell the sense of teams working within teams, you would be rich beyond the wildest dreams of man.

ADVENTURE SUFFERS A KNOCK DOWN BUT SWIFTLY RECOVERS – ALL SAFE ON BOARD AND TEAMWORK IS SUPERIOR

While writing this we have received a distress message from the Australian Rescue Co-ordination Centre (RCC) telling us that a satellite has observed Adventure’s emergency beacon indicating that she is in distress.  We immediately altered course towards the position of her beacon and informed the RCC that we were doing so.  Meanwhile we used all means available in an attempt to contact Adventure but to no avail.  Just over an hour later we were called by Gosport to tell us that Adventure had been knocked down by a big wave but was still in business and all aboard were fit and well.  The wave had carried away her emergency beacon, or EPIRB, which started to transmit automatically, as well as her HF mast and other assorted communications aerials.  I should imagine her crew were well shaken, as indeed we were wondering if our colleagues really were in distress.  This sort of event serves to emphasise the gravity of this undertaking.

So what do the individual crew members think of things so far?  For me, my ambition was to enjoy the next 30 years as much as I enjoyed the 40+ years of my career in the Royal Air Force, and so far it has made a very good start (although it seems to be taking rather a long time to get to the Isle of Wight).

Andy Fernie, our Skipper who is a seasoned Southern Ocean sailor, is enjoying the challenge of leading and managing Disco’s other 13 crewmembers and is finding it highly rewarding and at times quite entertaining.  He is massively impressed by the manner in which the Watches have attacked – and he uses the word ‘attacked’ quite deliberately – the catering regardless of the conditions beyond the confines of the galley and have produced consistently outstanding food.

Neil Cottrell (1^st Mate for Leg 4) is the man who conceived the idea of Exercise Transglobe in the first place and, as the Project Officer, remains responsible for carrying it to its conclusion in arriving back at Gosport next Summer.  For a man with such an awesome responsibility on his shoulders, he is overjoyed with progress so far, in miles travelled as well as objectives achieved, and here I refer to the underpinning nature of teamwork and personal development enshrined in adventurous training.  Neil’s 53^rd birthday was celebrated yesterday, the high point being as the sun went down over his right shoulder while he helmed Disco at over 11 knots in a fresh north-westerly breeze, the crew meanwhile preparing to sing Happy Birthday to him over a cake made aboard today.  It does not get better than this.

Owen, who has been in the Royal Air Force for a little over one year, is finding the whole experience quite breathtaking.  Life aboard, mixing with a range of widely different ages ranks and background, and a substantially different diet, has proved to be challenging, but Owen has tackled it on his own terms and will emerge ‘leaner and meaner’ for it.  After 3 weeks at sea, and in gruelling conditions at times for a novice, Owen says that opportunities are there for the taking, even as a relatively junior airman, and he sincerely recommends that you ‘just go for it’.

Sally-Ann, the Southern Ocean has learned a thing or 2 from Sally-Ann, and she has demonstrated significant generosity of spirit by sharing pudding recipes over the HF link with our sister yachts.

Buzz is pleased that, following the meagre progress of the first week or so, we now seem to be eating up the miles to go to the Fremantle Yacht Club.  “There is light at the end of the tunnel”.

Al was hoping to lose weight and get ‘stacked’ for Australia! However the food has just been too good and too plentiful at times and he may be in danger of gaining weight! As for the sailing, bloody brilliant. There are few times in life that an opportunity of this magnitude presents itself and when it does you must grab it. He knows that he will take away a lot and be a better person for it in everyday life and future challenges.

Paddy says he only went out for a packet of fags!

Gemma – my half way point was a little emotional, letters from friends and family reminded me of the love ones left at home. Reflecting on the last 18 days, it’s been bloody hard going but I wouldn’t change anything, not even one point for a second. Thoughts for the future: work hard, enjoy this experience and take away as much as possible from this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Only 3 months into my career with the NBC Washington bureau, I was promoted to the overnight assignment desk.  I had the privilege of being on the network desk during Election Eve, with countless other staff members in the newsroom, waiting minute by minute as poll results were streaming in county by county.  Several crews and producers had been put on flights to different remotes all around the United States, to broadcast live shots and shoot b-roll from different polling places in key toss-up states, including North Carolina and Virginia.  And, in the newsroom, we were configured for Specials coverage – with Brian Williams sitting at our main bulletin camera, and a round-robin of contributors and analysts getting in and out of the chair next to him – David Gregory, Pete Williams, Michael Beschloss, Andrea Mitchell, and so many more.

After Barack Obama’s election, with Bush ‘43 still in office for several more months, I was on the overnight desk (without such a large supporting cast, mind you) for several other large news events pre-Inauguration, including Secretary Robert Gates’ final overseas trip to the Middle East as George W. Bush’s defense secretary, and, the very next day, President Bush’s surprise trip to Iraq and Afghanistan.  (The very trip where he had a shoe thrown at him, and gave the cable networks material to discuss for weeks to come).

