New Year's Eve on the Atlantic

Midday position 19 25.7N 54 34.24W

With less than 400 miles to go and an ETA of Monday Ivanka is relishing the perfect sailing conditions that we have been experiencing for the past few days. Today the humour levels that had deserted us yesterday have returned with the end of the voyage now just over the horizon.

Yesterday the constant rolling motion, as we sailed downwind in between 25 and 38 knots of breeze, had taken it's toll on us all. Sleeping had become increasingly difficult as the only way to stay in our luxury double beds was to 'think heavy' and visualise velcro gloves and knee pads! That is all well and good until you dose off and the next waves flicks you off the bed and into a crumpled heap on the floor! On a yacht where the boom costs in excess of £100k I have not worked out why lee clothes, which cost just £50, are not considered an option! I can only assume drilling holes in the beautifully crafted woodwork is a bit of a no no!

'Better than a smack in the face with a wet fish.' I am trying to remember where that quote came from. I seem to think it was either Buldric in Black Adder or Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses. I wonder if whoever it was had actually been inspired after being hit in the face by a flying fish. Let me assure you that it is not the most pleasant experience, especially when it happens for a second time in two days! The first time was funny but last nights encore was not quite so amusing!

Yesterday, after watching the movie of Shakleton's ill fated expedition to the Antarctic in 1914, my thoughts drifted to the team aboard Sea Shepherds vessel deep in the Southern Ocean who were struck by a monster wave this week. The last that we heard was that the Steve Irwin (Sea Shepherds flag ship) had diverted to mount a rescue operation after severe structural damage had been sustained. The volunteers of Sea Shepherd are doing an amazing job by taking on the Japanese whalers so our thoughts are very much with them and hope for a positive outcome.

The spirit of Sea Shepherd was made all the more poignant today as we all witnessed one of the most incredible experiences I have had at sea. We were all sat in the cockpit enjoying a mid morning coffee when Sophie shouted 'dolphin....or something.' My next thought was 'well that is the biggest dolphin I have ever seen!' In the 10 foot wave directly behind us the shadow of something very large emerged. My jaw dropped and my mouth was left wide open as my heart missed a beat. It was a humpback whale just 20 metres from our transom.

It was clearly visible, perfectly suspended inside the wave, the magnificent mammal flicked its tails a couple of times before disappearing into the deep blue ocean. If a camera had been to hand then the subject would have been worthy of a press photography award. As it is the image will have to be stored in my brain as I keep playing the moment back time and time again. This was by far the most memorable encounter I have experienced of these enigmatic and beautiful creatures, seeing the whale side ways on from head to tail, with its eye wide open watching us, and all its white markings underneath clearly visible was a sight to behold. This is surely the highlight of the voyage for me.

For the next forty minutes the whale kept pace with us, as if either she was escorting us or we were escorting her to the Caribbean. She surfaced a couple of times to blow her air and on occasions we could make out her silhouette in the dark blue waves just two boat lengths from us before disappearing into the abyss.

As my thoughts returned to Sea Shepherd I was filled with an overwhelming anger. 'Why when there are less than 60,000 humpback whales left in our oceans are the Japanese still murdering over 2,000 of them every year?' The answer to that question is beyond me but I feel quite privileged to have the memory of glaring into the eye of one of the natural wonders of our world. I for one will be sending my membership fee in next week.

Back to life onboard Ivanka, it is New Years Eve and we have decided to welcome in the New Year at midnight GMT. It seems appropriate and apt to celebrate at the seafarers meridian and more importantly, it is watch change over time so there will be no disruption to anyones sleep! All that is left to do today is finalise our New Year resolutions, put the champagne on ice and welcome in a New Year, albeit it in a slightly different way to normal. I have gotta feeling that 2012 is going to be a fantastic year.

Wishing you all a fantastic New Year. We hope whatever you are doing tonight you have as much fun us us out here.

