Who will the gods give me? Crew allocation!

Today is a big day for Clipperati - we will hear who we are going to share what will probably be the most intense and adventurous year of our lives with. We will be introduced to our skipper - the person who will lead and manage our 11 to 12 months' journey on the yacht.

Who will the gods give me?

A previous crew allocation day

To my future crew mates:
I can't wait to meet you. I can't wait to see the excitement and curiosity in your eyes. I can't wait to get a sense of your presence.

I wonder about your smile, your attitude, your approach to life. I worry about your endurance to face up to the extremities of the elements, your resilience, your cleanliness, toilet habits, cooking skills, sense of humour and the shortness of your fuse. These things are usually reserved for life partners who we generally choose. In this case we are thrown together like an arranged marriage. A blind date. How will we cope with this?

From my side I can offer you the assurance that I am committed to making this conjugal relationship work. I am obstinately and totally intent on not giving up on you or the team, and seeing this through all  the way around the world. I will be there when you are tired to offer a smile, and encouragement when you are down. I am determined to give you hope when you feel that you can't go further. I will sing for you, which you may or may not like. I can be mischievous and a little mad.  But eventually you will hopefully come to find the reassurance of my presence a comfort, even if I produce my best Queen of the Night opera voice. Because come hell or high water (literally), I'll be there for you.

I promise not to laugh when you barf greenly into a bucket, if you can kindly return the favour. And even though I apparently have a quirky sense of humour, I'll try to use it wisely when things are tough. I look forward to dancing with you on the deck, share the sunsets and the moonlight on the water. Together we'll choke on sprays of sea water, hold on to each other when the waves toss us around like dirty clothes in a washing machine. And when the icy winds blow through our souls we'll find sheer determination in the furrow of each others' brows.

I am anxious, excited and in all-out anticipation to meet you. May the good gods give us the best, because I can also tell you that our boat is definitely going to win!