Taking on the World by Ellen MacArthur

Author:Ellen MacArthur
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780141954660
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2009-08-25T00:00:00+00:00

Just two days later conditions began to worsen again. Doing anything was not only difficult but painful. My hands were red-raw and swollen, and my head was aching – even more so when the freezing water washed breathtakingly over it each time I went forward to change sails. It became more obvious that the boat had been designed for Pete Goss. Shifting the sails was hard, brutal work. Each time it was time to change one I would pull it forward, clipping myself on and hanging on for dear life. Waves would continuously power down the side-decks, often washing me and the sail back several feet, and I had to hang on and tighten my grip on the sail tie even further. I would often cry out loud as I dragged the sail along; it was one way of letting out some of that frustration and of finding the strength to do it. Once forward, each sail had to be clipped on hank by hank with freezing fingers. After each sail change I would collapse into the little cuddy seats out of the spray, close my eyes briefly and try to recover.

After a week things finally began to calm, and with my backside red-hot and sore, and my wrists and fingers swollen, I finally enjoyed the first opportunity to remove my survival suit. Though the relief was wonderful, the smell was not!

Sent: 14/11/98 15:23

Received: 14/11/98 17:50

From: Kingfisher, [email protected]

HI . . OK my words, but first… . An overwhelming thankyou. There is noway in thisworld I could be here without you, I have been doing a lot of thinking over the past days, and can offer little more at this time other than offer my eternal thanks, and win the bloody race!

. e xx

4 hrs at 12–19 knots! Great to have KINGFISHER going like a train. WE’re hanging in there in the 60 fleet, and proving our own as being 2 of the smallest in the fleet! Herself and me!

Its been fantastic tbe able sail her rather than simply survive! The storms of the first week were horrendous, and now, after I had a chance to walk on her decks rather than crawl, and place someing on a surface without it ending up in the bilge! Today I removed all the food I could fnd from in the spares boxes, underthe anchorand behind the bunks. Each of the food boxes crossed the cabin at least 6 times each during the storm, dispensing hteir cotents eerywhere they could! Got to go.

exx

love

e

xxx

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