Lots of love to you all

James, Marianne, Philippe and Sophie
X

Hallo lieve allemaal,

We willen dit blog er nu gauw uit sturen, zodat het jullie hopelijk nog krijgen voor de oudjaarsavonturen beginnen! We hebben hier net het avondeten op & iedereen schepte ongeveer 3 keer op, dus ik geloof dat ze m'n Marokkaanse lam tagine wel lekker vonden.. ;)

We hebben dus nog maar 380 NM te gaan & hebben allemaal zin in onze eerse avonturen aan wal, we hebben tijdens de lunch vandaag gepolst waar we allemaal het meeste zin in hebben en uit de keuze van:

- eerste alcholische drankje
- maaltijd waarbij we niet onze borden etc vast hoeven te houden
- ongestoorde nachtrust

kwam uiteindelijk toch de nachtrust als winnaar uit de bus. We hebben (te) goed gegeten deze overtocht en voor vannacht staat een flesje bubbels koud te worden in de koelkast, dus nu dromen we alleen nog van een ongestoorde nacht op een stil bed..

Ik hoop dat jullie een ontzettende fijne avond hebben & dat we elkaar gauw weer zien in het nieuwe jaar!! Wij sturen vanavond onze goede voornemens & heel veel liefs voor jullie naar de sterrenhemel.

Xxxx
James, Marianne, Philippe & Sophie

PS: http:\\translate.google.nl

Ivanka Update

Midday position 22 40.6N 028 46.0W

Life on board really is quite good as we make excellent progress toward the Caribbean. I am now use to the concept of a hot shower every day at sea, even though the confused Atlantic swell makes standing very difficult. However, on these super yachts they have thought of everything and a comfortable teak seat has been placed in the perfect position, enabling a hot shower whilst sitting down! Given that tomorrow is Christmas Eve it is my intention to even have a shave, now that is a first for me at sea for many years!

The Sahara sandstorm is now over and as the murky red mist lifts from around us we are treated to a superb day of sailing in ideal conditions. The sun shines, the sky is blue and the wind is blowing at a consistent 20 - 25 knots. The only slight annoyance is that it still is not from quite the right direction, which is jeopardising the likelihood of New Year celebrations ashore! Interestingly morale appears to be unaffected by this prospect and I may have yet another new experience; waking up on New Years Day without a hangover!

Whilst Sophie's imagination takes her to the days of the great explorers and likens her maiden Trans Atlantic voyage to the pioneering days of Columbus so James keeps us updated with his unusual dreams with much hilarity! So far he has been a pirate coming to blows with the weather Gods and has even found himself in a shootout with the police. Maybe his choice of DVD's has something to do with it as he was caught watching Hot Fuzz earlier. I can only assume he has also sneakily been watching Pirates of the Caribbean, though he wont admit to that!

As another day fades into darkness we are reaching the third of the way stage. We are now deep into the Atlantic and are over 700 miles West of Africa. There are just under 1800 miles to go and the forecast is still looking very good with a calm spell enabling us to celebrate Christmas in relative comfort.

Sadly the air-conditioning does not work at sea, so as the temperatures rise with every mile we progress West so the conditions in the galley become slightly more uncomfortable. You would have thought that with all this modern technology the boffins would have designed a system that works on a yacht that bucks like a bronco! So having found the sauna on board I am now looking for the jacuzzi which I am sure must be somewhere!

My big question for the day is 'is it a flock of flying fish or a shoal of flying fish?' I am confused as when they are flying and skimming across the crests of the waves surely they are a 'flock'. But when they dive under I can only assume they become a 'shoal'. Is that correct?

Anyway, that is enough of my ramblings for one day and if I go on any longer then Marianne will have a sense of humour failure when she comes on watch at midnight and has to translate! And between you and me, I am a little scared of her!

Bye for now,

James, Marianne, Philippe & Sophie

SY Ivanka update at midday 21 December

Position at 1200 on 21 December 2011
22 43.9N 021 22.1W

As we are hurtling along at between ten and fifteen knots towards the Caribbean the big subject today has been the customary sweep stake for our arrival time. Christmas day is just four days away so what we are certain of is that we shall be celebrating the festivities at sea this year. For the past twelve hours the GPS has been giving an ETA of between the 5th January next year and late on the 29th December! Our onboard guesses optimistically range at between 1700 and 2355 on New Years Eve!

Please let me take this opportunity to introduce myself, as most of you reading this probably do not know me. I am Philippe and am enjoying my time on SY Ivanka as part of the delivery team sailing with James and Marianne to the Caribbean. I say 'enjoying my time' as that is exactly the situation here. I am more accustomed to spending my time at sea on race yachts where conditions are somewhat spartan to say the least, where comfort does not enter the Richter scale and where a piece of dried fruit would be a most welcome break from the monotony of boil in the bag food and dried pasta!

