Page 184 - RAPTC Year of 2019

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moment to give encouragement to each other. Some of the crew suffered from seasickness, but mostly – and I include myself – we found our sea legs after a couple of days. The warmth of a few words of comfort to those struggling was often the difference between wanting to give up, and finding the will to go on. We also had injuries. Fortunately, one of our crew was a surgeon, and the quality of his suturing on a head wound in the middle of an ocean was something to behold. One of the competing yachts returned to Durban when a crew member was diagnosed with potential appendicitis. He reached the operating table just as the appendicitis broke. We reached Australia after 25 days at sea. After the hard routine at sea, and particularly no alcohol, the party which followed is worthy of a separate article.
Given the hardships, the physical and mental challenges and the wider discomfort as described, why do so many people want to take part? My motives were relatively straight forward, I wanted to improve my sailing skills. And along the way, I have met a range of wonderful people from around the world, many of whom will remain friends for ever. The sailing has also been unique, challenging and interesting. My abiding memory of the Southern Ocean were the huge seas we encountered during one particular storm. In high winds, much of the Sea turns white, and the waves grow in size until a 70-foot yacht which seems so large in port becomes merely a tiny dot on a confused, noisy and turbulent ocean. On one Watch, I was at the helm when the wind speed reached 60 mph. It
is hard to describe the mix of fear and adrenaline as you hold the yacht at speeds over 20 knots down a large wave, and then back over the crest of another. All the while fighting to hold a steady course, and protecting the safety of your crew.
This is Adventurous Training (AT) for civilians. But, the parallels to our own military AT are considerable. The Southern Ocean is there to be sailed. And for those who take part in this race, and complete the Leg, the rewards are considerable. We need as human beings to test ourselves, and achieve things outside the comfort of our everyday lives. Soldiering is just the same. It is about doing things which others don’t, and building up in yourself qualities which allow you to cope with adversity. Short of operational service, AT provides the means to build these moral and physical qualities. For the Clipper Race crew, these qualities are circulated back into everyday lives ashore. But, the impact on human lives is very similar. I have sailed on Joint Services yachts, and seen for myself the value overcoming the challenges of the Ocean has on young men and women in the Armed Forces. They may be hard to measure in financial terms, but they are the building blocks of fighting power. Moral fortitude has decided the outcome of most battles in history, and the preservation of morale is usually vital to success. The Clipper Race has reassured me about the strength of the human spirit; and reaffirmed my belief in the strength one acquires from testing oneself against adversity. It is the same with AT.
Gen Bashall