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As I mentioned on my About Page, I have been dreaming of sailing for a long time. I’ve never had the opportunity, but due to some luck and events lining up in my favor, I’m about to go on my first sail! But it’s not going to be just any old intro to sailing. Read on to find out how my first sail happened on the boat that won the Volvo Ocean Race 2014/2015!
We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch – we are going back from whence we came.
John F Kennedy
Christmas Break 2014: My wife and daughter are back in the US visiting family, but I’m still in Abu Dhabi because I couldn’t get annual leave over the holidays. But, my luck is about to change.
I love driving home from the night shift along the Corniche in Abu Dhabi. Watching the sea appear as the sun rises always puts me in a better mood! This week is extra special because the Volvo Ocean Race is in town and I can see the boats lined up at the dock across the bay. The radio is on and the DJ announces that they are giving away a chance to go sailing with the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team on Azzam! I couldn’t believe it! I swerved into the next parking area and typed the SMS as quickly as I could, but thought “what are the chances?”
Since I just completed a night shift on the ambulance, I went to bed shortly after reaching my apartment. I normally turn the ringer on my phone off but didn’t do so that day. Around 11 am, my phone rings and I answer it without even looking at the number. Its the DJ calling to tell me I’ve won the sailing experience! My sleeping mind took a few minutes to comprehend the words coming from the phone! I couldn’t believe that after all these years dreaming of going sailing, my first real experience on a sailboat was going to be on a full-on professional racing boat! It’s kind of like telling a 16-year-old learning to drive that their first drive would be in an F1 car!
Volvo Race Village
Abu Dhabi, UAE – December 30, 2014
The day for the sailing experience finally arrived! Walking the down the docks in the Volvo Race Village was surreal! All these pro sailors checking their boats. Team SCA – The all-female team! My daughter loves them and is very jealous that I’m here seeing them in person! There is so much to see and I’m a bit overwhelmed and so freaking excited! Azzam isn’t at the dock. She is already on the water and the organizers explain that we will go out on a RIB – Rigid Inflatable Boat.
We board the RIB and then head out to meet The Boat! Coming around the island, I catch my first glimpse of Azzam in the flesh! I can’t believe I’m about to sail, for the first time, on that awesome boat!
Azzam
We board Azzam and the crew greats us and starts a quick safety brief. I’m like a kid in a candy store on Christmas morning! We get to work the grinders and winches and explore down below. The accommodations are a bit spartan. The beds (bunks) are just molded carbon fiber with no padding and there isn’t much of a galley. Just a small burner to boil water for the freeze-dried meals they eat. I know I must be a glutton for punishment, but I can imagine myself sailing around the world in one of these!
Then, the moment I’ve been waiting for for a long long time! It’s my turn to helm the boat! I take the wheel and the skipper tells me to turn a bit to port (left). The wind fills the sails again, and the boat leans over and the speed jumps a few knots! I am in heaven and I am totally hooked!
All too soon, our time on board is finished. I wish I could just stay on board and sail with them over the horizon! None of the crew, organizers, or Radio staff had any idea what that brief sail meant to me. Through chance, I was able to realize the beginnings of a lifelong dream. I’ve wanted to sail for as long as I can remember. It was like the sea has been calling me all this time and finally, now that I am here she greeted me like a long-lost child! I am home on the sea!
Thank you so much to Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Volvo Ocean Race, Radio 2 UAE and all the other people who had a hand in this event. You all gave me my first sailing opportunity and it was one I don’t think I will ever forget! You have all changed my life and allowed be the gateway to answering the the call of the sea!
Follow along in my blog as I share my experiences on the sea from this first one to my First Offshore Race and becoming a Yachtmaster and skippering a Volvo 60 around the UAE and more!
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