Mhairi-Ailsa was one of two young people supported by Argyll and Bute Council to take part in the 2011 Tall Ships race. Below is an account of her experience.
My journey began by meeting the many unique and wonderful crewmembers that I would share the experience with. We travelled to Waterford in Southern Ireland where we were greeted by the many international crews, who we quickly became friends with. We were also welcomed very warmly by the locals with a firework display every night and many other crew privileges. The day before we set sail we were asked to take part in a crew parade. That was an amazing experience. We paraded down the street representing our boats and our various countries, to the smiles and applause of the locals. We hadn't even began the race yet and already we felt like heroes.
After a few days we set out and the race began! It was an incredible sight to see full sails of all the tall ships as we lined up in our different categories. I remember that everyone was feeling a bit tense to begin the race, until eventually our class was called out on the radio to set our launch time. We had to time it perfectly so that we would not cross the line too early otherwise we would have to circle back round and start again.
When we did cross the line it was an amazing feeling as everyone felt the surge of adrenaline. However, the adrenaline soon subsided as all the boats slowed almost to a halt altogether! We had lost the wind that day! We were then advised by our skipper Dougie that it would help if we all hung over the side of the boat, with our safety harnesses attached of course, as this would help the boat build some speed.
As the first day of the race drew to a close we were split into watches, groups of 5 crewmembers who would take it in turns to keep watch at night, cook, clean, sail in general or be given time to sleep. Each watch was given a period of 4 hours on duty or 4 hours off duty to do what they wanted (the majority of the time this was for sleep!). We all had to pitch in and help keep the boat maintained at a good condition for living on. We all worked together to do this. It was difficult at times though, whether it was due to the weather, which was incredibly rough at one point, or due to people feeling seasick (which was generally caused by the weather), but we managed to pull through thanks to each others support.
The voyage helped me to meet some incredible people from all over the world and from all walks of life, but in particular my crew. They were people that I must admit I would probably have never talked to outside of the Tall Ships Race, however they were the people that I am most honoured to now call my friends. The ages of the young crewmembers on my boat ranged from 15 to 21. There were some characters among them with their own quirks but that is what made them so interesting and amazing fun to be around. Its incredible to think of the bonds that you can form with other people in just 11 days. One thing that I learned from my experience is that in many cases the preconceptions that you can form about other people when you meet them are almost always wrong. I felt at first that a few of my crewmembers seemed a bit rough and with less than perfect characteristics but when I really got to know them they were the nicest people I have ever had the opportunity to meet. Looking back now I can safely say that I will never judge a persons character in 5 minutes again.
Though the voyage was tough and we did put in A LOT of hard work in actually sailing and steering the boat ourselves (we gibed and tacked constantly whilst at the same time always adjusting our sails), we did have time for a bit of fun when we had completed the actual 3 day race. We stopped in at Tarbert and Arran before finishing our voyage in Greenock. I loved my journey but it was nice to be home after all the hard work.
Though it was hard work at times I have some incredible memories. When we endured the worst shift we could have asked for (3am to 7am) our spirits were raised by the sight of some dolphins riding along beside our boat on our waves. When we stopped off in Arran we were treated to a breathtaking sunset. When we took part in the crew parade with people that we didn't even know smiling at us and cheering us on. Every single day that I spent with my crewmates.
Whether it was sailing in the gales or sailing in the sunshine I wouldn't change a thing from my adventurous experience. I met people that I will never forget, and made some amazing memories.
When we finished the race we came fifth in our class out of nine places, with our sister boat and crew the Alba Explorer placing 4th (which I must say was pretty good for young people who had never sailed before).
I would highly recommend that Argyll and Bute Council continue to support and fund the Young Scot activities that promote young people's sense of adventure (which I feel is something that is lacking in today's youth) at every opportunity that they are given. I can't thank you enough for allowing me this opportunity to discover mine! I know now that if you decide to take part in an adventure you will always be surprised at where it might lead you. Look where it has taken me. I can also confidently say that the Tall Ships Race was the best experience of my life to date.
Thank you Argyll and Bute Council and thank you Roanna for co-ordinating this.
Kind regards
Mhairi-Ailsa Henderson