View of the JB Novices
Posted on 27. May, 2009 by admin in Latest News
Two first timers on board the British Class B vessel Jolie Brise have given us some of their thoughts because, as they say, days seem to be getting confused and when asked to write about the whales they saw today, they realised it was two days ago that they saw the whales!
So Louise Ruffell, 23, and James White, 19, have decided to give a report from viewpoint, because neither had ever laid eyes on Jolie Brise prior to this year’s Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge. Louise takes up the story:
“I asked James about how he felt before embarking on this journey, and it seems that each of our concerns differed considerably. He had never set foot on a sailing boat before, and felt apprehensive about the technical aspects. The prospect of sailing the Atlantic as a complete novice must have been daunting. James said he was worried about whether he would cope with the challenge of learning to sail from scratch, on top of the physical and mental strains of such a long journey. I, on the other hand, felt more concerned about my fellow crew members. Having done a few sailing trips before, I was very aware of how much the crew dynamic can affect everyone’s enjoyment. Luckily it seems that both of our concerns have been allayed. James has been pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to be a good crew member – apparently all you have to do is pull the right ropes, and learn how to steer! I stopped worrying pretty much as soon as I met the rest of the crew; everyone is so friendly and we all have a laugh together as well as being able to co-operate and sail the boat well.
“Next I asked James what he thought when he first saw the Jolie Brise. I think our opinions are pretty similar on this one – she is small! Especially when seen docked next to huge ships like Kruzenshtern. I thought we might feel crammed on board but everyone spends a lot of time on deck which does a lot to combat the cabin fever. We were both surprised to see a yacht with a tiller to steer with as opposed to a ship’s wheel! Both of us agree that the watch system is quite hard to get used to; inconsistent sleep patterns are pretty draining.
“On a more positive note, we have both been so impressed by the camaraderie on board. I think it really makes a difference that we hear the race positions every day. Small things really make a difference in our daily routine. Making new playlists to play on the deck loudspeakers, thinking of new things to cook for supper, the ongoing saga of our mascot the pigeon. Seeing a single ship becomes a source of much excitement; the thought of people other than ourselves in such close proximity has become a strange one! James says that he often wonders what is going on elsewhere in the world. I confess I am not thinking about much apart from what happens on board; it is great to live such an uncomplicated life for a while at least.”
Jolie Brise is currently in the lead overall on corrected time, and lying about fourth on the water.
The fleet’s progress on the race can be seen via the fleet tracking.
The list of all the vessels positions on corrected time can be seen in the Vessel Positions Update.
Further images are available from the Picture Gallery.
The Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge is organised by Sail Training International with the American Sail Training Association.
With thanks to 
Freight forwarding agents to Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009.
and 
Weather forecast providers to Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009.
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