Question asked by Webmaster:

Are you nervous? Asked by Sara, 16, Azores, Portugal

Answer:

YES! There is nothing wrong with being nervous, it keeps me on my toes. It makes me think of lots of little things that might go unnoticed until there was a problem. A great American singlehanded sailor, Francis Stokes, was asked by his friend Bill Homewood after Francis beat Bill in the 1980 Transatlantic race – “how did you do it Francis?” – “I worked and worried!”

Certainly in this race, there is much to be nervous about. The boats are big and very physical to handle. You have to know about many things, so if something breaks, you can make a fix. This includes rigging, sails, electronics, plumbing, construction, navigation, computers, cameras, medicine, etc. Plus, we’ll be out here for 100 days, and that’s a long time to be on your own.