tall ships race 2016
27th July 2016: Profile of A Coruña
With bags nearly packed (well, I'll start soon) it's time to profile the very last port of call for The Tall Ships Race 2016. Race 3 starts from Cadiz on 31 July and we will sail west then north along the Iberian coastline. Our ultimate destination is A Coruña on the northern coast of Spain. It is a popular tourist resort - particularly from cruise ships - and has a great surfing beach. It also has the Roman Tower of Hercules (pictured) - an ancient lighthouse that has been declared by UNESCO as a world heritage site. It is believed that the lighthouse has been in continuous use since the second century AD making it the oldest in the world. Julia Caesar visited A Coruña in the 2nd century seeking to establish the port as a trading centre for metal, trading with France, Portugal and England. Textiles became the main trade in more recent times although it is now dominated by fishing, finance, technology and crude oil.
The Tall Ships will be open for tours during the weekend 13/14 August before the ships slip lines and head home.
With bags nearly packed (well, I'll start soon) it's time to profile the very last port of call for The Tall Ships Race 2016. Race 3 starts from Cadiz on 31 July and we will sail west then north along the Iberian coastline. Our ultimate destination is A Coruña on the northern coast of Spain. It is a popular tourist resort - particularly from cruise ships - and has a great surfing beach. It also has the Roman Tower of Hercules (pictured) - an ancient lighthouse that has been declared by UNESCO as a world heritage site. It is believed that the lighthouse has been in continuous use since the second century AD making it the oldest in the world. Julia Caesar visited A Coruña in the 2nd century seeking to establish the port as a trading centre for metal, trading with France, Portugal and England. Textiles became the main trade in more recent times although it is now dominated by fishing, finance, technology and crude oil.
The Tall Ships will be open for tours during the weekend 13/14 August before the ships slip lines and head home.
24th July 2016: Profile of Cadiz
Ahead of Race 2 tomorrow, we take a quick look at our next destination port of Cadiz on the southern edge of Spain. Cadiz is the oldest continuously occupied town in Spain and is located in the Andalusia region of Spain. It was founded around 3,000 years ago by Phoenician sailors and has held commercial significance ever since. It was originally named Gadir which roughly translates as 'the wall'. Nowadays it is the principal home port of the Spanish Navy. There are archeological remains all over the town including two Phoenician stone sarcophagus and the remains of a Roman Theatre. These remains are located behind the breath-taking and magnificent cathedral which provides spectacular views of the city from the North Tower.
The massive stone walls and forts that surround the old town were built to protect the city after the attack by Sir Francis Drake in 1587. Actually there was a second attack by the British - far more devastating than Drakes's - in 1596 which left the town in ruins. The fortifications took almost 25 years to complete but by 1620 Cadiz had indeed become an impregnable stronghold which successfully defended against the British in 1625, 1655, 1702 and 1797.
Ahead of Race 2 tomorrow, we take a quick look at our next destination port of Cadiz on the southern edge of Spain. Cadiz is the oldest continuously occupied town in Spain and is located in the Andalusia region of Spain. It was founded around 3,000 years ago by Phoenician sailors and has held commercial significance ever since. It was originally named Gadir which roughly translates as 'the wall'. Nowadays it is the principal home port of the Spanish Navy. There are archeological remains all over the town including two Phoenician stone sarcophagus and the remains of a Roman Theatre. These remains are located behind the breath-taking and magnificent cathedral which provides spectacular views of the city from the North Tower.
The massive stone walls and forts that surround the old town were built to protect the city after the attack by Sir Francis Drake in 1587. Actually there was a second attack by the British - far more devastating than Drakes's - in 1596 which left the town in ruins. The fortifications took almost 25 years to complete but by 1620 Cadiz had indeed become an impregnable stronghold which successfully defended against the British in 1625, 1655, 1702 and 1797.