Almost all of my offshore miles of the last ten years have been racing at extreme levels of intensity where a watch system comes into effect if you are lucky and the manual pump saltwater heads (toilet) may function on one tack and only on a good day. Little creature comforts that are taken for granted, like a simple piece of toast with butter and jam, is something to look forward to once the race is over! If sleep is possible then a damp sleeping bag on top of a sodden sail would be considered a luxury!

I am always keen to take on new adventures and try new things, travelling is a passion of mine and something that continually enriches my life. For the next few months I am going to explore the Caribbean with Sophie, my fiancé, who is also on SY Ivanka with us, making up a team of four to sail this luxury yacht across the Atlantic. When James called me and asked if I wanted to join him for this adventure I jumped at the opportunity.

Sat on the sofa in the saloon, looking out of the windows at the spectacular view as the sun sets over the Atlantic rolling swell, I find myself comparing this passage to what I am used to. We have just finished dinner which consisted of fresh chicken, butternut squash, fresh tomatoes, chillies, white wine vinegar, pine kernels, olive oil and fresh basil all cooked from scratch in a galley which is not much smaller than my kitchen at home! On day three of an offshore race it would have been a boil in the bag curry with the rice tipped into the bag. The delicacy would have been eaten on the rail (on deck on the windward side) whilst trying to dodge every wave that stubbornly tries to deposit a further helping of salt!

What occurred to me as I was extracting the fresh produce from the fridge, that is jam packed with food, is that when the fridge runs out of food we will move onto the second fridge and once all that has gone then one of the two freezers will keep us going with food that is fit for a restaurant in Notting Hill! As I watch Venus appear in the night sky, whilst still sat in the warmth of the saloon, Sophie is preparing me a cappuccino in the top notch nesspresso machine, with real frothy milk and sweetened with a lump of brown sugar! Oh how times have dramatically changed for me in such a short space of time.

This afternoons highlight for me was the obligatory day three shower! As I was rummaging around for the baby wipes, my normal method of hygiene at sea, I remembered that my bottle of Lynx shower gel would be more appropriate on SY Ivanka! This vessel has three en suite bedrooms with real showers and hot running water upon demand! The toilet even has buttons to operate it, one to flush water in before use and one to flush all contents out after use!

Realising how pleasant a shower can be at sea I am sure I shall be exploring the possibility of more frequent visits for the remainder of the voyage, I may even treat myself to a shave. I was recently sailing on a friends racing trimaran in the South Agean sea where the toilet was just a hole in the hull with a toilet seat mounted on it! At least there was no chance of a blockage and a bidet took on a whole new meaning!

I think you get my drift now, sailing across the Atlantic on a super yacht is somewhat civilised and I am quite enjoying the experience. Having time to relax at sea and contemplate life, without any of the pressures of the hectic world we live in, is one of the best parts of spending time at sea like this. Enjoying many of the creature comforts of home is something I am not accustomed to; but you know what? it isn't all that bad! In fact, some people would pay good money for it!

Now all we need to do is make sure we are in by New Year as Marianne has expressed concern by the capacity of the fridges and freezers to keep the quality going much beyond that! Failing that we have a fishing rod mounted on the transom waiting for action and all the ingredients in the larder that are required to bake fresh bread!

Soon my day shall be over and I will be retiring to my double bed in the aft cabin to snuggle up under a clean duvet whilst placing my head on the pillow for a good night sleep (well at let for my 4 hour off watch anyway!). So it is good night from SY Ivanka for another day.

James, Marianne, Philippe & Sophie

Goedenavond,

Ik wordt net wakker voor mijn 22.00 - 0200 wacht en ontvang het dagelijkse blog, deze keer geschreven door Philippe, om te vertalen. Nu had ik natuurlijk van alles kunnen verwachten, want Philippe is in zijn dagelijks leven, naast wedstrijdzeiler, ook schrijver voor zeilbladen. Zijn verhaal hierboven is echt superleuk, maar iets te lang voor mij om op deze wacht te vertalen..! Ik ga er voor dit blog dus maar even van uit dat jullie het verhaal meestal toch al in het Engels lezen & alleen maar lachen om mijn taalgebruik in het Nederlands.. ;)

Zoals Philippe al zei, zeilen we vandaag echt super mooi onder Genoa & grootzeil op een koers bijna direct naar 't Caribisch gebied. We verwachten minder wind tijdens de kerstdagen, maar dat geeft niet, want dan is het ook iets rustiger & makkelijker eten te koken voor kerst!

