The Shetland Race
Posted: Wednesday, 13 June 2007 |
Every year a whole bunch o yachts (I suppose the correct term is 'fleet') race from Bergen to Lerwick and back in late June. They do stop for a break in Lerwick, mind you, and have a bit of a party. This race has appealed to me ever since I first heard about it a few years ago, and this year I'm GOING!!!
I'm crewing (I use the term 'crewing' loosely, this will be an extrememly steep learning curve for me!) for my boyfriend (I made a decision that I can call him 'boyfriend' after the conversation that followed my previous blog), but maybe the race will make or break us as a couple! What if I do something terrible like lose a sail overboard? What if I spew the whole way across and am totally useless as crew? What if I take a wrong turn and lose valuable miles and lose us the race? There are so many What If's I think I'll make another decision. I am going to be positive. Ok. That's that sorted. I am going to have a great time and enjoy myself.
Oh dear, I think I have been reading too many of Thewhitesettlers blogs, I'm just writing anything that comes into my head here. (And I've also just noticed all the brackets too. This is a tad disturbing...)
If you are interested in the Shetland Race, there is a website you can visit,
http://www.shetland-race.no/
(I tried to do a proper link here, but it vanishes as soon as I save the post. Any hints anyone? Arnish maybe?)
The boat that I'm crewing on is called Niki. Last year I was on the Swan in Norway (see some of my previous blogs if you want to know about the Swan) and min kj忙reste visited us on Niki, here's a pic.
So, this is the start of summer for me. Actually a bit of a false start (lets hope we don't get one of those in the race), cos I have another week at work after the race. But then I am off to Norge for the holidays to see my boyfriend! (As long as we can still stand the sight of each other after the race......)
Ouch! I just gave myself a smack for not being positive!
I'm crewing (I use the term 'crewing' loosely, this will be an extrememly steep learning curve for me!) for my boyfriend (I made a decision that I can call him 'boyfriend' after the conversation that followed my previous blog), but maybe the race will make or break us as a couple! What if I do something terrible like lose a sail overboard? What if I spew the whole way across and am totally useless as crew? What if I take a wrong turn and lose valuable miles and lose us the race? There are so many What If's I think I'll make another decision. I am going to be positive. Ok. That's that sorted. I am going to have a great time and enjoy myself.
Oh dear, I think I have been reading too many of Thewhitesettlers blogs, I'm just writing anything that comes into my head here. (And I've also just noticed all the brackets too. This is a tad disturbing...)
If you are interested in the Shetland Race, there is a website you can visit,
http://www.shetland-race.no/
(I tried to do a proper link here, but it vanishes as soon as I save the post. Any hints anyone? Arnish maybe?)
The boat that I'm crewing on is called Niki. Last year I was on the Swan in Norway (see some of my previous blogs if you want to know about the Swan) and min kj忙reste visited us on Niki, here's a pic.
So, this is the start of summer for me. Actually a bit of a false start (lets hope we don't get one of those in the race), cos I have another week at work after the race. But then I am off to Norge for the holidays to see my boyfriend! (As long as we can still stand the sight of each other after the race......)
Ouch! I just gave myself a smack for not being positive!
Comments
You just knew that I would comment here, didn't you Ruthiebabe? And, as ever, you're correct ( you must be learning something from reading my blogs ) I'm a bit confused, at the start ( of your blog, and not the race thingy ) you wrote/typed " A bunch of yachts," then you typed/wrote that the correct term is "fleet", so is it a bunch of fleets? Or a fleet of yachts? Just trying to clear things up for you ( and me ). What is so disturbing about blogging like myself? It's a live blog, not one that is written down then typed onto the IB. I think I'm gonna start a campaign, KEEP ISLAND BLOGGING LIVE! just like the musicians union used to do in the past. Good luck with the race, just don't fall overboard, although that may lighten the yacht, therefore making it faster, and you'll win. Cheers Ruthiebabe
Tws from The Marina
I guess you, Ruthodanort, have Rod Stewart*s " Sailing" as your personal favorite. I am sailing , I am sailing, stormy waters to be near you and so on. The song is very beautiful, but I am already feeling a bit seasick. Ha ei god reise.
Dag from Norway
Hope you have a great time in the race, Ruthodanort. Does 'crewing' have to involve specialist knowledge or does it just mean 'taking orders from the cap'n'? Speaking as one who wouldn't step on anything smaller than the Stornoway ferry, I think you're very brave! Roll on summer, eh?
Jill from EK
you are braver than me ruth,i don't think i would be able to work with pascal as a team-mate he would end up throttling me!! he has enough tempation to do so already
carol from being a coward
Go for it lass. Don,t fret about the spewing if I can leave my breakfast off South Ronaldsay over the side of Loyal and my dinner in the Fair Isle Channel off Statsraad Lehmkuhl (on separate occasions), a peerie puke off a yacht is neither here nor there. Anyway Nelson was always sick for his first few days at sea, it didn't cause him any harm.
Hyper-Borean from P氓 dekk
Jill, crewing is easier with the specialist knowledge, but everyone has to start somewhere!! As I said, it's a steep learning curve for me. Dag, jepp, nice song, but I like a David Gray one better. Tws, u sayin I'm heavy??
Ruthodanort from Unst
RUTH:- have you looked at TWS's latest blog on washing???
carol from stirring things up
No
Tws from Answeringback
Didn't know you worked Ruthodanort? Really? Ok - I'm joking. Hope Mac is being a good dog.
Muness from Fetlar
Hope Niki doesn't rock too much on the high seas. Wouldn't fancy it? Will I get my T-shirt earlier now?
