To hitchhike a sailboat, go on an international race as a training first!

When I meet Tom, the skipper of the s/y Australian Maid, that’s what it is about. I can go with them to Singapore but there will be the Ambon race (to Indonesia) involved end of August. From there we will deliver the boat straight to Singapore. All expenses covered, I will gain the unique experience of crewing on a racing yacht, that sounds like a perfect plan for me. But first, they want me trained for that race. And they are about to leave for a 3 days race to Dili in Timor Leste. 

“- What are you doing tomorrow? And the next day? And the next week?

- well guys, since you are on a sailboat, and that I’m desperate for a sailboat, I’d say… call me your crew!!”

This is how from one day to another I find myself crew on a famous racing yacht in Australia, sailing hard to Timor Leste, official ‘wooler’ and ‘grinder’ of the boat. Hard job I can assure you!

We don’t do too bad as we make it first on the arrival line. But we work with a big ‘time’ handicap due to our size and that makes us second on list for the ‘handicap’ podium. Still, we arrived first, that’s all what matters to me!

And to the other crew, what matter most is the large flow of alcohol we get there. Partying all days and night, I discover here a large part of a sailor’s life: getting smashed once we are aground (or barely)!

This race was a BIG sailing experience, I’m so happy of it!

For a more detailed story about our race from Commodore Peter Bracken, please see LINK TO SAILING STORY

In Dili, I get in contact with a local NGO ‘Action for Change Fondation (ACF)’ connected with ‘Travel with a mission’. I give a speech about the trip and ‘the endless possibilities of life’. Thanks to Nuno Delicado from sports impact, I have an excellent coaching for talking the right things and passing on a good message.