Veel liefs,

James, Marianne, Philippe & Sophie

Trimaran Adventure in Greece

Awesome sailing on Olivia's trimaran which is based in Patmos, South Aegean. Thrilling sailing and what an exciting few days exploring some fantastic new and remote locations in the Mediterranean.  Full story and more stunning photos to follow very soon.

The final night of the Rolex Fastnet race

As the final night of the Rolex Fastnet race closed in my mind was freed from the months of turmoil, frustrations and difficulties of what has without a doubt been my hardest offshore season to date. The entire team aboard Quokka hiked through the night with an enthusiasm and desire to win that only four weeks ago would have been hard to believe. The singing, the laughing and atmosphere of high spirits was a stark contrast to the sombre mood that surrounded us on completion of the Morgan cup.

In the days preceding the start of the big race, which everyone had worked so hard for, it was a huge relief as it became more certain that the strong winds that have dominated the 2011 offshore season would not plague the Fastnet Race. Indeed there was only one period throughout the race that would provide us with a short time when the wind would be greater than 20 knots. Apart from that the start would almost certainly be the windiest part of the race.

The atmosphere from the moment the team arrived at Universal Marina to prepare Quokka for the race gave me great encouragement and filled me with a glimmer of confidence. I was certain that the attitude was well placed and the positivity was going to lead us in the right direction in our continued quest for glory.

One of my biggest challenges for the Fastnet race was without a doubt sailing with the owner on board, especially given that the owner is a man with considerable experience and an impeccable record for top results both inshore and offshore. It was not really clear who the boss was, which continually niggled me as I struggled to find a balance and solution. Going into the Fastnet I accepted that there was not one boss onboard, the responsibility was equally shared between us and we would have to work as a team to ensure complete harmony.

Peter Rutter, the owner of Quokka, is a great guy with many similar and compatible philosophies about racing. We share a common ambition and desire to win, with a determination and enthusiasm that is infectious driving and motivating those around us. The only potential issue is that our styles are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Peter's often abrupt and direct approach is a complete contrast to my sensitive, subtle, diplomatic and possibly even manipulative style. What we both have in common though is a complete honesty as we analyse situations, allowing us to give active encouragement in the quest to gain the maximum out of everyone member of the team.

In reality the partnership worked extremely well and toward the end of the Fastnet race Peter found himself reminding me of some of the leadership tools that are my trademark. It is after all easy to forget certain values as tiredness creeps in and exhaustion takes it's toll. The wry smile on Peter's face as he very occasionally put me back in my box always made me chuckle, especially when the suggestion of mild hypocrisy was not totally unfounded. We both learnt a huge amount from each other throughout the season and I believe we complimented each other in a productive way.

That aside, I did find it difficult to exert my authority on all situations and sometimes floundered with tactical calls. This resulted in there being a lack of clarity with the objectives and priorities at certain times during the race. In hindsight I think I was sometimes intimidated by Peter and was not always confident enough to make my opinion heard. The biggest lesson I learnt from the Fastnet Race was that I need to be more dominant and confident in my presentation of the tactics as I see them. My failure to convey the information with precision and confidence certainly lost us valuable miles.

Without a doubt having two tactical brains on board can only be a good thing. When working well together a solid and well informed strategy can be created utilising a greater input of knowledge combined with vital experience. Throughout the Fastnet race we certainly gained more miles than we lost through the partnership as there were times when Peter made a great call and times when I did. On those occasions the other person had probably missed the vital clues, but as a team they were observed and acted upon. On the other hand we both made mistakes that cost us miles and it is this area where our greatest room for improvement lies. Sometimes it was an obvious situation that needed a very simple application of the strategic rules that we either overlooked or failed to communicate but very occasionally it was a joint decision that just did not quite work out.

I am a great believer that the most important component in any offshore campaign is the team. It is the people involved that make or break it and I have long since lived with a strong belief in the adage 'there are no weak teams, just weak leaders.' I speak from bitter experience with this as my offshore campaign in 2007 crumbled around me. At that time in my career I did not have the management tools, the inclination or the leadership expertise to deal with the situation. The end result was not pretty and I failed my team and myself that year.