21st July 2016: Race 1 draws to a close
After two weeks of hard racing in nearly every possible condition, the crew of the Latvian vessel Spaniel (pictured) were the first to cross the finish line of Race 1 at 21:59 on 19th July followed two hours later by the British vessel Ocean Spirit of Moray. The first class A ship to cross the finish line was (surprise, surprise) The MIR (Russia) followed by Dar Mlodziezy (Poland) which is actually the sister ship of The MIR. After handicaps and time corrections were factored in the final results were as follows:
Class A: 1st - Statsraad Lehmkuhl (Norway) 2nd - Georg Stage (Denmark) 3rd - Fryderyk Chopin (Poland)
Class B: 1st - Jolie Brise (UK) 2nd - Rupel (Belgium) 3rd - Maybe (UK)
Class C: 1st St Iv (Estonia) 2nd - Spaniel (Latvia) 3rd - Challenge Wales (UK)
Class D: 1st - Akela (Russia) 2nd - Tomidi (Belgium) 3rd - Politechnika (Poland)
As previously reported, Lord Nelson was forced to retire after collecting a penalty for missing the first way point in light airs, and then starting her motors to avoid drifting into the shipping lanes. But Cap Richard then came up with a brilliant idea to entertain the crew on their way to Lisbon. They resorted to traditional sailing techniques with electrics - navigation and radar - switched off and with hydraulically assisted steering disconnected. Just to give the crew an idea as to how sailors traditionally navigated tall ships under the stars and by vigilantly 'watching' for other vessels in the range.
Lord Nelson is now berthed in Lisbon and entertaining visitors with guided tours of the ship whilst the crew prepare for race 2 in a few days time.
After two weeks of hard racing in nearly every possible condition, the crew of the Latvian vessel Spaniel (pictured) were the first to cross the finish line of Race 1 at 21:59 on 19th July followed two hours later by the British vessel Ocean Spirit of Moray. The first class A ship to cross the finish line was (surprise, surprise) The MIR (Russia) followed by Dar Mlodziezy (Poland) which is actually the sister ship of The MIR. After handicaps and time corrections were factored in the final results were as follows:
Class A: 1st - Statsraad Lehmkuhl (Norway) 2nd - Georg Stage (Denmark) 3rd - Fryderyk Chopin (Poland)
Class B: 1st - Jolie Brise (UK) 2nd - Rupel (Belgium) 3rd - Maybe (UK)
Class C: 1st St Iv (Estonia) 2nd - Spaniel (Latvia) 3rd - Challenge Wales (UK)
Class D: 1st - Akela (Russia) 2nd - Tomidi (Belgium) 3rd - Politechnika (Poland)
As previously reported, Lord Nelson was forced to retire after collecting a penalty for missing the first way point in light airs, and then starting her motors to avoid drifting into the shipping lanes. But Cap Richard then came up with a brilliant idea to entertain the crew on their way to Lisbon. They resorted to traditional sailing techniques with electrics - navigation and radar - switched off and with hydraulically assisted steering disconnected. Just to give the crew an idea as to how sailors traditionally navigated tall ships under the stars and by vigilantly 'watching' for other vessels in the range.
Lord Nelson is now berthed in Lisbon and entertaining visitors with guided tours of the ship whilst the crew prepare for race 2 in a few days time.
15th July 2016: Race Tracker Now Live
Lord Nelson is now making good progress toward Lisbon. Unfortunately it appears from the race tracker that she has had to drop out of the race due to lack of wind. It is far better to let the crew sail and enjoy themselves (and arrive in good time) rather than to be frustrated by wind holes. Ironically she is now making good progress in light winds with speeds of 7 knots so the crew will definitely be enjoying themselves. The Race Tracker can now be accessed directly from the home page.
Lord Nelson is now making good progress toward Lisbon. Unfortunately it appears from the race tracker that she has had to drop out of the race due to lack of wind. It is far better to let the crew sail and enjoy themselves (and arrive in good time) rather than to be frustrated by wind holes. Ironically she is now making good progress in light winds with speeds of 7 knots so the crew will definitely be enjoying themselves. The Race Tracker can now be accessed directly from the home page.
8th July 2016: Profile of Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital of Portugal and is located midway along the Iberian Coast. As one of the westernmost ports in Europe it became the centre for many of the early overseas exploration defined loosely as the Age of Discovery (15th and 16th Centuries). During this time, ships left Lisbon exploring the Atlantic, and charting the Azores, Madiera, Africa, the establishment of the far east trade routes and most notably the discovery of the Americas. There is an iconic statue - Padrã0 dos Descobrimentos - located on the Northern bank of the Tagus River - that commemorates this great era.
Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world and certainly the oldest in Western Europe. Nowadays it is a major commercial centre and the largest container port on the East Atlantic coast. It is also a moot tourist destination - one of the seven most visited cities in Europe with good access by air road and rail as well as hosting a large number of visiting cruise liners.
Rich in culture and architecture, Lisbon has something to appeal to most tastes and boasts some of the finest shopping, dining and night life in Portugal.
Lisbon is the capital of Portugal and is located midway along the Iberian Coast. As one of the westernmost ports in Europe it became the centre for many of the early overseas exploration defined loosely as the Age of Discovery (15th and 16th Centuries). During this time, ships left Lisbon exploring the Atlantic, and charting the Azores, Madiera, Africa, the establishment of the far east trade routes and most notably the discovery of the Americas. There is an iconic statue - Padrã0 dos Descobrimentos - located on the Northern bank of the Tagus River - that commemorates this great era.
Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in the world and certainly the oldest in Western Europe. Nowadays it is a major commercial centre and the largest container port on the East Atlantic coast. It is also a moot tourist destination - one of the seven most visited cities in Europe with good access by air road and rail as well as hosting a large number of visiting cruise liners.
Rich in culture and architecture, Lisbon has something to appeal to most tastes and boasts some of the finest shopping, dining and night life in Portugal.
7th July 2016: Profile of Antwerp
Antwerp is the second largest city and the largest port in Belgium. Located in the region of Flanders it serves as the perfect starting point to the Tall Ships Race as it located on the River Scheldt and connected to the North Sea by the Westerschelde Estuary. Antwerp thrived as a port as Bruge declined as a result of the River Zwin silting up. In the 16th century, Antwerp became the Sugar capital of Europe and later enjoyed three boom periods involving pepper, silver and the textiles. Nowadays it is the second largest port in Europe (after Rotterdam) and is the Diamond capital of the world with 70% of all the cut diamonds and 80% of the the total production of rough diamonds in the world.
Due to its long and culturally rich history, the city of Antwerp houses many interesting historical buildings from different historical periods, as well as a lot of interesting museums. Recently it has become a trendy city, attracting a lot of Flemish and foreign artists, writers, intellectuals, and actors. This is reflected in the city's many trendy bars and shops. Antwerp is a city with many faces. While it may not be as historically preserved as other Flemish medieval cities, like Bruges or Ghent, it is a very dynamic city, offering a perfect mix of history and present-day modern life.
6th July 2016: Race 1 Antwerp to Lisbon Starts Sunday
Lord Nelson left Southampton last weekend and arrived safely in Antwerp for the start of the Tall Ships Race 2016. She will be joined by nearly 50 other vessels that will sail on 10th July to Lisbon. Amongst though other vessels will be the MIR, that I sailed on in the Tall Ships Race 2011 and, one of my favourites, the Gloria which is the flagship of the Columbian Navy. At nearly 65 metres in length, she is one of the largest Tall Ships in the world. She was built in Bilbao and commissioned in 1988. The crew are largely naval cadets and always immaculately presented which fully justifies their elegant display whenever she arrives in port with crew lining the yards at every level.
This is the fourth time that Antwerp has hosted the Tall Ships Race since it was first held in 2001. Antwerp is the second largest port in Europe and will be the subject of a special feature tomorrow. We will also be profiling Lisbon later in the week which was a destination port in the inaugural race from Torbay back in 2001. Ironically the 2001 race was intended to be a one off event. It was organised as a last farewell to the era of great sailing ships. However, public interest was so intense the Sail Training International Race Committee formed a founding organisation and has since organised Tall Ships Races and Regattas annually around the world attracting hundreds of ships and millions of spectators.
