Reflections – Deep Sea Challenge: Biscay ’19

The deep sea challenge

In the final blog for this trip crew member, Ian, give us his reflections on an epic adventure of storming seas, champagne down-wind sailing and friends forged through teamwork.

Deep Sea Challenge, reflections upon the voyage

Those familiar with the Hollywood film the Wizard of Oz will know that it can be enjoyed at many different levels: a lovely story with larger than life characters and memorable song & dance routines.  But, it’s also about friendship and the rites of passage through life; a discovery of one’s own inner strengths.  Similarly the First Class Sailing/Tall Ships ‘Deep Sea Challenge’ had all of these elements and more.

At the beginning we started as an odd-ball collection of individuals by age, gender, nationality and background.  Some had lots of sailing experience, others barely any. We each had quite different reasons for joining the voyage.   A few were using it as preparation for the ARC (the transatlantic race starting a few days after our arrival in Gran Canaria), others as a mile-builder, some an introduction to big-boat sailing and some just for the romance of the sea.   All perfectly good and valid reasons, Dorothy and her companions were just as eclectic.

Outside the comfort zone

As we went through each stage of the voyage we each learned more than we ever anticipated; about ourselves and each other. We all did things that were outside our comfort zone but we each found hidden depths that enabled us to get through it.  Just like Scarecrow and the Tin-man

Hard work in the galley

We all helped each other through the tough moments.  Plainly, Hurricane Pablo was an especially difficult day, but all of the other days each had their moments. Sail changes can’t be done single handed nor can cooking a meal.  Again, Dorothy and her companions needed to work together in order to get to Oz.

Despite the discomfort of waking every few hours, don wet kit and go on deck when we least felt like it. We still had the ability to find the fun and dark-humour to make light of the situation.  Just like Scarecrow and the Tin-man we helped each other, often with a joke.

Take the helm

The Good Times

Plainly it wasn’t tough every day. There were plenty of exhilarating days sailing downwind and surfing the waves. There were so many dolphins that we lost count, plus we met sharks and turtles.  More than a few flying fish landed on the deck, even a squid. It doesn’t get much better than this.  We had a whale of a time even if we didn’t see any! There were song and dance routines most days, perhaps less accomplished than Judy Garland but far better than dodgy-dad dancing.

Plenty of time for reflections

Somehow, we also found time for theory, aero-foils, meteorology, stability of floating bodies and more, generally after the excellent meals that were enjoyed by all.

Teamwork

We started the voyage as individuals but we finished it as a team. We learned to appreciate, understand and value the individual strengths and abilities that each of us possessed so that we could deploy, collectively, our individual skills to enable us to take-on the challenge and achieve whatever we were required to do.  Even those who had to leave early still actively participated in our WhatsApp group; engaged in spirit if not in body.

Team work

Plainly, a great deal of the credit must go to Terry and Lindsey.  Not only did they provide the technical know-how to sail Challenger 2 they also facilitated a team-building and learning approach to enable us to gel as a crew.   However, leadership, isn’t just a top-down process, it arises at all levels so thanks to Lee, Steve and Chris and the others who each pitched in to pick up some issues and make it work when others couldn’t see the way forward.

At the end of the movie, Dorothy was able to click her heels and return to Kansas.  Today a few of us will let the plane take the strain but others will continue into the West with the ARC better prepared that we might ever have expected.

Onwards and upwards

First Class Sailing and Tall Ships have exceeded our expectations in so many ways.  We are bigger, better and more resourceful now than we were at the beginning; we have travelled the Yellow Brick Road and can defeat the Wicked Witch of the West.

Ian Jenkinson (on behalf of the crew of Challenger2) Carsington Sailing Club, Derbyshire

More blogs about this Atlantic Adventure can be read here: Portsmouth to Gran Canaria

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Posted by: First Class Sailing