The last time I was in China, it was for the 2008 Olympic Games. I was there competing in the solo Laser class and it was quite an experience. So to be back in China, just four years on, gave me the chance to look at how far I have come, as both a person and as an athlete. My world today is very different to that of just a few years back. I've swapped being a soloist, competing in a race just a few hours long, for being a team player racing around the world for nine-months solid. Yet it is so much more than that. Being around the world's toughest and best sailors has left a lasting impression on me. It has taught me what it is like to rely on others completely. When I was racing Lasers, it was just me and the boat. and who share in our combined successes and disappointments. And success is the name of the game. As we head out of Sanya into the vast ocean on our way to New Zealand, the fourth Volvo Ocean Race leg, we know that a good result is critical for us to stay in the hunt for a podium place. This has already been a strange leg. The organisers decided to split the start into two because of cyclonic conditions. This meant that we raced a short 40 nautical mile course off the Sanya coast, then parked up over night before heading out again on Monday morning. I can understand the decision; there is no point the fleet heading out into weather that could smash the boats when we could delay a little and hopefully miss a lot the dangerous winds. As our navigator said, "this is sport, not a battle to the death." Yet, we are glad to be out on the open seas again. The first few days have been rough; we have had one injury, when Wade Morgan smashed his head on the deck. Luckily it was only minor but serves as a warning to us all that and anything could happen at any time. We don't truly know what is in store for us in the coming weeks, the weather is continuously changing. In the last race, this leg was the worst ever in the event's history. Already this one is living up to its reputation. Let's hope our next blog brings more calming news!
