GBR Challenge diary

madforsailing hears from enthusiastic bowman Nik Pearson

Everyone loves it. It's impossible to get bored as everyday is an awesome experience. Everyone is captivated, driven by the dream to learn how to sail these demanding yachts. Everyone is working simultaneously as a unit to achieve the same goal. Everyone has their specialist role within the team, on the water and onshore. I personally had no specialist skill ashore, and so have been allocated to Boycey (Jonathan Taylor) as his understudy in the rigging department.

It did not take long for the natural leaders to emerge, and although there is no real chain of command other than Ian Walker, David Barnes and Ed Danby, who is without doubt the best shore manager in the world, everyone is mature enough and understands enough to identify what needs doing. When your jobs are finished, you offer assistance to those that need it. Indeed, one corporate guest mentioned that, in their organisation, it takes as many people as we have in total to make a boardroom decision, let alone actually get something achieved.

There are some yachting legends on the team but everyone is equal, there are no secrets, and its an easy atmosphere. Everyone acquired nick-names, from Shower, to Worlds-Laziest-Man, to Freddie Star. Unfortunately, my previous nickname of Priscilla has stuck, but it is all in the camaraderie of the team.

It has not been difficult to smile and wave at the hundreds of people we´ve seen cheering as we enter the Medina River in Cowes on tow, or sail past as we train. One memorable moment happened during the Jubilee's Round the Island Race, when competitors in other racing classes were cheering for us to "Catch those bl***y Kiwis" or "Bring it back this time". It's a great feeling.

So anyway, I'm on holiday, last week I was working at the Etchells Worlds, the month before I was working at the Jubilee and Cowes Week and before that I was working and training for GBR Challenge. I've just finished working in Weymouth at the RYA Match Racing Open Championships and then for six months I´m in Auckland NZ, training on the Gulf where the America's Cup will be held. It doesn't feel like work - we are a lucky group of people who are able to fulfil our dreams and I´m stoked to be a part of it all.