But, no overnight desk assignment tested my organizational capabilities as the night of Inauguration – with about the dozen or so Inaugural Balls that the First Couple, VP-elect and Dr. Jill Biden would attend, dance at for a few minutes, and leave.  NBC Specials was on the air, following the couples’ every movement, and MSNBC was still on the air, and would not go off the air until every ball was completed.  Talking to the NY control room by PA, communicating with the NBC pool crews in the various ballroom venues, communicating with the other networks on their pool obligations, and giving direction to the slew of unilateral crews shooting b-roll all around the city, and the couriers dispersed everywhere, bringing tapes back to the bureau to be fed to the NBC affiliates.  Unlike the night before Inauguration where, much like Election Eve, the newsroom was bustling, this evening was not so.  For most of the Inaugural Balls coverage, it was just myself, another desk editor, and an MSNBC senior producer.

This clip of a Today Show spot, aired the next morning (cut the night before in NY), showcases some of the mounds of coverage we as a bureau took in the night before – including unilateral interviews with celebrities in attendance.  Natalie Morales did the report from NY with Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira.

The Army crew is safe and morale is high aboard Challenger

Here are the Challenger blogs and shout-outs from Tuesday 27th Oct back through to the storm horrors of Friday 23rd Oct.

An intense low pressure meteorological ‘bomb’ had hit us, as the Southern Ocean demonstrated what she is really all about.  The crew pulled together immediately to control the situation and thereafter to repair the considerable amount of damage which had occurred.

The Transglobe fleet is getting the full-on Southern Ocean experience

Blimey! The Army’s really had it rough and tough on this stormy Leg 4 of Exercise TRANSGLOBE. The crews on all three TRANSGLOBE yachts are revealing their fantastic teamwork, courage and humour despite these horrific sailing conditions they’re facing as they make their weary way to Perth across the Southern Ocean. Unfortunately there is a problem with the internet on board the RN yacht, ADVENTURE so we haven’t had anything through from them recently.

Remember to read the Shout-outs at the end of this posting; always  revealing and always touchingly personal messages to those back home.

Challenger (ARMY) blogs:

TUESDAY 27 OCTOBER – White Watch woke the crew to a delightful bowl of porridge – voted as the best consistency of the voyage so far; not having to slice or chew porridge before swallowing made a very rare treat – hopefully their secret recipe will be shared around until we get to Oz.  Not satisfied with the best porridge, watch-leader Dave also baked up the best plump, crusty bread that we’ve had so far. The skipper’s reaction to fried spam sandwiches earlier in the week was to break into the emergency rations, which has released some eagerly awaited variety: tuna in mayo with sweet corn, which complemented Dave’s bread superbly.  Good scoff means good morale and Challenger’s crew are happy today.

MONDAY 26 OCTOBER – After their running repairs to the storm staysail, Hayley  and Austin decided they could also fix the Yankee 3 that blew-out a few days ago.  A 14 ft ‘luff to leach’ tear kept the pair busy for 18 hours with constant patching and stitching, stopping only to eat. Amazingly they both had some skin left on their fingers and thumbs by the end of the job.  We’re waiting in anticipation for the wind to abate enough so that we can change from storm to Yankee 3 to see whether the repair holds out.

SUNDAY 25 OCTOBER – The day started with glorious sunshine which gave people a chance to dry their laundry on deck.  Although the choice of palatable rations is dwindling by the day, Red Watch treated us to an interesting Southern Ocean delicacy of fried spam sandwiches.  The fact that they were all eaten was either because they were tasty, or that we were all very hungry, either way, the distinctive taste of spam repeated throughout the day.

Following the high winds of the last two days Blue Watch were put through their paces and changed a complete sail plan before starting mother watch.  The three man team of Nathan, Colin and Matt shook out reefs, replaced headsails and staysails to give a bit more speed to the boat. Their bangers and mash creation is one of the culinary highlights to date, with head chef Colin’s Special Sauce tantalising the taste buds in a nice but slightly peculiar way.  After a quiet night at sea the crew is now rested and ready for the next batch of high winds expected on Monday evening.

SATURDAY 24 OCTOBER – Having some of the crew nursing their aches and pains from the storm, Shaun has had to move to Red Watch as watch leader for a few days whilst Steve G is nursing an injured elbow, Shaun sympathetically suggests that he should ‘Man-Up’.

We completed our last on-deck shift before mother watch with some rather large seas and it was great to get a bit of surfing in. We were still limited to using only bare poles, as the sails were still being repaired by Hayley and Austin.

Jay has become Red Watch camera man, as the storm claimed Shaun’s camera and took it to the bottom of the Southern Ocean for Nemo and friends to play with. Ski is providing the watch with movie entertainment and is eating his way through all the biscuits at the fastest rate, but Austin is giving him a run for his money, coming a close second place.

Once all the sails were repaired Red and White Watches had the job of putting the main sail back on the mast. Shaun had to go up the mast to replace the runners with Jay yelling, “Keep smiling for the camera” as he swung like a pendulum from one side of the boat to the next.  Steve (Gripper) Parsons was glued back onto the helm, happy as Larry.