Muness from Fetlar
is it THAT time o year already?? time for the annual Shetland -Bergen (or is that Bergen - Lerwick) ( or is it Bergen- Lerwick- Bergen?) ( oh Dear, brackets gettin out o control again) ( help tws) We've always had a very eventful time at the land end of the race... and some more than most... tell us again how you met....anyway its a brill night for everyone involved. I get to try my awful Norwegien - and I'm still getting flashbacks over what I thought I said, and what I actually said...all the best Ruthodanort - you'll have a brill time, an it wid be hell if if was me, but thankfully its not. Rod Stewart - Sailing... have I mentioned I'm going to see him in Glasgow (at Hamden, not for tea, alone, for a date like, there'll be about 50,000 others there too) and its with my gentleman friend... oooohhh
scallowawife from lookin at the calendar
Hope that you have a good race Ruthodanort and stay on good terms with the boyfriend. After a year and a bit of building a house with my other half I know what you mean. Do I take it that Scallowawife is taking the same lines as Carol and will we have a double wedding on bloggin?
Barebraes from Shapinsay
ah you have one too,scallowawife!!be careful its catching!!
carol from under grey skies
Crewing sounds like a bit of a lark ... as for spewing ... well toss it overboard! I am positive [to do with the power of positive thinking ... I think ... well sometimes I think, but mostly I just ramble on, and on and ....] you will show your boyfriend [I would have used a capital B, but seeing you haven't I won't] just how capable you really are. I can hear the flap of the sails from here.
Plaid from Outback
Ruth, I have just been speaking to a long time Stromness resident who I suspect is of your vintage. He is flying over to Bergen to join a yacht in the race so eyes peeled and you may see a former school colleague.This is like Friend's Reunited Incognito Division but anonymity will be preserved!
Hyper-Borean from The slip
Hyper - if the Stromness resident you speak of is tall, skinny and with gingery-blond hair, then I knew about it already as he's crewing for my boyfriend too! We're meeting up on the Northlink boat on Monday night and flying out on the same plane on Tuesday.
Ruthodanort from Unst
Did I spy your No 1 son in this weeks Shetland Times?
Soljey from Shetland Mainland
Avast there me hearties!!! May your sails ever burgon in fair winds...
Ship's Cat from the good ship Serendipity
Ruth, sounds about right!
Hyper-Borean from In hiding
yes - I thought I saw him too!
scallowawife from in the times too, reading
Jepp, that was him, waiting for een o them brilliant coffees that yun wife maks at the Shows. In fact that pic was taken in the school here I think, she came up with all her coffee stuff and did freebie fresh coffees for us all.
Ruthodanort from Unst
Ooh, jeg begynner til reise til Norge i dag! That meant (I hope) I begin my journey to Norway today. Maybe there were too many tils. Anyway, I'll be away noo for a peedie while, I'll try and take pics o the race, (got my camera insured in case it goes for a swim) and do a blog when I get back. Ha det!!
Ruthodanort from Unst
Been readin my last comment, think it shouldo said Jeg begynner 氓 reise til Norge i dag. Anyone oot there that can correct for meg?
Ruthodanort from Unst
Kanskje du skulle si: Jeg reiser til Norge i dag. But anyway your Norwegian is not bad, it's easy to understand you. Ha ei god reise. I hope we meet in Norway later this summer.
Dag from Norway
Now Ruth's away, the cat can play....
Flying Cat from under the radar
Where is Ruthiebabe? Did her crew-mates get fed up of her and chucked her overboard? Is she lost? Was she doing the map reading? Did she have a compass? Is a minutes silence in order?
Tws from A Worried Place
She's back in Lerwick now....
Flying Cat from listening to radio sheltie
I hear She's back -Velkommer til Lerwick - not spoken to her, but all seems to be well....might see her tonight (Saturday), da toon centre is buzzin today - food and live music on da pier, drinks, stalls sellin all manner of I-don't-know-what, children shoutin for candy floss and icecream, story tellin, and cookery demonstrations. wow! And its freezin! off back again tonight with adult company, my youngest son spent most of 拢10 this afternoon - but he bought me a very nice (expensive) wooden candle stick. my middle son borowed my car. my oldest son didna want to be seen in public wi any of us! There's been a real dampener this week though - two boys, both aged 22, have been killed in seperate accidents. its so so sad. two families in grief, and probably some folk knew them both. this is the third of my sons' friends to be killed in accidents since they were 16.
scallowawife from on da pier
"its a mother's worst nightmare ,scallowawife!!i'm away to a better place,no internet,just peace,no worries--nice!
carol from over here
Hi, just done the return leg o the race, all geed well, havn't fallen oot wi my bloke, and it's been a great time. My norsk is gettin much better too. Will blog some pix soon. Missin u all!! (Specially Tws!!)
Ruthodanort from internetservicesomewharclosetotheboat
Weel, I got back yesterday, only to find the comment I posted here hasn't appeared. I used the nett at the SAS Radisson in Bergen (no I didn't stay there but we were staying in the boat just across the road!) and it cost me a fortune. (The nett not the Radisson.) Anyway, so much for that. New blog comin up soon!
Ruthodanort from Unst again, but it's swaying slightly!
Spoke to Ruthodanort last Fri on Victoria Pier in the beer & music tent. Glad she got back OK.
Soljey from Shetland Mainland
you coulda used the net to fish your purse out of the (filthy) water...
scallowawife from shetland
But why, when there's a man willing to do the wet t-shirt thing....in the water...beneath you....mmmmmm
Flying Cat from someone else's head
Blogs fae a thirty-something mum of 4 born in Fife, brought up in Orkney, and living in Unst.
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