The winter of 2007 was a difficult time in my life as I take failure personally and struggle to cope with it. I knew that I never wanted to feel that way again and most importantly I never wanted a team to finish a campaign (or not as in that case) with those feelings of despair, frustration, disappointment and resentment. I learnt a huge amount about myself that year as I continually analysed the season and came to the conclusion that whilst I was faced with a difficult dynamic in the team I was the most at fault. Using a careful process of self critique I taught myself many valuable skills that I would use in the future to ensure that I became a better leader with tools that would allow me to deal with difficult situations more effectively. I was adamant that I would never fail a team again, as I have already advocated it is the people that are the most important component for a variety of reasons.

The final night of the Rolex Fastnet race provides me with one of my fondest memories of offshore racing. I spent the entire night on deck with a team that had suffered adversity and overcome many personal issues throughout the season. Not least the loss of a fellow competitor during one of the qualifying races which hit us all hard. That combined with the rig failure and other damage made the successful outcome of the campaign far from certain.

Throughout the night a dedicated, loyal and determined group of individuals showed that they had the qualities to win. The singing, laughing and enthusiastic chatter was testimony to the commitment of the team onboard Quokka. Winning the Fastnet race with only 14 hours to go was a dream that was quietly slipping away as the distance we needed to pull out on the chase group was becoming an almost impossible challenge. We all knew that we needed some good fortune to win the race, boat speed on it's own would not be sufficient.

When our first break came just before the Lizard we all believed it was possible and there was no questioning the prospect of maximising our chances by working through the night. That night Quokka was alive and we felt at one with her. The trimming was relentless and the energy on board was astonishing, giving us the drive to keep pushing all the way. The constant escort of dolphins was an added bonus as they enchanted me until dawn when Rame Head was appearing through the low grey and dreary cloud, signifying the finish line.

As the wind became fickle with 50 degree winds shifts and guts of 20 knots accompanied by lulls of 3 knots the last three miles where certainly a challenge and a test of our resolve. Peter and my patience with each other was stretched hard and as we crossed the line his first comment was "if there was ever a moment we were going to fall out it was then." I am pleased to say we did not fall out in fact there was hardly an exchange of words! Though Pedro did point out at that moment that we had acted like a married couple for much of the race, giving everyone great cause for amusement!

Crossing the finish line was an emotional experience as the gun, positioned in the lighthouse, was an unexpected welcome to Plymouth that echoed around the Sound and signified the end of an incredible experience. At that moment the enormity of what we, as a team, had achieved became a reality. The gun confirmed that we had taken line honours which was later confirmed as a tenth place overall (out of 300 boats). To be honest though, the result was not what mattered, in the end what really mattered were the smiles on the faces of a team that had given their all and I knew we had reached the summit of the mountain we had been climbing for so long.

For me I was overwhelmed with emotion and a complete satisfaction that at last the demons of 2007 had been laid to rest. The lessons I learnt from that experience equipped me with the ability and leadership capability that has been used and stretched to the limit this season. Without the disastrous year back then I may not have been a good enough leader to get through this campaign with a team that had trusted me and embraced my vision with a shared desire for success. We may not have come first in the race but every single person on board was a winner and without a doubt a better sailor and a more confident competitor, me included. I know that I have learnt many lessons this year which will make me even faster and better next year.

I was touched to read a message from Peter to Tim a couple of days ago which simply read, "I think I learnt more this season than anyone, old dogs and new tricks and all that!" A very humble comment from a man with a certain air of confidence, a pride that does not like to be dented and a pedigree that many envy. This one, possibly slightly ambiguous, quote is now the highlight of my season and an ultimate sign of respect to a team that have craved the praise of a man they hold in such high esteem and with vast respect.

Dartmouth Regatta

Sailing on Jaguar Logic with my old friend Will Sadler and his family/friends this year is certainly one to remember.  The regatta has long since been my favourite UK based regatta with a splendid mix of great racing, carnival atmosphere, air displays and fireworks.  In my opinion this regatta has it all and provides the competitors with a taste of what a regatta should be like.

After four days of hard, intense and competitive racing (combined with four night of arduous partying) Jaguar Logic settled for a well earned 4th place in the regatta.  There was slight disappointment amongst the team, as we missed the podium by just one point or indeed 30 seconds!  But what a week it was with many great memories from a fab week.

Our arch rivals at the regatta - Visit Malta Puma

Our arch rivals at the regatta - Visit Malta Puma

Our arch rivals at the regatta - Visit Malta Puma

Portland Bill