One week before the start of my first Whitbread and I am looking forward to it more than I was a year ago when I signed up. The sailing I have done on the boats this last year has been nothing short of some of the best sailing I have ever done. The boats are quite possibly the best big boat in the world, fast as a maxi upwind and fast as a sled downwind—water ballast is a great thing!

I am the new kid on the block in this arena so it will be interesting for all to see how well I can adapt to the “offshore” game. Also, I would say that I did not spend as much time as I would have liked to in preparation for this race. My previous commitment to AmericaOne was known and accepted by the EF management at the time of my hiring. Having said all that, those who know me know that I don