Welcome to the Race Village

Yes we are here. We have arrived in Alicante the starting venue of the Volvo Ocean Race. 
Training time is nearly over and the race is upon us.

For me the last couple weeks have been pretty big and feel more like 2 months. It was weird sailing away from the UK (I am back for one more break) but there was a little part of me that realised how fast this has all happened.

In January this year I was out in Rio supporting the British Sailing Team on the road to Rio and the Olympic Games . My third trip to the venue and starting to get comfortable there. By May I had increased my offshore miles by a bizillion times and had crossed the Atlantic twice trialling out as the navigator onboard Team SCA. 
On the 5th of September shortly before 1800 we were greeted in Alicante Race Village ready for the final preparations before the race begins.

It is true what they say a lot can happen in a year!


The trip down had some interesting moments from lobster pot catching requiring a full deployment of our team swimmer Sophie, to little or no wind and several hours of motoring and our coaches taking on the holiday mode in fantastic fashion, with the bean bag on deck. There was also a rather interesting stacking moment, involving moving kit forwards while a certain someone was on the toilet - lets just say it wasn't one of the Ladies- and will be one memory that will stay with me forever!!! Dodging the ships in the Gibralter Straits is a fairly full time job as well.....there was one warship that did some pretty good manoeuvring for us!

We have had a couple of days off and in true Libby style I fully pressed the button when we arrived here but was pleased to say I was not the worst affected! 
So far I have gone round the Volvo Ocean Race Museum saying I didn't know anything about the race. It is pretty cool. They have good videos showing you around the old VO70s and they have a fairly amusing simulator and then there is this massive globe explaining the weather along with some pretty good footage from all the old races. I also got a free Team Campos postcard...who shall I send that to!


Today a few of us climbed up the castle here  called  Santa Barbara (I have to say I am very poorly informed on the history...maybe I will google it now!) - we then did some circuit training on the way down and then lay on the rocks and successfully went Libby lobster - some things will never change!!!