"Seeing my dog Sandy and getting back to my routine of reading the morning paper over breakfast!" This is what Jacqui says she's looking forward to most when the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race comes to an end on 17 July in Humber England. 

Jacqui and her fellow Cork Crew members spent some time with our staff and volunteers at the recent Cork Clipper Festival held at Albert's Quay last week.  We were eager to find out whether Jacqui was a little nervous to get back into the race since their yacht ran aground on a submerged reef in the Java sea in January.  She sustained a mild injury during the incident that caused them to evacuate their damaged yacht at 4 am in the morning. 

Question: 
Jacqui, it must have been quite a scarey experience for you and the crew!  Were you nervous to get back into the race after the incident?" 

Answer:
"We had little time to be nervous as we were rescued by other competitors and travelled with them on their yachts up to Singapore.  It all happened so quickly, one minute we were travelling at high speed in the dark and the next thing, we had to evacuate onto life rafts.  We had a four hour wait till the first yacht reached us early morning.  Everyone was very helpful and we were very lucky that no one got seriously injured.  At first, I was a little jumpy - certain noises would jog the memory - but I was soon back into it enjoying the thrill of the race again."

Question:
I understand that your replacement yacht is smaller than the one you started with.  Is there a difference in terms of the sailing experience?

Answer:
"Yes, because she's smaller, there's less room in the hold, but its amazing, you just make do with less.  From a sailing point of view, there's a lot more manual work which is physically demanding."

Question:
What's the best part of participating in a race like this?

Answer:
"Meeting people from all around the world is really great. There such a mix of people, some who are avid sailors like myself, and others who have never sailed before.  All of sudden, you become this team that is completely relient on one another, working together towards a common goal.  It's quite amazing!  But the highlight has to be the sailing itself.  One of the nicest feelings is when you're having a good run - when you hit your groove so to speak - reaching great speeds as all the yacht's sails are stretched against the wind.  That's what I enjoy most!"

Question:
What's the hardest thing about the race?

Answer:
"The physical exhaustion and missing friends and family.  I especially miss my dog Sandy."

Question:
In between the gruelling sailing, you and the Cork Clipper Crew have been fundraising to support our Assistance Dog Programme.  How has this gone for you, considering that in some places, you may not have spoken the local language. 

Answer:
"Interestingly, most people understand what a guide dog is, so using this as our starting point, made it possible for us to explain what an Assistance Dog is.  Many people were very interested once they understood the programme, and we were able to direct people to your website as many were interested in lobbying for their own country to try something similar."

Question:
With only a few weeks left before it's all over, are you glad you did it?

Answer:
"Absolutely yes.  It is a trip of a lifetime - something you will always remember and I'd recommend it to anyone." 

Question:
And what are you looking forward to most when you come home?

Answer:
"Seeing my dog Sandy, spending time with my friends and family, and just getting back into the old routine.  For the first couple of weeks, I'm just going to catch up on some rest and relaxation before I go back to sailing at my yacht club in Kerry.  I can just picture myself sitting in the sun at my table, reading the morning paper while I enjoy my breakfast.  I have some catching up to do after spending 6 months away from home."

For find out more about our Assistance Dog Programme for families of children with autism, click here.

If you'd like to support the Cork Clipper Crew's fundraising efforts, you can make a donation on Jacqui's page at www.mycharity.com. To link to her page directly, click here. 

Alternatively, make a donation directly to our Assistance Dog Programme by selecting the fund when making a donation here on our website.