“Ok baby, give us all you’ve got”.  BANG!!! 0002hrs, with 69 knots the mainsail preventer completely shredded

FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER – Early in the evening with bad weather imminent and winds forecasted to be between 30-40knts, the skipper ordered a conservative sail plan of 3 reefs and the storm staysail, as we were waiting for the weather to hit.

0001hrs, with 15 knots of wind we were happily heading eastward to Oz when Steve G disturbingly teased the ocean by saying, “Ok baby, give us all you’ve got”.  BANG!!! 0200hrs, with 69 knots the mainsail preventer completely shredded causing the boat spin around and make rapid progress back towards Cape Town. Things deteriorated rapidly thereafter with wind speeds further increasing; Steve G measured a monster hurricane force 86 knot gust at one point. The heavily reefed mainsail quickly gave up the ghost and blew-out from the mast track and completely severed its halyard, then being dragged along behind us in a savage mix of spray, wind and waves.

A few of the crew below heard the skipper’s shout, above the screaming and whistling of the wind, “The main’s going — oh f*** — I need that main in now”.  This was rapidly followed by four eager men on deck arriving to do battle with the sea and attempt to control the main sail which was now dangerously flogging.

Eventually, inch-by-inch, the mainsail was wrapped around the boom and tied up as best as possible, and we continued onward using only the storm staysail.  Unfortunately, this too didn’t last long as it tore along several of its seams and ended up looking like something from the Black Pearl.  With the storm staysail stowed, we were now running with only bare poles as Dave Mason took the helm and gallantly headed Challenger north with a following sea and wind.

An intense low pressure meteorological ‘bomb’ had hit us, as the Southern Ocean demonstrated what she is really all about.  The crew pulled together immediately to control the situation and thereafter to repair the considerable amount of damage which had occurred.

As the sun rose with Shaun on the helm in excess of a ten meter swell, the full extent of the damage became apparent, although Challenger had done us proud and stood up to the conditions well. However, now more hard work began as Hayley and Austin used the sewing kit to make numerous repair patches on the sails long into the night, damaged ropes were replaced with spares, almost everything was hung out to dry, and the crew took some much needed rest.

It was not all doom and gloom though as several funny things happened during all the excitement.  Anthony G (Ski) was tipped out of bed when the wind hit the boat.  Colin slept solidly through the whole event and was briefed about it in the morning.  In his excitement to get on deck, Shaun B wore only his favourite maroon ‘airborne’ tee-shirt under his waterproofs, and whilst virtually swimming in the southern ocean, helping to fish-out the mainsail, he had the gall to complain that he was cold. Hayley flew off the chart table seat, landing stuck in a bucket inside the wet locker on the other side of the boat.

With further repairs soon to be completed morale is still very high on Challenger as we head further towards Oz.

SHOUTS:

Nathan Evans: Happy Birthday to James Steiger.  Tess – I hope you are having a nice half term, I love you and miss you lotsxxx

Matthew Arnold: im wet all my stuffs wet the boats all wet and im loving it

Hayley: Nursing all my bumps and bruises, but they are slowly going away. Had the longest day ever yesterday trying to fix the yankee. Fingers crossed she stays up. Still having a ball and can’t wait to speak to my kid brothers. Also can’t wait to get tree trunked in OZ woop woop xxxx

Davy Kelly:  Livin the Challenger dream at the moment, can’t wait to get to to Oz for Chunky Monkey ice cream and a bag of jelly babies. Sorry Simone but apparently my waterproof and shock proof camera is not crush proof ooops. Miss you loads and hope you don’t get too tired going to Brighton, give Ollie a big hug for me xxxx

Steve Galvin: Since my last update King Neptune has finally given us some wind worth mention. The afore mentioned came in the form of a Force 12 storm at 2 am, going from 25 Knots of wind to 65 Knots in seconds and rising eventually to 84 Knots. A massive adrenalin rush for everyone with I’m sure a certain amount of fear as well, especially when both the Storm sail and Mainsail were both torn. We all however survived some with more bruises than others, but alive and well enough to tell the tale many times I’m sure. Regards and Love to all! XXX “ Live Slow, Sail Fast”

Shaun Broom: Hope you are well, I’m hungry, the ocean has claimed my camera, bruised from going up the mast twice to fix main sail but over all living the dream.  Hi ya babe, missing you loads. Missed the last shout, been very busy. Southern Ocean giving us a good beating, been having a good laugh, but had a few low days where was very tired. Looking forward to OZ and a good drink, Should be there in 10 days or less. Speak to ya soon love and miss ya loads xxx

Antony Finnigan:Hi Shell hope you are ok and still missing me as much as i am missing you,i hope the Kids are being good for you give them a kiss for me.Its been fun on here with  force 12 winds hitting us so its been different.Over half way now counting the days until we arrive at ozzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz  so i can eat some nice food.Iwill write when i can so take care love to you and everyone else ant.Hello to 234 .

