Well something really rather cruel has happened to our yacht. Yesterday while leaving La Rochelle we made a silly mistake. We passed the wrong side of a mark of the course (a buoy) and did not realise this error until we had sailed some 15 miles west. Rather than be disqualified (the penalty for missing a mark) we had to return to the buoy and pass the correct side of it.
Imagine the scene as this news was revealed to the on watch. Only hours into the final leg, powering west, the thrill of the chase to Portsmouth and the finish in our imaginations. We had to turn away from our competitors, hoist a kite, and sail backwards, until eventually they disappeared over the horizon. The disappointment was intense, there were tears for some, and many felt their dreams slipping away too.
By the time we had rounded the mark and returned to our original position we were 30 miles behind the leaders. I can only imagine the atmosphere onboard the boats in 3rd and 4th overall position - Spirit of Sark and Barclays Adventurer and indeed BG SPIRIT in 1st they just won't be able to believe it.
As for us we are racing to catch up. This team has been tested in so many ways in the latter stages of this race. I wrote once in the Atlantic 'tread softly for you tread on my dreams' but yacht racing cares nothing for this. It truly can be a bloody business. The mark of a person, or a team, is how they react in the bad times not the triumphs. Each person onboard carries around a sort of leaden feeling of slight sadness somewhere in their stomachs, but we are determined not to be defeated by this, not to let this one silly mistake define our campaign.
There are light winds until Portsmouth and even some calms. There may be the opportunity that the fleet ahead will park up and we will catch them. Such things have occurred before during the race and may occur during this leg. There is nothing we can do but hope for this and race the boat as hard as we can in anticipation.
The team has been fantastic; people have put aside their disappointment and seek to support each other. Before all this took place we had a team-build on a beach in La Rochelle. One of our leg objectives was to analyse our motives and mindset during each hour on watch. Were we in the right mindset to bring about a positive result, were we 'in the moment' focused on the task at hand? We take the business of mental preparation seriously on BP Explorer. Well it was never more needed than now. Everybody is digging deep to be the best they can be. To be the kind of people that family, friends and supporters will feel proud of. People that can overcome setback and be resolute, acting with determination and integrity.
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