RIDING OUT THE STORM

BY RICHARD MERRIWEATHER

Business Coach and Managing Director

I was extremely fortunate to race around the world twice between 1992 and 1997 - in what was dubbed the “World's toughest yacht race”.

The past few months have reminded me of some of the surprising discoveries and remarkable memories from these adventures.

Typically the races were split in 4 or 5 legs lasting between 30 and 50 days each with approximately 2/3 weeks in ports in-between for repairs and preparations.

A pattern formed for each leg where the first few days were especially mentally challenging – getting used to the restrictions, motion and routine of 24 hours per day of intensive racing in 2 teams aboard the yacht.

Life then settles down to a mixture of exhilaration, exhaustion, monotony, excitement, frustration, fear and fun! Our focus was on performing to the best of our abilities, avoid making any mistakes, keeping the team inspired and channelled around beating the opposition. We would get an update report of positions of the competition every 6 hours.

Thoughts of all the luxuries that we usually take for granted; dry clean clothes, warm baths, cold beer, a motionless dry bed and a toilet that didn’t move, fresh food, uninterrupted sleep. Not forgetting seeing friends and loved ones, all circled around the endless focus of trying to deliver a winning performance, whilst keeping my team inspired, mentally engaged and getting the job done.

Interestingly, as we approached New Zealand, close to Antarctica on what was then one of the longest legs ever for a fully crewed racing yacht (14 crew) 6 weeks racing at sea seemed to be a watershed after which my mind didn’t want to stop to enjoy the endless list of luxury carnal and basic desires – it started to seem easier to carry on in this simplified world of ‘sleep, eat, race, repeat’. Winning became the all-consuming motivator of which I relished. The thought of the complications of finishing the race seemed overwhelmingly complicated compared to competing, racing, 100 foot waves, storms, gale-force-winds and navigating icebergs.

Indeed having to re-engage with sponsors, the media, family and friends whilst scrupulously studying results spread-sheets, managing any repairs and maintenance, scheduling crew changes, even paying the mortgage and confronting the real world became a reverse-challenge in itself. All of a sudden it hit me. What had seemed like the world’s greatest challenge of racing around the world against prevailing winds and currents, risking life, living in cramped conditions in a 70 foot steel box with 13 other teammates who were all coping with the challenge in their own way – eating
tasteless freeze dried foods, being thrown about like a rag doll, in what only I can describe as being in a washing machine, was far more appealing and manageable than the real world that we had temporarily left behind in an attempt to win a round-the-world-yacht-race.

We narrowly missed winning this long 51-day leg from Brazil to Australia finishing second by a couple of hours having made a mistake a few days earlier.

We moved on emotionally at the finish line in Australia through a release of celebration and reflection. It was important to learn from this leg but not let our performance going forward be blighted by any of the difficult challenges or mistakes. Being conscious to let go, yet keeping our mission of overall victory on track was very much at the forefront of our minds. Less successful teams moved on with dreams of future glory...

Much of this reminds me of where we are now. What started as a challenge has become a familiar place. A routine, a safe place. It’s easier to keep going and not wanting it to stop.

“I for one will miss the simple small world that has become normal life”.

I have been away most weeks of my life since the young age of 11 when I went away to school and have travelled ever since as a yachtsman and for the past 23 years as a Business Coach and Managing Director of Merriweather Ltd.

Being present, enjoying the simple life and loving sleeping in my own bed are all luxuries that I am embracing and not wanting to leave… for now anyway.