got the call while sitting in a little cafe in Horta in the Azores. Say ‘hell, yes’ first, think about the logistics second. So that’s how I became First Mate on board the iconic yacht with our record-breaking all-female crew, racing like it’s 1973. First I had to complete an Atlantic crossing. I then joined the team in Hamble in July 2023 for the final preparations ahead of the start. I also had to get my GMDSS GOC (general operator’s certificate) radio licence. Little did I know that the HF radio would become a huge feature of the days on board. It was often our only access to weather information but also our social network, with jokes or ‘quotes of the day’ with the other boats at the twice daily buddy chats – these became a highlight for the crew. After each one I would plot the other boats’ positions and work out the distances covered to see if we had made gains or losses in the last 12 hours.
