Olympic Group was the final yacht to sail into Cape Town to complete the fifth leg of the BTGlobal Challenge
Marianne Merten
‘If you let the position ruin it you are actually losing the plot. We are learning about ourselves, working together, communicating,” says Olympic Group skipper Manley Hopkinson about participating in the BT Global Challenge wrong-way-around-the-world race.
“It’s tough from a sailing perspective. But it’s more than that. It’s the team and it’s about the people. As skipper you spend 90% on the team.”
The yacht was the last to dock in Cape Town after hitting unfavourable weather conditions. Though the boat’s arrival last Friday was delayed by almost 24 hours, it did not stop anyone from celebrating the skipper’s 39th birthday with cake and champagne.
The 12 identical yachts and their 15-strong core crew reflecting an equivalent mix of gender, age, race and country of origin racing the challenge are in Cape Town until mid-May. Then they set sail to the last stop-over at La Rochelle, in France, before returning to Southampton in June, 10 months after the start of the race at the English port.
But the race is not just about the sailing. For many aboard the boats the race has been a life-changing experience. Among the crew, aged 21 to 57, are several students like cancer survivor Annee de Mamiel. Some have given up their jobs: professor, investment banker, shipping company president or TV production manager.
Hopkinson, a marine surveyor and former Royal Navy and Hong Kong marine police member, says he “has been involved in sailing since I was an embryo, according to my mother”. He had never thought of himself as an around-the-world sailor.
“When you are sailing, you are harnessing the forces of nature. You are part of nature. It’s far more personal and enduring so it has a soul,” says Hopkinson. “You look at the sea and the sea will answer you if you look hard enough. You can’t go back to being a shop assistant at Sainsbury’s in the north of England after this race.”
One “legger” a crew member who only joins for a section of the race returned to his job in Hong Kong only to resign four days later to go mountain climbing in Nepal.
Another, a self-confessed fair-weather sailor back home in England, has stretched his skills to change sails in up to 50-knot winds with a large smile on his face. One sailor changed his “dictatorial attitude” after being put in charge aboard and has since become one of the strongest and most supportive of the crew members.
Banter and camaraderie are tangible aboard. These were important in supporting the medic Dr Deborah “Bones” Lloyd after she heard her partner sailing on another boat was seriously injured by a freak wave and had to be evacuated to hospital.
Recalling the dolphins, birds, sunsets and southern lights displays, Hopkinson says: “It’s just ridiculously beautiful. We are very privileged.”
But the boat has also encountered inhospitable weather, sailing well into the “furious fifties” the Southern ocean latitude where ice, 17m waves and gale-force winds rule. That is where the oilskins, thermal underwear, helmets and goggles are crucial.
It takes up to a year to prepare for the race, now held for the third time. All crew members had to raise 25?000 to join. Some have sailed before, others have no experience and must be trained in the basics. The skippers go through a tough assessment process, including psychometric testing and leadership skills tests.
Ahead of setting sail from Southampton on September 10 last year, the crew went on team-building exercises. Hopkinson commandeered the leadership training facilities of the Royal Navy’s HMS Excellent to put the team through its paces.
They also developed their own laws to regulate the little society on board such as “deal with it then let it go”, “on time all the time” and the crew maxim: speed, safety, happiness and passion. The latter two were identified as the most important, says Hopkinson. “If you haven’t got passion you are not going to pull out the stops. If you are not enjoying it you are not in the right place.”
With 18 people living in crammed quarters with only a crate for clothes, toiletries and personal belongings on a 22m boat for more than a month at a time, such mottos are essential.
Daily life aboard is tightly organised between two watches, with a “mother” appointed for a day to take care of the cooking and cleaning. Through a process of rotation every sailor participates in each of the watches and shares all duties on board.
Despite the satellite and global positioning systems aboard, Hopkinson has an old-fashioned sextant and charts used in navigation by stars and planets. On the next leg an on-board “school” will be held for those of the crew interested in learning their use.
Hopkinson says more sailing is definitely planned down the line, but this time with family and friends.