Lord Nelson left Southampton last weekend and arrived safely in Antwerp for the start of the Tall Ships Race 2016. She will be joined by nearly 50 other vessels that will sail on 10th July to Lisbon. Amongst though other vessels will be the MIR, that I sailed on in the Tall Ships Race 2011 and, one of my favourites, the Gloria which is the flagship of the Columbian Navy. At nearly 65 metres in length, she is one of the largest Tall Ships in the world. She was built in Bilbao and commissioned in 1988. The crew are largely naval cadets and always immaculately presented which fully justifies their elegant display whenever she arrives in port with crew lining the yards at every level.
This is the fourth time that Antwerp has hosted the Tall Ships Race since it was first held in 2001. Antwerp is the second largest port in Europe and will be the subject of a special feature tomorrow. We will also be profiling Lisbon later in the week which was a destination port in the inaugural race from Torbay back in 2001. Ironically the 2001 race was intended to be a one off event. It was organised as a last farewell to the era of great sailing ships. However, public interest was so intense the Sail Training International Race Committee formed a founding organisation and has since organised Tall Ships Races and Regattas annually around the world attracting hundreds of ships and millions of spectators.
27th May 2016: Lord Nelson 30th Anniversary
For the last few weeks, we have been working hard to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Lord Nelson's maiden voyage. On 21st May she left Southampton for a week of events in London and I joined the ship on 23rd to help support the running of those events which were sponsored by Alston Gayler.
The week has been a tremendous success thanks to hard work by JST staff, permanent crew and, in particular, volunteers from the London Branch of the Jubilee Sailing Trust (aka The 2-6 Heavers). They organised the open ship tours on Tuesday and Wednesday morning before the showpiece event on Wednesday afternoon when we were visited by the Charity's Royal Patron HRH Prince Andrew, Duke of York. Catering was provided by Lord Nelson's own Chefs, Simon and Ian with Champagne donated by Justerini and Brooks.
Thursday involved a day sail with Barclays staff and clients. We sailed down to the Thames Barrier where we fortunate enough to witness some porpoises playing in the river. Turning back toward central London we were fortunate to be allowed to sail under Tower Bridge in both directions (allowing 30 minutes between for the traffic to clear!!) before returning to our mooring alongside HMS President adjacent to St Katherines Dock.
Friday saw some more ship tours but this time for prospective sponsors and Trusts. Needless to say everyone went home for the weekend completely cream crackered but from the point of view of raising the charity's profile and generating potential income for the Trust the week was an unqualified success.
For the last few weeks, we have been working hard to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Lord Nelson's maiden voyage. On 21st May she left Southampton for a week of events in London and I joined the ship on 23rd to help support the running of those events which were sponsored by Alston Gayler.
The week has been a tremendous success thanks to hard work by JST staff, permanent crew and, in particular, volunteers from the London Branch of the Jubilee Sailing Trust (aka The 2-6 Heavers). They organised the open ship tours on Tuesday and Wednesday morning before the showpiece event on Wednesday afternoon when we were visited by the Charity's Royal Patron HRH Prince Andrew, Duke of York. Catering was provided by Lord Nelson's own Chefs, Simon and Ian with Champagne donated by Justerini and Brooks.
Thursday involved a day sail with Barclays staff and clients. We sailed down to the Thames Barrier where we fortunate enough to witness some porpoises playing in the river. Turning back toward central London we were fortunate to be allowed to sail under Tower Bridge in both directions (allowing 30 minutes between for the traffic to clear!!) before returning to our mooring alongside HMS President adjacent to St Katherines Dock.
Friday saw some more ship tours but this time for prospective sponsors and Trusts. Needless to say everyone went home for the weekend completely cream crackered but from the point of view of raising the charity's profile and generating potential income for the Trust the week was an unqualified success.
12th May 2016: Cherbourg and Back
As the week draws to a close, we can reflect on a very successful weeks sailing. Normally a watch would consist of up to 10 voyage crew so we were both lucky and occasionally challenged with only six members including myself. Take out one person to be cooks assistant and we end up with everyone working hard throughout every watch with very little down time. Hard work but it makes the time pass quickly and makes the watch that much more enjoyable. Occasionally it meant we were short handed. For example when we left our mooring in the solent this morning we needed 3 people at harbour stations and two more to assist with raising the anchor and that left very much a skeleton crew on the bridge.
