We have commented in the past about the British penchant for sail training. This healthy (or somewhat crazy) affliction reaches its zenith in crewed around the world races, for which the participants pay a healthy fee. There is a Clipper Race entrant off our stern today.

Up to seventeen amateur crew, some with no prior blue water experience, live in these quarters. Between seven thousand British Pounds (one leg) and 30,000+ Pounds (around the world) gets you pre race training, oilskins, a safety harness, and all the freeze dried food you can eat. Something like 40% of the crew go all the way around.

Simon Bradley, the professional skipper on board, must be 85% personnel manager (or psychiatrist) and 15% master mariner. We cannot imagine how tough the job of running one of these boats must be.

There are pipe berths throughout, with the aft starboard bunk, adjacent to the navigation station, reserved for the professional skipper.

We were surprised to find them using propane for cooking which in the US would not be allowed under Coast Guard rules. Can you imagine doing galley duty for 18 calorie burning sailors in this galley? No fridge, but two ovens.

A fire blanket, next to the fire extinguisher, in the galley.

The navigation station has Raytheon gear (they are a sponsor) and two computer systems. But no routing software. Since this is a class race, all the boats have identical systems and sails.

There are two heads. These are the second brand and have been around the world 1.5 times. They are made by R Meinstrom in Germany.When asked about reliability the answer was OK, but no toilet paper is allowed in the toilet. This reduces clogging risks.

Take a close look at this chain plate. Notice anything? It is the salt water stains, evidence of a deck leak, to which we are referring. A cover plate on deck with a neoprene foam rubber gasket would solve this problem (details in Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia).

These are powerful boats, driven hard because they are racing, and so very wet reaching and beating. In short, lots of water pouring down the deck. An exposed sliding hatch like this leaks (confirmed by the crew). Being Brits, they accept it as part of the “experience”. They could reduce or eliminate the leakage by installing a four inch (100mm) upstand outboard of the hatch edge. This would force the water to go up and over the breakwater, reducing its force. But this would detract from the experience (lots more discussion of this in Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia).

That strap lashed to a pad eye (left side of the photo) is a jack stay, probably Spectra webbing. With Spectra you have to take care not to get the thread too hot when stitching (use oversized needles). The heat weakens the Spectra fabric.