Colin Harrower: Hello MB, How the devil are you? I hope you had a good week off and feel refreshed..wont be long till Im back and my adventure will be over, boohooo really enjoyed the whole experience so looking forward to getting to Oz. Mum, I hope Craig has now got back from Afghanistan safely and that you are all well. Call you when I get to Oz. Love & Miss you loads xox

Antoni Gabanski: Hay mum and whoever else is reading this. We had a hell a few days since Friday night. We were hit by hurricane force winds which are 63+ knots winds, and it maxed out at 84 knots. Sails were blown and a lot of work to retrieve the main sail. It’s looking like we are going to be arriving in Perth Freemantle within 10 days. Still loving it, and its slowly coming to an end this expedition. Until next time xxx

Mike Symes: Hi darling as you can see from the blog the southern ocean has been keeping me busy. My usual practice of skippering from my bunk has not been so possible on this trip. Not talking to you is driving me mad, expect a long call from Perth. Hope all is well at home and am counting the days for our arrival in Perth. Send my love on to Toby. Love as always XXXX

Every surfer has their favorite beach, surf break, or hometown they like to call their own.  It gives them a sense of identity and provides nostalgic memories of great sessions past, friends, and community.  Surfers often spend seasons, perhaps even a lifetime indoctrinating themselves into their lineups and the social strata pecking order that enforces them.  Whether “born n’ bred” or a recent transplant to a surfing community, every surfer feels a sense of pride and entitlement (some more so than others) at the waves that break right outside their front door.  It is this pride and sense of entitlement combined with finite resources (waves) and a hungry subset of surfers that sets up the perfect storm for what we surfers refer to as “localism”.  Forced to scrap for waves, paddle battle for position, and compete head to head with other surfers like an episode of American Gladiators, surfers are pretty much left to their own devices and abilities to score waves in the competitive arenas better known as your town’s best surf breaks.  It’s enough to make a surfer want to plan a surf trip stat just to get away from it all.  Similar to mafia turf wars, the day-in, day-out struggle for dominance within the lineup is a constantly shifting paradigm.  All too often, natural ability, putting in face time, and a strong desire to score waves just doesn’t cut it.  For better or worse, this is where localism takes over.  Are you ready to play?

Localism in a broader sense has been around since the beginning of time.  It’s a “first come, first serve” feudal like claim to the resources of an area for the benefit of a privileged few.  For surfers, it’s the taking over of a certain break or wave rich region for the rights to surf its superior waves unobstructed by the likes of outsiders and to those who might pose a threat to the optimal wave/surfer ratio.  It is by all accounts a highly un-democratic process.  But to those akin to the wild animal kingdom, localism is a social enigma where there are undeniable winners and losers.  At its core essence, localism is a shamelessly selfish endeavor.  It is like a powerful aphrodisiac for the ego minded surfer crew hell bent on total wave annihilation domination.  It feeds upon itself in a vicious cycle of greed, intimidation, and resentment towards outsiders.  To add fuel to the fire, take a world class marquee surf break and cram it full of a large group of talented, testosterone infused surfers who think they own the place and you’ve got a ticking time bomb of localism induced mayhem ready to explode!

Surfers afflicted with the self-righteous localism bug are very much the territorial dog marking their own territory whenever possible.  These surfers like to leave endearing messages to other surfers like “No Kooks Allowed” or “Locals Only” etched into sidewalks with melted surf wax in a passive yet foreboding attempt to discourage outsiders from surfing their breaks with their sheepish “enter at your own risk” advertisements.  Often times this type of tagging is accompanied by a reference to an obscure group or local crew who must have spent hours mulling over what to call themselves but ran out of ideas and decided that an area code designation like “The 949 crew” or “The 808 Posse” would surely suffice.  Some better established groups like Da Hui as showcased in every surfer’s favorite movie – “The North Shore” have taken things to a completely different level, literally writing the book on localism and paving the way for other wannabe factions of localism to replicate themselves throughout countless lineups the world over.

Ask any surfer their opinion of localism and you will undoubtedly get mixed reviews.  Proponents of localism will say it provides order in the lineup and encourages respect to those surfers who have paid their dues in earning their place in the lineup.  Opponents will harp on the injustices of localism and its often Gestapo like enforcement of a few surfers’ rights to the best waves to the detriment of all the other surfers left scrambling for the scraps.  And then there is the endless debate over what truly constitutes being a local in the first place?  Is it contingent on having lived in the area all of your life (a.k.a. – born n’ bred) or is it more a combination of moving parts like how well a surfer surfs, how they are perceived or acknowledged by the community, or how assertive they are in the lineup?  The issue of localism and what constitutes being a local is subject to a million different interpretations and is a source of constant debate and friction amongst the surfing community.  At the end of the day, what surfers must really ask themselves is: “is localism for me?” and if so “how far am I willing to take it?”  Life perspective is key on this issue and many surfers will fall to the dark side like Darth Vader.  When in doubt, remember – “an asshole on land is an asshole in the water!”  Keep that in mind as you internalize your stance on the issue of localism.  Yeap, pretty much sums it up!

