Post 150. I Can’t Escape

The eagle-eyed (albatross eyed?) among you might have thought ‘what’s that boat?’ in Post 148 of April 4th, where I showed one with 2023/24 livery. That boat is CV3, one of the old 68-footers and won’t be going round the world any more. It’s the result of Clipper working with the Our Isles and Oceans campaign, set up to help people (especially youngsters) affected by the pandemic. Read more here:

https://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/news/article/sailing-programme-provides-a-postpandemic-boost-to-young-people

I’m very out of date with the Clipper updates, the AQP’s were announced on 26th April. Great relief, I cannot see our OBB/G there. In fact, all but two are younger than George and Yangtze (and, needless to say, all eleven are younger than JD):

https://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/news/article/clipper-race-confirm-aqp-lineup

Post 148 also introduced you to the new Skippers and some of the boats they’ll be in charge of. We now know that Dan Bodey, initially a Unicef circumnavigator and (after the enforced break) an AQP on Unicef, will move up one place and be Skipper this year on Unicef. As I predicted in Post 148. We don’t yet have the CV numbers so we don’t know if Unicef is CV31 again. As there is also a Qingdao boat (previously CV30), skippered by ‘newbie’ (to us) Greg Hunt, we could end up with four boats that we feel we need to support. Plus, of course, Mike Miller, who was initially AQP on Unicef. So confusing.

https://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/news/article/unicef-team-and-skipper-announced-for-the-clipper-202324-race

Announced today is the send-off for the 2023/24 race. It will start on Sunday September 3rd from Portsmouth, and finish there as well, with luck next year, pandemics allowing. The only other stops we know of are Ha Long Bay, Zhuhai and Qingdao. I missed the Chinese ports last time, maybe I make up for it this time?

https://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/news/article/portsmouth-to-host-race-start-and-finish-of-clipper-round-the-world-yacht-race

If you have YouTube then you can watch interviews with the Skippers. They’re only about two minutes each so you won’t waste too much time. (Less than you’ve spent reading this, I’ll warrant). If you watch the one with Ineke, at about 1 minute 40 seconds, you’ll see the back of someone familiar!

https://www.youtube.com/@ClipperRTW/videos

But enough about them! On May 20th there was Crew Allocation Day. Last time (see Posts 25 and 26 dated May 18th and 19th 2019) I was there as a Supporter for OBB. THIS time, JD was there as a Supporter’s Supporter. I was on stage in front of this year’s supporters, attempting to give sage advice. I hope it helped. Thankfully, although JD became very nostalgic and possibly a bit teary, he didn’t sign up. I did get a new armband to go with my others, which could come in useful if I do decide to Follow the Fleet again. This photo is courtesy of Clipper as my Supporter didn’t take any. Fat lot of good he is. Although he won’t be going round the world, some part of him will be. I can’t remember if I told you he’s been selling some of his kit. His socks have gone to Dianne McGrath, an Australian circumnavigator with Mike Miller and his dry suit has gone to Maisie Bristow, one of the AQPs, sailing with Dave Hartshorn (who was in the last race). So, there’s another boat we have to cheer on! I think that gives us an interest in six of the eleven. Then there are some crew who sailed with OBB in the last race who have come back this time and I’ve not yet worked out which boats they are on.

In other news, someone even older than JD was singing at a festival last year. Paul Simon will be 82 this October.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfowi3xvc6k

I don’t think he’s at Glastonbury Festival this year, possibly the oldest stars will be Gilbert O’Sullivan (77 in December) and Elton John (76 years old), closely followed by Yusuf, known as Cat Stevens in my day (75 next month). Once again, I’m not tempted to go, watching it on the box is much more relaxing. I’m not dog-sitting, as I did last year (see Post 141 of June 29th 2022), so it will be even more relaxing. In checking the line-up, I see quite a few names I recognise, not all in their twilight years. Might be a good way to spend the weekend.

https://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/line-up/line-up-2023/

You might have noticed, in Post 149, something around my ankle. It was not a tracker tag, neither for the London marathon nor because I’ve been released from a secure unit. You do believe me, don’t you? I did have a worry the other day though, when I received a letter from Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, accusing me of driving ‘a mechanically propelled vehicle without due care and attention’ and threatening to prosecute me. Apparently I was in Plymouth, overtaking two other vehicles by driving the wrong way round a roundabout. In case I wanted to deny this, they had photographic proof. Thankfully they provided me with this proof, as I don’t remember being in Plymouth and I certainly don’t remember going round a roundabout the wrong way. On looking at the photo, I can only say, yes that is my make of car and number, but who resprayed it and when? Mine, under all the mud, is red: this one is white. I’ll let you know if they write and apologise, a quick look at the DVLA website would have told them this.

Did I promise you cocktails last time? Oh dear, I did. Luckily, my brother Miles had a big birthday last month, one of the reasons I didn’t manage to keep to my New Year Resolution of a Post a Month. With no computer, I had to occupy myself somehow, so made three cocktails for his party.

Miles 1 was minty: creme de menthe, Italicus, Noilly Prat, elderflower liqueur and soda water. Not bad if you like mint. Miles 2 was fruity: Melon (a liqueur called Melonade), Italicus, Noix, elderflower and Sambuca. I need to find other liqueurs that start with e and i. For those who were not so adventurous I made a Pimm’s and I think I might have made another but I’ve not got my list with me so that can be for next time. (My memory really isn’t what it should be at the moment).

Last year, JD was given a pizza oven for his birthday, but we never managed to have a party in the summer so it was not used. An ideal opportunity for the birthday party. I don’t know if you’ve ever used one, but it’s not as easy as you think. A few minutes is all that’s needed. We gave the first one eight minutes which was way too long. Not even the dogs would eat it.