08. Bad Moon Rising?

Not exactly sure what a bad moon is but the week before last we certainly had one (even though it was just before a new moon: is this the definition?). It was definitely an odd time. On the Wednesday three friends fell out with their ex (un)loved ones, two pals had a car crash (no-one injured, thankfully) and I tripped and fell over a side table:

John repaired it that day with screws and straps and glue (take note fellow sailors, he’s a carpenter too!).

Then on the Thursday all the oxygen ran out and we suffocated. Oh, hang on, O2 had a problem with the internet and we all survived despite not being able to use our mobile phones and other gadgets. Although some poor chap was reported as not being able to get from Manchester to Leeds. I guess he was walking and had never heard of Ordnance Survey maps.

Whilst that was happening, Clipper went off line (good planning or something more sinister?) to do some maintenance. This involved taking down the 2017/18 map and putting up a new “illustrative” one for 2019/20. I tried to upload the map for you all to see but that’s a skill set I haven’t yet worked out. Here’s the link instead:

https://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/race/route-map

Good, that worked. What have we learnt about the trip next year? Well, assuming Clipper are not into bluffing, the start looks as though it goes from London or thereabouts, not Liverpool. Maybe to Brazil then Cape Town, Perth and Brisbane. We know the three Chinese ports: Sanya (the boat that won last year’s race), Zhuhai (new for 2019/20) and Quingdao. Then off to Western USA, possibly San Francisco? Through the Panama Canal to Eastern USA, New York? Then back across the top of the UK to wherever the start was.

We have a Clipper “Crew Brief” meeting mid January so hope to know more then. Meanwhile, here’s a couple of pictures we took in 2015 when staying with friends on the Isle of Wight, watching the Round the Island race, never realising that a few years later it would mean so much!

I expect MBB to be able to name all the sails now and tell me what tack they’re on!

Next time: who knows? I’ve a few ideas but suspect Christmas may interfere with my plans so if I don’t post before then, enjoy the festive season and speak again in 2019.