To further commemorate Localism, StuffSurfersLike would like to take this opportunity to poke some fun at the typical locals you might find floating around a lineup near you. After all, what would localism be without the colorful cast of characters that go along with it? Read on, you just might know one of these guys or be one of them yourself………

The Surly “Stink Eyed” Old Man Longboarder:

Every surf town has a ripe over abundance of these old timers. They typically sit way on the outside of a surf break in a “pow-wow” congregation with other members of their crew reminiscing about the good ol’ days and popping off dirty old man dialogue that they couldn’t get away with saying at home around the wifey or ex. They often drop in on anything and everything thus giving them their 2nd designation as “Local Wave Hog” due to their usually heavyset proportions and their propensity to snag every wave like a pig at the trough. When riding a wave, they usually exude a look of sheer determination conveying to other surfers, “by hell, you better get outta my way, I’m comin’ through!!!” In addition, these surfers generally discourage the use of leashes as a tribute to the good ol’ days when leashes didn’t exist and surfers had to swim for their boards after losing them. Be prepared to be run over or hit by one of their runaway boards only to receive a bountiful dose of stink eye as your apology when they see that you are wearing a leash (sissy stuff!!) Speaking of which, these old timers bring Stink Eye – “the look of utter disdain and disgust towards other surfers” to the ultimate level. Having swallowed the bitter pill years ago, it’s a wonder they still show up to the lineup on a regular basis and haven’t gone the ExPat route like so many of their former compadres that have since gone feral to stake their claim at surf breaks south of the border. (Of note, The Surly “Stink Eyed” Old Man Longboarder is a master manipulator within the local’s social hierarchy. They are like the Godfather. There isn’t anything they haven’t seen or done over their ancient history in the lineup. In fact, they probably wrote the playbook on Localism that is currently being used to wage power struggles in the surfer strata’s a few levels below.)

The Arrogant Washed Up Ex-Pro Surfer / Local Town Hero:

This surfer more than any other local probably deserves the rights and privileges that go along with scoring the best waves under the bylaws of Localism. They grew up in the area, put in their time, they rip, made a decent stab at making it as a pro surfer, and are well known by their local surfing community. Unfortunately for the other “local” surfers in the lineup who have to put up with this surfer, they won’t be scoring many set waves when this guy is around. The Arrogant Washed Up Ex-Pro Surfer / Local Town Hero surfer often has a big chip on their shoulder from not having made it in the big boy world of pro surfing. They are effectively a big fish in a small pond and they’re going to let everyone in their vicinity know it! With the implied backing of all the local bros, this surfer is pretty much free and clear to say or do whatever they want in the lineup creating an arrogant monster of epic proportions. This surfer will typically snub you, ignore you, or give you one word answers if you try and spark up a conversation with them or congratulate them on a sick wave they just caught. In rare circumstances, these surfers may converse with you if you happen to be accompanied by an industry “bro in the know” who could hook them up with a cush job in the surf industry (they’ll need it now). Watch out if you accidently get in the way of this surfer or effectively mess up their wave by inadvertently cutting them off. This is grounds for a splash battle, witnessing of a grown man doing his best impression of a 5 year old’s temper tantrum, or worse yet, an involuntary invitation to meet his buddy Chuey on the beach for a “talk”.

The Weekend Warrior:

The weekend warrior is a busy guy in and out of the water. He/she is pretty much the meat and potatoes of a local surfing community just trying to fit in a surf whenever they can find the time. Faced with more worldly obligations such as a steady 9-5 job, supporting their family, and bringing home the bacon, they typically have no concern or inclination to climb the social strata of a given surf break. Surfing is viewed as an opportunity to let loose and have fun rather than incur more stress over trivial matters such as localism. Their no nonsense, “let’s try and fit as many waves into this sesh as possible” mentality is the bane of the seasoned locals existence. In these instances, the “local” surfer will often paddle circles around The Weekend Warrior to let them know who’s boss and to try and validate some sense of control over the uncontrollable environment that is a weekend lineup. If it becomes too crowded or aggressive in the lineup for their tastes, The Weekend Warrior will often move up or down the beach in search of a less crowded wave to get their surfing fix before they have to head home for some yard work and a couple coldies in the lounge chair.

The Impressionable “Buy My Poster/ Sponsor Me” Surf Grom:

The Impressionable “Buy My Poster/ Sponsor Me” Surf Grom eats, sleeps, and breathes surfing. In their childhood innocence, their only concern is how quickly they can half-assedly complete their homework, score a ride to the beach from mom, and snag multiple seshs before its time to head home for dinner and do it all over again the next day. In direct opposition to The Surly “Stink Eye” Old Man Longboarder, these young surfers favor surfing with as many of their surfing friends as possible in a desperate attempt to show off their skills and gain recognition from their local brat pack peer group. Emulating the flashy moves of their favorite pro surfers gleaned from hours of careful study from the latest surf videos is top of the list for The Impressionable “Buy My Poster/ Sponsor Me” Surf Grom. Surfers in this group love the status symbol that stickers and labels from niche surf companies can provide them. They enjoy plastering these stickers all over their surfboard and fantasizing about travelling the world as a pro surfer. These surfers often join competitive organizations such as NSSA for regular entry into surf competitions, which breed surfers for bigger and better competitions down the road. The Impressionable “Buy My Poster/ Sponsor Me” Grom typically idolizes The Washed Up Ex Pro / Local Town Hero and he in kind often takes the young groms under his wing as he sees a bit of his former self in their conquest to become pro and dominate the lineup. The Groms, for better or worse, often learn the dynamics of Localism and its intricate power plays from the older generations as the baton gets passed from one generation to the next. Sometimes with all the heckling and trash-talking going on in the water within this peer group, you’d think you were witnessing a re-enactment of Piggy’s demise in Lord of the Flies. Who’s got the conch??