That aside we were delighted to experience pretty much everything that Lord Nelson has to offer. We had harbour watch, anchor watch, night sailing, and we were able to climb the mast a couple of times to enjoy the fine views from a loft and out on the yard.
It's a long time since I was last in Cherbourg and I was pleasantly surprised by the shops and restaurants around the inner harbour. We found a nice bar at lunchtime and then in the evening, joined forces with Sherwood's watch in a local restaurant.
Our voyage back, as predicted was under motor because the wind was against us. As it happened, the wind was the least of our problems as we entered thick fog leaving Cherbourg and stayed with us right up to our mooring off Newtown Creek in the Solent. The watches had to be particularly vigilant in such challenging conditions and at one time we even positioned a crew member on the bowsprit with a VHF radio to alert the bridge to any fog horn that they heard. It really did get quite tense as we crossed the traffic lanes and neared the Isle of Wight but we made it safely. Next up - The Tall Ships Race 2016!
As the week draws to a close, we can reflect on a very successful weeks sailing. Normally a watch would consist of up to 10 voyage crew so we were both lucky and occasionally challenged with only six members including myself. Take out one person to be cooks assistant and we end up with everyone working hard throughout every watch with very little down time. Hard work but it makes the time pass quickly and makes the watch that much more enjoyable. Occasionally it meant we were short handed. For example when we left our mooring in the solent this morning we needed 3 people at harbour stations and two more to assist with raising the anchor and that left very much a skeleton crew on the bridge.
That aside we were delighted to experience pretty much everything that Lord Nelson has to offer. We had harbour watch, anchor watch, night sailing, and we were able to climb the mast a couple of times to enjoy the fine views from a loft and out on the yard.
It's a long time since I was last in Cherbourg and I was pleasantly surprised by the shops and restaurants around the inner harbour. We found a nice bar at lunchtime and then in the evening, joined forces with Sherwood's watch in a local restaurant.
Our voyage back, as predicted was under motor because the wind was against us. As it happened, the wind was the least of our problems as we entered thick fog leaving Cherbourg and stayed with us right up to our mooring off Newtown Creek in the Solent. The watches had to be particularly vigilant in such challenging conditions and at one time we even positioned a crew member on the bowsprit with a VHF radio to alert the bridge to any fog horn that they heard. It really did get quite tense as we crossed the traffic lanes and neared the Isle of Wight but we made it safely. Next up - The Tall Ships Race 2016!
9th May 2016: Off We Go
I joined Lord Nelson on the 7th with the other watch leaders, including Sherwood who was my own watch leader for the atlantic crossing back in 2014. The voyage crew all arrived yesterday and I'm really lucky to have a great bunch of people to sail with. Lisa I've met briefly before as she works in the JST office here in Southampton, whilst Chris and Bob are both experienced sailors. Charlie and Jo made up the rest of the watch and both are a real pleasure to be with. Many of the permanent crew were familiar to me as well. Lesley Sale is now first mate and Capt Simon was master for this voyage. And of course no voyage would be complete with our Alan and Chips as Engineers.
Our departure was delayed though. We were moored in the River Itchen just south of the Ocean Village and Oceanography Centre and with strong easterlies pinning us to the mooring it proved impossible to pull away. We had a huge vehicle transported moored next to us so that probably did not help either. Anyway, there was no such problem today as sailed in glorious sunshine down the solent and out past the Needles. The sail plan is to get across to Cherbourg whilst we have the wind in our favour. If we need to motor back so be it - at least we will have spent half the voyage under sail.
I joined Lord Nelson on the 7th with the other watch leaders, including Sherwood who was my own watch leader for the atlantic crossing back in 2014. The voyage crew all arrived yesterday and I'm really lucky to have a great bunch of people to sail with. Lisa I've met briefly before as she works in the JST office here in Southampton, whilst Chris and Bob are both experienced sailors. Charlie and Jo made up the rest of the watch and both are a real pleasure to be with. Many of the permanent crew were familiar to me as well. Lesley Sale is now first mate and Capt Simon was master for this voyage. And of course no voyage would be complete with our Alan and Chips as Engineers.
