The start of the race was quite a spectacle with all the different classes of boats on the water at the same time, along with all the spectator boats and 10 helicopters buzzing overhead.

Andie and me celebrating Christmas Day on Manly beach with a fish and chip lunch. Note the typically English weather though! If you are following this blog then I’d just like to wish you a very happy Christmas and hope you and your family enjoy a very festive time.

So the story of the final part of the race for the mighty PSP!!!
We were powering through on Thursday night in very gloomy conditions. We had  good wind and with a fantastic helming effort from Stian (our resident Norwegian) and David Wilson we made really good ground. On Friday morning we thought we might have a chance.

“Ooooooh this is going to be tense. So we thought the top 3 had got away from us and we were going to have to settle for 4th assuming Dare to Lead didn’t get a favourable run. But that said we were still giving it our best.

Well if ever a reminder is needed of how quickly life is passing us by I came face to face with one such reminder today.

Well the end really and truly is in sight now. I might just have finished my last race helming duties as I think the new watch should complete the remaining miles of the course during their watch.

So this afternoon I thought I’d try and describe what 6 hrs in a bunk trying to get to sleep sounds like.

Well it’s still life on the lean here…..aaaargh! Such hard work. But that’s me done with mother duties on a clipper boat forever! All went really well.

Well we had a beautiful last race start point at the mouth of the Foyle. The sun was out, the boats looked superb framed against the backdrop of the Northern Ireland countryside on one-side of the estuary and Southern Ireland on the other.

So after personally sailing a total of 18,000 ocean miles my adventure in search of an bird, ‘Chasing the Albatross’ has finally come to an end.

Well as you will have seen we are moving up that leader board. We’re sailing well and have a few of the other boats around us as I write. With such a short race there is lots to do to keep the boat moving fast.

Well finally after 3 years of planning, looking forward to and taking part in, my adventure to see an Albatross and learn to sail a 70 foot racing yacht is now about to play out its final act.