The Insta-Local:

This particularly rare and pompous surfer shows up to a break F.O.J. (“Fresh Off Jet”) and instantly acts as if they own the place. With little regard for anyone else, let alone the locals, this surfer will paddle battle, drop in wherever they please, and go around surfers to get priority of the peak. Depending on the locale and the intensity of its localism, this type of surfer may or not be able to get away with this kind of behavior for a short duration of time. Sooner or later, The Insta-Local gets put in their place and sent to the back of the line by someone bigger and gnarlier than them who demands respect (i.e.- Chuey). Examples of typical Insta-Locals are college students claiming their university town as their new home break, tourists who are competent enough to catch a wave & get in the way (i.e.- Zonies), and big budget surfers who fly halfway around the world for surf and mistakenly think this entitles them to an “All-You-Can-Eat” wave buffet (i.e.- travelling to wave rich, local heavy destinations like Bali, Hawaii, & Australia).

The Parking Lot Degenerate:

The Parking Lot Degenerate is a common fixture of any decaying surf scene. When you see too many of these guys loitering around you know things have gotten bad!! Often no more than a common street thug, these guys take it upon themselves to pick fights, let air out of/ slash tires, wax windshields, break into cars, and generally cause a ruckus all under the noble guise of protecting their local surf break. The Parking Lot Degenerate is at its core a jealous, angry, antagonizing bundle of loser denial. They feed off their ability to intimidate and strike fear into their surfing victims. As is often the case with losers of this echelon, The Parking Lot Degenerate 9 times out of 10 possess a rabid case of “crazy eye syndrome” unleashed by years of experimental drug use turned meth addiction. It is debatable whether The Parking Lot Degenerate spends more time in the lineup heckling and threatening other surfers versus swilling beers in the back of a pickup truck with his other parking lot degenerate loser friends. Similar to The Surly “Stink Eyed” Old Man Longboarder, The Parking Lot Degenerate is a big fan of holding onto the past and not accepting the reality of the present. They will often rehash past brawls and talk about fallen comrades of the Localism Elite who are now in jail or AA with a nostalgic sparkle in their crazy eyes as a tribute to what their life has become as the token Parking Lot Degenerate.

I circulated the ET media database (around 270 press contacts) with the EXERCISE TRANSGLOBE NEWS UPDATE # 8 and all of these updates + excerpts of the blogs (on the event website’s blog pages) can usually be found here incase my news releases don’t make it onto the official website first (quite possible). Currently the website tracking isn’t operating and there’s a holding note on the blog page saying ERROR: This blog is on hold because its bandwidth has been exceeded.

Despite the technical hitches and glitches on the website (all owing to lack of proper funding), what is becoming so clear as we head off on Leg 4, especially for the more novice members of the crews, is how much of a voyage of discovery this really is – the whole idea of TRANSGLOBE is proving to be a winner in terms of getting to grips with steep learning curves and testing skills and determination, courage and relationships, not to mention engendering that all-important trust in each other. Its a formidable challenge that lies ahead with the Southern Ocean to negotiate. What a blistering adventure of a lifetime this is proving to be and I am so proud to be a tiny part of it.

Sqn Ldr Cottrell, who wrote me this delightful email the day after we sent the three yachts off on their first leg to Lanzarote back in July, and who is responsible for running this Exercise, is now on board the RAF yacht Disco battling his way towards the Southern Ocean.

TRANSGLOBE Supporter Babs Powell with Neil Cottrell

My dear Peta,

Last night, for the first time in many months,  I slept well because yesterday we sent three yachts away on the start of TRANSGLOBE with an exceptional send off and only 2 days after a fantastic Patrons’ Day.  I will write a formal letter of thanks to Nick Knowles this week and send it to you to pass on to him.

I and the TRANSGLOBE participants are very lucky that you contacted us earlier this year and offered your services as our Press Officer. Under your direction and expert guidance we have delivered the very best possible Media, Patrons’ and Start Day events that we could on such a shoe string budget.  In comparison to the multi-million sponsorship deals of events like the Volvo Ocean Race and the Vendee Globe, I don’t think we have done at all badly.  I am proud of what we as a team (You, me Andy and Clive) have been able to achieve.  Thank you.

I will try very hard to secure funding so that we can continue to draw on your expertise, energy and enthusiasm right through to the triumphant return of the three yachts next July.  Whatever funding I can secure will never be enough to repay you financially for the commitment and professionalism that you have brought to this enterprise.  Nevertheless, I hope that you know just how deeply grateful I, Andy, Clive and every TRANSGLOBE participant are for having you with us these last few months.

I truly value your friendship and look forward to the post-TRANSGLOBE reception when we can really celebrate the success of this expedition.
Yours, Neil

Our Ambassador, Nick Knowles, on start gun duty. We’ve invited him to do a leg of the TRANSGLOBE next year and he’s considering it but is an extremely busy man these days…

…but not too busy to give your’s truly a cuddle!