Our departure was delayed though. We were moored in the River Itchen just south of the Ocean Village and Oceanography Centre and with strong easterlies pinning us to the mooring it proved impossible to pull away. We had a huge vehicle transported moored next to us so that probably did not help either. Anyway, there was no such problem today as sailed in glorious sunshine down the solent and out past the Needles. The sail plan is to get across to Cherbourg whilst we have the wind in our favour. If we need to motor back so be it - at least we will have spent half the voyage under sail.
4th May 2016: 7 Day Voyage
My bags are packed and I'm off to join Lord Nelson this week for my first watch leader voyage. Tenacious has now left UK waters and is well on her way to Australia having already passed through the Panama Canal to enter pacific waters. Sadly, our trip will not be quite so exotic. Lord Nelson will probably be heading across the channel but much depends on the weather and sea conditions.
My bags are packed and I'm off to join Lord Nelson this week for my first watch leader voyage. Tenacious has now left UK waters and is well on her way to Australia having already passed through the Panama Canal to enter pacific waters. Sadly, our trip will not be quite so exotic. Lord Nelson will probably be heading across the channel but much depends on the weather and sea conditions.
4th April 2016: Travel Arrangements For Spain
As preparations pick up pace for the Tall Ships Race, I've now finalised my travel arrangements to get to and from Spain. I'll be flying down to Cadiz (via Madrid) on 28th July although the plane does not arrive in until quite late in the evening. There's a half hour train ride from the airport to Cadiz and then I have to find the hotel which hopefully not too far from where the ship is moored. I'll be joining the ship the following day to get a briefing from the first mate (along with the other three watch leaders) before the voyage crew start to arrive on 30th.
Fifteen days later we should be arriving in A Coruna and I shall be meeting Val who is flying out from there UK to join mer for a few days. There will be a regatta in A Coruna the weekend we arrive so it will be great to look over some of the other Tall Ships who have taken part in race 3.
As preparations pick up pace for the Tall Ships Race, I've now finalised my travel arrangements to get to and from Spain. I'll be flying down to Cadiz (via Madrid) on 28th July although the plane does not arrive in until quite late in the evening. There's a half hour train ride from the airport to Cadiz and then I have to find the hotel which hopefully not too far from where the ship is moored. I'll be joining the ship the following day to get a briefing from the first mate (along with the other three watch leaders) before the voyage crew start to arrive on 30th.
Fifteen days later we should be arriving in A Coruna and I shall be meeting Val who is flying out from there UK to join mer for a few days. There will be a regatta in A Coruna the weekend we arrive so it will be great to look over some of the other Tall Ships who have taken part in race 3.
2nd March 2016: First Voyage as Watch Leader
Since the Tall Ship Race was scheduled to be my first voyage as watch leader, I thought it was a good idea to get a shorter trip under my belt before then so I've booked on a 7 day Southampton to Southampton voyage in May. The exact itinerary will nt one know until we sail but if the wind is in the right direction we should be able to hop across the channel to one of the French ports or maybe even across to the Channel Islands.
Since the Tall Ship Race was scheduled to be my first voyage as watch leader, I thought it was a good idea to get a shorter trip under my belt before then so I've booked on a 7 day Southampton to Southampton voyage in May. The exact itinerary will nt one know until we sail but if the wind is in the right direction we should be able to hop across the channel to one of the French ports or maybe even across to the Channel Islands.
8th January 2016: A Fresh New Look
Regular visitors to the site will notice we have given the web site a fresh new look. Apart from having far too much time on my hands (!) there were a few little glitches with the old web site depending on what platform you were viewing the site on. Hopefully the navigation is now easier and more intuitive but let me know what you think via one of the social media links at the top right of the home page
Regular visitors to the site will notice we have given the web site a fresh new look. Apart from having far too much time on my hands (!) there were a few little glitches with the old web site depending on what platform you were viewing the site on. Hopefully the navigation is now easier and more intuitive but let me know what you think via one of the social media links at the top right of the home page
25th October 2015: Watch Leader Course
Jon Davison and I both attended watch leader courses on Lord Nelson this weekend (albeit on different days) in readiness for our Tall Ships race in July. The course gives you a good overview of the various aspects of ship life that we need to be familiar with but largely focuses on what we need to to make sure our watch enjoy themselves and reach their full potential in terms of participation. Voyage crew all arrive with different perceptions and expectations on the voyage ahead and the watch leader plays a key role in making sure the watch gels as a unit and is punctual in replacing the off-going watch. During the watch, it is important to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to helm, watch and keep logs.
