White Ocean Racing

May 12 - Steve's first report.

Settling down.

It's amazing what a difference 24 hours can make, I have gone from being ecstatic and relieved (and really tired) at getting both to and across the start line yesterday, only to be fairly fed up at being caught too close inshore around the Lizard and Lands End - I know them well enough, I shouldn't have been there and it cost me dear in terms of miles lost to the other boats - to complete despair when I couldn't get my e-mails, my Sat C lost it's marbles and I STILL couldn't get any weather! (Which explained why I probably went a different way to everyone else!). Sitting in the fog with no wind as everyone else dissappears is pretty gutting.

Still, the despondency was only short-lived - I had porridge for breakfast, had a sleep, got talked through the multitude of comms problems and then ate a whole French cheese of some sort that Kim had bought at the market in the Race Village. I feel right as ninepence now - I know where I'm going now and we have some breeze - what more could you ask for!

I also need to thank everyone who has helped to get me here, this race is pretty important to us. Firstly I'd like to thank Kim who holds everything together and without whose support non of this would be possible, but I also want to thank Simon from bluQube, Dave from Mako, Casper from Damen, my son Jason for three weeks of boat prep, Josh Hall and Mark Wylie, Peter for his tireless work and support keeping me and White Ocean Racing on the straight and narrow, Shally, Martin for getting me some meths for the stove at 1000 yesterday, and to countless friends and people I hardly know who have helped or just wished us well - it's only now when I sit down to write a list that I realise just how much help we've had. I could go on for ages, if I've not mentioned you, you know who you are, thanks.

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