Bear Grylls is another of our high profile supporters

Freeski, Snowboard und Downhill MTB in Fiss

Freeski, Snowboard und Downhill MTB in Fiss und Umgebung – dieses Thema haben wir uns mit unserer neuen Intersport Pregenzer Jugendseite zur Aufgabe gemacht. Endecke unsere neue Freeski, Snowboard und Downhill MTB Website mit allen Events, Materialtipps, Videos, Parties, Local Crews und regionalen Infos, die du brauchst um deinen Trip nach Fiss interessanter zu gestalten…

Go and check it out www.intersport-pregenzer.com/freeski_snowboard_mtb

Intersport Pregenzer
Sportshop in Fiss

The expendables!

Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Terry Crews, Mickey Rourke, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren, Bruce Willis, and that grey-haired guy of of Mariah Carey’s Videos where she’s getting married but ditches the old guy for that young guy off of prison break, you know, the pretty boy. And that’s just the ones I’ve seen / heard about.

Oh boy, I’m gonna love this!

HMSTV Discoverer (aka Disco), the RAF-crewed yacht, was 225nm SE of Agulhas Point beating into 35-40 knot headwinds as the latest blogs came through from the boat.

A 21-year old RAF Officer Cadet student and novice sailor, Gemma Lamont (aka Wee Gemz), is on board and she’s been sharing the blogging duties alongside the more experienced yachtsman, retired Air Marshal Sir Graham Anthony ‘Dusty’ Miller KBE who is now a member of the Volunteer Reserves. Below Wee Gemz and Dusty Miller cover off the first four days out of Cape Town en route to Perth between them!

Wee Gemz on board Disco writes:

Howdy Folks. Blog has changed hands and now you can enjoy an epic re-telling of the last twenty four hours in distinct contrast by the youngest member of the crew!

As we left the Royal Yacht Club yesterday all our adoring fans lined up to bid each crew farewell. As we motored out of Cape Town harbour in unison with our two sister vessels (however less superior they might be) it began to dawn on us what actually lay ahead along the 5000nm passage.

Sail training came and went; the crew covered everything from tacking to man overboard drills with “Bob” being the most suitable candidate to go over the side.  “Gybe Ho” cried the helm as each watch made magnificent attempts to control the steel vessel as she crashed through the waves.

With a backdrop of the Cape Top cliffs, all three vessels crossed the start line of this once in a lifetime ocean adventure. I think the crew felt a little emotional as the last sight of Africa disappeared away.  No turning back……

Hours in, we had already stacked up quite a counting of marine wildlife; whales, dolphins, seals, sea penguins and albatross. These outstanding spottings even managed to turn the heads of our poor wee sickies onboard.

Well guys, that’s all from me for now…. love to all of Disco’s families – NEXT STOP PERTH! Oh happy days….

The Blog-writing duty returns to Dusty Miller

'Dusty' Miller/RAF

Hi Folks, it’s the old guy again,

Our departure from Cape Town was indeed emotional but most of us were just very pleased to be under way at last.  Gemma mentioned we had a couple of crewmembers suffer from a few hours of sea sickness – in fact, a good half the crew were affected in one way or another but most have now bounced back and are looking a lot better going about their duties in a very determined manner.

Yesterday (Friday) was a fantastic day with a long slow swell in the ocean giving Disco an easy, almost lazy, motion.  The wind was, if anything, too gentle and we ended up motor-sailing for much of the day.  Nevertheless, it was a first class opportunity for the watches to settle to their routines and for those on deck to enjoy some warm and dry weather for a while.  We enjoyed the spectacle of individual whales coming close alongside as well as seeing pods of them passing by in the distance.  Albatross and a few other unidentified sea birds followed us throughout the hours of daylight with one particular dark coloured bird riding our wake no more than 20ft astern for over an hour.

For the geography buffs, our intent was to head south until reaching the 37^th parallel before turning onto a south-easterly heading.  This way we would avoid the Agulhas Bank extending from the southern-most tip of Africa where the shallow seas tend to promote a very rough passage even in benign weather.

I took my travelling companion, Cedric, on deck for an afternoon photo-shoot before stowing him safely below decks.  Later in the afternoon we had the opportunity to sample the Typhoon Force new aftershave – Hint of Diesel – when over-enthusiastic replenishment of the day tank forced fuel up the overflow breather and onto the deck, covering Paul.

Following a terrific beef curry dinner we settled down for the hours of darkness and were treated to a stunning night sail.  Occasional bursts of phosphorescence in the wake were eclipsed in magnificence only be the myriad of stars that were visible literally from horizon to horizon.  Being over 100 miles away from land there is no cultural lighting to pollute the sky and you can see every star, and there are a lot of them.  Many of the more familiar northern hemisphere constellations are clearly visible but are hard to pick out from the bright clusters above us – Orion with his signature sword belt stands out loud and clear – but so far none of us has yet identified the Southern Cross.  Still, we have time on side for a while.  The stars faded significantly when the moon rose just after midnight and bathed the scene in bright silvery light.

