Tuesday 17th January

Well what a whirlwind time we have had! Sophie was an absolute trooper and kept herself busy drinking cocktails by the pool with a good book – the sacrifices that have to be made! The days have rushed by in a haze of sweat and heads in holes in the boat. The life-raft which had been sent off to be serviced last summer had leaked battery fluid and then blew up fairly impressively when tested. New life-raft now delivered and installed. The rig has been checked and we have been given a clean bill of health. The generator and engine had a three day service from Lindsey who had flown out from the UK specifically to do this. Safety at every turn.

Sophie saw and photographed a one metre long Iguana which climbed out of the water and up onto the dock at the Marina whilst she was sat in a café there. In torrential rainstorm we had three tarantulas washed into the swimming pool – the intrepid Charlotte is proving fearless against creepy crawlies – Oscar proving not so fearless! I found a huge cockroach on the boat – dead – screamed and Charlotte once again rescued me!   I think it might have flown on as there is no sign of anything else but just to be sure placed twenty cockroach traps around the boat underfloor only to be told by Oscar that I had put them all the wrong way up – didn’t have my reading glasses on.

We moved Sophistikate round to Nelsons Dockyard on Thursday ready for the big photoshoot and finally moved onto her. The historic Dockyard is the most wonderful harbour with the old buildings making an amazing and dramatic backdrop for 31 Oyster yachts ranging in size from the awesome 885 to the 46 with a large number of 575’s in between (that’s us). The Oyster leaving party (Deborah and Malcolm arrived and joined us for the evening) was held down on the quay on Thursday night with a free bar – not words which should be bandied around loosely where my family are concerned! Fabulous evening with a live singer and dancing. Sophie didn’t even spend one night on her namesake – she partied until 5am and then used a spare cabin on a neighbouring boat (much bigger of course!). Oscar was decidedly the worse for wear whilst test sailing Friday – apparently vodka and Ting should be avoided in future!

Test sailing Friday as a problem with the engine detected. Transpires that our turbo charger had failed (of course not a spare we are carrying amidst several hundred spares!) – very, very kindly Ayesha was carrying one and gave it to us and we have ordered a replacement for them which they will collect in St Lucia. Just one example of the camaraderie amongst the fleet and everyone in it together. Lots of people wanting to be chums – they haven’t picked up on my antisocial nature yet and that I already have a full quota! A number of Americans in the fleet keener than the British to have many friends – and persistent!! I have, however, joined the OWR Book Club and the first book that has been chosen is Fallen by Elizabeth Jane Howard (cover doesn’t look great!) and I’ve duly downloaded it – Sophie/Liz please can you read it and give me some intelligent comment so I look smart at our first meeting in Panama!

Did a huge provisioning shop which saw us loading four trolleys with everything we might need (bet we’ve forgotten something vital). Lists are being made, heads down cleaning, servicing, provisioning etc. Then of course the hard part is finding a place to stow everything on the boat and logging what is where so it’s easy to find. Found three cans of corned beef at the back of a cupboard Charlie! Oscar and Charlotte have been working like Trojans – I am really liking having crew! We could not realistically have done this in the timescale without them – and Charlotte is relentlessly cheerful and positive which is wonderful even when she had to spend twenty minutes wedged in a corner holding up a slatted blind which had broken, whilst the boat was anchored to avoid damaging it! Oscar is proving a most talented and committed Skipper – his knowledge and guidance are invaluable. I do feel enormously proud of him.

Having been moored stern to in Nelsons 31 yachts all had to get out. Stern to in this case meant drop anchor and reverse back on the anchor and then use lines on the quay to hold the yachts. With high winds for three days and 31 boats’ anchors all in a small space carnage was expected as we left. Sophistikate left the quay first with no problems fortunately and with Malcolm and Deborah on board to share the experience. It was amazing to motor out with all the yachts behind us and truly an emotional experience with lots of boat horns going off to wish us a safe voyage. And we were off – 31 yachts heading for the marked start line under sail. This is not a race but a rally Oscar kept telling us as the countdown to the start was broadcast over the radio – however, obviously this family is not even remotely competitive! I could see he was absolutely going to make sure we were first (or as close as possible) over the line! Barking orders at us and with the excitement mounting we were over the line first we think or certainly in the top three! Remember this is not a race! The photos of all the events including the start are on the oyster website www.oysterrally.com/gallery/oyster-world-rally-start or if that doesn’t work just go to the gallery Sophie to show Nana – my internet is not good enough to check the link properly. To track the Sophistikate’s journey use this http://live.adventuretracking.com/sophistikate

Words cannot describe the emotion of crossing that line and knowing that we have officially started the circumnavigation – the sun shone, the sky was a startling blue, the waves pretty high and the yachts just the most amazing sight all around us. A helicopter hovered over us taking film and photos and little boats risked life and limb bobbing about amongst us to share the excitement of the event. It was awesome and tears were wept – well certainly from me!

As we had to change the turbo charger and do a final test we then headed back into Falmouth Harbour with a number of others. Deborah and Malcolm joining us tonight (Tuesday) and we are heading off to Montserrat tomorrow.