We have decided to extend the competition to win a weekend on the boat and other prizes. See the competition page. One of the objects of this exercise is to raise some money for the RNLI, and I think we can do a lot better on that front than we have done so far, so come on, if you haven’t entered, do so now please! I think it’s a really great prize, and who better to benefit from it, (other than of course the lucky winners!) than the RNLI!

The boat is just sitting there, waiting and ready to go. We’re concentrating on getting a few more trips off the ground over the winter months, before we begin to see some sponsorship money coming in hopefully early next year, after which we’ll begin the solo preparation of the boat and will be out of circulation for a while, but in a good way!

I am busy adjusting cash flows and budgets and making plans in anticipation, all stuff that would usually be dull, but when it involves something that you’ve given 15 years of your life to then it is pure pleasure to think about how it’s all going to come together.

One final point – Sunday the 9th of November, the day and date today, and the day and date when in 2008, at 1302 French time, that the start gun fired on the Vendée Globe that I did……… seven years ago, where has all the time gone? It has passed frighteningly quickly, and for someone who has plenty of things to do and memories yet to make I suddenly realised it’s about time I went and did something else!

I wish anyone who reads this the very best of luck with making their dreams come true. Hopefully my next one, the Westabout, is close now too

Steve White