Saturday passed quietly with the wind remaining south-easterly and generally below 15 knots.  Again the iron donkey helped to keep us moving in the right direction but we were aware that there was a storm brewing and we were about to take a hammering.

Day Four on the RAF yacht Disco.

“Good day mates,” Its Gemma here signing on for another update on our recent adventures. Today has been our first real exposure to the true power of the Southern Ocean and the elements it maintains. As the wind has increased around our floating home, Disco has been lifted up, shaken and rattled by the white horses racing beneath her. Two reefs, a number three Yankee and a huge amount of effort later, Disco’s crew has began to take control and battle the fierce fronts that will be bombarding them for the next 24 hours.  Batten down the hatches, hold on tight as the force eight is closing in fast.  The Southern Ocean is preparing to flex its powerful muscles and its looks like we will endure a ride of a lifetime…….

Hi Folks, its grey beard again (and the beard is definitely grey)

Sunday was a day to prepare ourselves for the beating that lay ahead and 24 hrs later we have survived the worst.  As the day wore on the wind started to freshen from the south-east and some of the crew took the opportunity to get some of their smalls through a hand-wash and onto the rail in an effort to dry them – those who started early were successful, those who started later, less so.  We were putting reefs into the mainsail by early afternoon and by the time it got dark (1830-ish) we had 3 slabs in the main, No 3 Yankee and the Staysail and were ready for a wild night.

In short, we were hammered.  The Staysail was removed in the late evening and the wind rose to a peak of around 45 knots with a consistent mean just below 40 knots.  Disco took on the appearance of being a submarine with huge amounts of water crashing across the deck and occasionally pouring down the hatch to the chart table.  Gemma got caught twice under an open hatch (once in the forepeak during a sail change and once in the saloon beneath the happy hatch) and both times came away completely drenched.  Disco is now ‘running wet’ as everything is somewhere between damp and soaked and most of us realise that it will be Perth before we embrace ‘dry’ again.  Mr Nick Gill did say that his clothes would keep us warm whether we are wet or dry, and so far he has been proved right.  The crew have been utterly magnificent – last night on deck was scary but strength of character shone through and they now laugh in the face of a mere Force 8.  Paul’s demented cackle every time a wave broke over his head could be heard throughout the boat, so maybe a little madness also helps.  During the 0400 watch change the No 3 Yankee was replaced with the tiny orange Storm Staysail.

As daylight draws to a close on Monday, we have been buffeted throughout today but less violently than last night.  Skipper says that it is a good job we are not trying to do this the wrong way round (east to west) and he is right – well, he must be, he is the Skipper.

Love to all our families and friends, you are never far from our thoughts especially in the dead of night when we realise that you are tucked up warm in your beds.  I will try to gather some personal ‘shout outs’ from crew members over the next couple of days but even if you are missed I am certain your loved one is thinking of you.

From Neil – painting life in brilliant colours, love to Chris, Mike, Becca and Laura.

From Dusty – hell of a way to escape the pears, love and e-hugs to Lesley, Katie, Andrew, Danny & Ali.

He’s amazingly good looking. Damian Lewis. Or “Charlie Crews”, if you prefer. The show is pretty awesome too.

Around 25 firefighters tackle flames and smoke billowing from a fire at a derelict school in Greater Manchester…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: oregon teach. For a different topic see here. The blog is also related to: school uniforms.

We have a brief report to share from HMSTV Adventure being crewed by Royal Navy personnel.

Lt Vivienne Masson (aged 27) will be hoping that her three yacht delivery trips across the Med will stand her in good stead for the long passage ahead. Viv was educated in Cheltenham followed by three years at TS Legion with Cheltenham Sea Cadets and five years at HMS Vivid (Plymouth Royal Naval Reserves). She is based at HMS Heron, Yeovilton.  Adventure’s skipper is a member of the Joint Services Adventurous Sail Training Centre (JSASTC) staff and the majority of the crew are Royal Marines from 45 Commando who have recently returned from Operations in Afghanistan.

This is their first blog

The crew assembled in Gosport last Thursday, with quite a few of us arriving on Wednesday as we were travelling a long distance, most notably the eight 45 Commando guys who came down from Arbroath. After a day of briefs and kit issue the crew had a few ‘bonding’drinks in a local pub, with the younger guys adventuring over to ‘Pompey’ to sample the delights.

Bye bye Cape Town

We arrived (in Cape Town) late Saturday afternoon after a long 24 hours travelling. The Skipper John was very kind and got us on board, settled us in then we met up with the other crews for an evening meal and mingle. Sunday and Monday involved lots of briefs and training evolutions to get us used to the boat and to start slipping into our watches. Store ship was on Monday, and we now have plenty of food to last us across the Ocean. We were given Tuesday off to go and explore Cape Town, with most shopping at V and A, Cape Town’s answer to Gunwharf, only bigger! The weather denied a lot of the crew a chance to go up to Table Mountain, which this morning we can see clearly! More beer and wine was drunk, and a chance to meet the locals, and to introduce South Africa to the Royals! Today, we are having our last meal on dry land and will slip and precede this morning. Then go on and test everyones sea sickness stamina! Adventure out.