In true JST style, our course was interrupted by the need to move Lord Nelson from the Ocean Terminal to the Oceanography Centre so we broke out on deck to help with slipping lines and mooring. Overall though a great course, a good opportunity to network with other watch leaders and discuss some of the more difficult challenges. Also a good chance to catch up with some of the permanent crew. Best surprise though was bumping into Bosun Jess who was a fellow crew member on the Atlantic crossing and was helping prepare Tenacious for her forthcoming trip to Australia.
Jon Davison and I both attended watch leader courses on Lord Nelson this weekend (albeit on different days) in readiness for our Tall Ships race in July. The course gives you a good overview of the various aspects of ship life that we need to be familiar with but largely focuses on what we need to to make sure our watch enjoy themselves and reach their full potential in terms of participation. Voyage crew all arrive with different perceptions and expectations on the voyage ahead and the watch leader plays a key role in making sure the watch gels as a unit and is punctual in replacing the off-going watch. During the watch, it is important to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to helm, watch and keep logs.
In true JST style, our course was interrupted by the need to move Lord Nelson from the Ocean Terminal to the Oceanography Centre so we broke out on deck to help with slipping lines and mooring. Overall though a great course, a good opportunity to network with other watch leaders and discuss some of the more difficult challenges. Also a good chance to catch up with some of the permanent crew. Best surprise though was bumping into Bosun Jess who was a fellow crew member on the Atlantic crossing and was helping prepare Tenacious for her forthcoming trip to Australia.
6th October 2015: Berth Confirmed
Jubilee Sailing Trust have confirmed my application to take part in leg 3 of the Tall Ships Race 2016 from Cadiz to A Coruna. I will be joining the ship in Cadiz on 30 July and should be in A Coruna (fair winds permitting) by 13 August when Val will meet me and we can spend a couple of days exploring the various tall ships that will be berthed at A Coruna for the remainder of that week.
This will be my first voyage as watch leader and I will sailing with fellow JST branch member and watch leader John Davison who organises the Pumpkin Festival at Royal Victoria Country Park in October (next event 9th October 2016). The entries for race 3 have been flooding in and other Class A vessels (as Lord Nelson is) include Pelican of London as well as established international ships such as Christian Radich and Statsraad Lehmkuhl (Norway), Gulden Leeuw and Morgenster(Netherlands) and Fryderyk Chopin (Poland). All ships will have already completed the 3 week long race 1 from Antwerp to Lisbon followed by the 3 day sprint race from Lisbon to Cadiz. Race 3 (an 'in company' race) will see us travelling north along the Iberian Coast before nosing in to the Bay of Biscay where A Coruna is located on the north west coast of Spain.
Jubilee Sailing Trust have confirmed my application to take part in leg 3 of the Tall Ships Race 2016 from Cadiz to A Coruna. I will be joining the ship in Cadiz on 30 July and should be in A Coruna (fair winds permitting) by 13 August when Val will meet me and we can spend a couple of days exploring the various tall ships that will be berthed at A Coruna for the remainder of that week.
This will be my first voyage as watch leader and I will sailing with fellow JST branch member and watch leader John Davison who organises the Pumpkin Festival at Royal Victoria Country Park in October (next event 9th October 2016). The entries for race 3 have been flooding in and other Class A vessels (as Lord Nelson is) include Pelican of London as well as established international ships such as Christian Radich and Statsraad Lehmkuhl (Norway), Gulden Leeuw and Morgenster(Netherlands) and Fryderyk Chopin (Poland). All ships will have already completed the 3 week long race 1 from Antwerp to Lisbon followed by the 3 day sprint race from Lisbon to Cadiz. Race 3 (an 'in company' race) will see us travelling north along the Iberian Coast before nosing in to the Bay of Biscay where A Coruna is located on the north west coast of Spain.