illbruck in the Southern Ocean

The Volvo Ocean Race team have been doing a training run from Fremantle to Auckland, and watch captain Stuart Bannatyne sent back this report

The Southern Ocean provides the ultimate sailing thrills and also the deepest lows. Even the most experienced sailors on the team can be heard whooping with the exhilaration of fast downwind sailing. It is a feeling that one never tires of and is the sole reason for venturing time and again into the Southern Ocean. A couple of days ago we were experiencing typical southern conditions, grey and overcast with a light drizzle, 25 - 30 knots of wind and confused seas. Several watches of careening along at speeds up to 28 knots and walls of water rushing along the deck make us realise yet again how privileged we are to be experiencing all this.

For first timers and veterans alike, it is without a doubt the best sailing you will ever do. There is nothing quite like hurtling down waves at breakneck speeds in pitch black darkness, not quite knowing where the next wave will come from and having your nerves and concentration stretched to the limit just keeping the boat under control.

There is of course a darker side too. Several sailors have lost their lives in the Southern Ocean in previous round the world races. That is a very sobering thought when we climb out of the relative safety of the interior into the maelstrom that is often life on deck. Clipping on with harnesses is compulsory, and for those loved ones at home - that had husband or father promise to always clip on - be rest assured that we are ever mindful of the risks and are thinking of you (Happy Birthday Amanda!).
Imagine a boat travelling at 20 knots, if someone were to fall over the side the boat would be two miles away in only six minutes. Possibility of a successful recovery at night is close to zero. Clipping on is now as second nature as putting on boots. Along with the constant awareness of safety there is also the intense cold and never-ending wetness to deal with.

We have been fortunate on this trip not to experience the cold too much but believe me, there are times you would pay someone everything you had to be airlifted off and dropped in a spa pool, to hell with everything else! Just imagine water at temperatures of three or four degrees Celsius being blasted into your face by winds at 40 knots and a wind chill factor on top of all that...

Despite it all, four years between races is about the right time to make you forget all the cold, wet and miserable nights and remember only the sheer exhilaration of the classic Southern Ocean sleigh ride which drags you back there every time.