Today we stepped onto the Team Daft yacht for the first time. It is massive and unlike anything I have ever sailed on. Below deck doesn’t even have flooring and the sleeping quarters are just canvas cots with rope pulleys so we can change the angle and avoid falling out.
The really interesting bit for me is listening to Mick and Trav interact with each other. Mick is who I will do the round Ireland race with and Trav is our onshore manager for the race but has come along for this initial trip. We have met the owner of the yacht and the lads have been going through the boat with a fine tooth comb. From what I can tell it is Trav who is the check list man and as Mick fired out questions, Trav noted the queries. As Mick checked out the sails, Trav assessed the electronics. And as I peeled old sponsors stickers off the hull, the lads checked and re-checked all the safety kit. Mick and Trav have raced together for years and they clearly know what each other will and will not do. Brilliant to see and it is my job to get myself totally aware of where everything is on the boat. I need to make sure that these guys have as much confidence in me as I do in them when we leave the marina and start sailing!
We will hopefully leave France today and arrive in England 12 hours later. Then, after getting the boat branded up in daft.com colours, we will head for Ireland, drop Trav off in Cork and head for Dublin. Can’t wait to get going but I know Mick and Trav will only move when they are happy with everything.
