Gunwharf Quays!

This morning has seen an impressive displays of complex logistics with more than 200 excited crew volunteers being shuffled into position for an aerial shot from the spinnaker tower - a momento of what will no doubt go down in our memory banks as a real red-letter week.




Many of us have been waiting upon this moment for three or four years, in some cases even longer. In every nook and cranny on the boat, in the crew house, over coffee - we repeatedly turn to each other with wide eyes - 'this is it - it's actually going to happen... now!' Part of yet another impossibly packed pre-start day, the fleet picture came after our final fleet crew briefing and slots in before yet more photo calls for the crew swinging from the rigging of HMS Warrior, rigging checks, final attention to detail on our spinnakers, the list is endless. After this we head out into the Solent to blow any lingering cobwebs away before the off - which now looks set to take place in the teeth of pretty much a full gale! And finally there is our crew bye bye bash tonight (with an order for 'no alcohol for crew' being imparted from an optimistic David!). The air of (I hasten to add controlled) tension aboard BP Explorer is tangible. The adventure starts here!