You don’t get anywhere if you don’t have ambition.
Competitive equestrians tend to focus on the next step up the ladder: Intro to PreNovice to Novice to Advanced to One Star to Two Star to Three Star to Gatcombe or Burleigh or Blenheim or Badminton. Unless they are dressage pussies, obviously.
Competitive sailors come in two primary sizes: hardcore racers and distance challengers. The former can be found on the water in almost all weathers. They are quite… obsessed with winning.
The latter tend to be motivated by individual/personal goals. To the Scilly Isles, to the Canaries, to Cape Verde, around the Med, to the Horn of Africa. The big distance targets tend to be common; Arctic Circle, transatlantic (Caribbean, Central/Latin America, North America), or the big one – circumnavigation.
One of the biggest distance challenges is the Jester, a singlehanded transatlantic race for boats between 20′-30′. The start point for the 2022 Jester Challenge was Plymouth, England, the destination was Rhode Island USA.
Good Mood, being 32′, is not eligible for the Jester Challenge, but that doesn’t mean I can’t sit on the sidelines and read, watch, and learn from those who have taken part. Yesterday evening I spent a long time reading Bernie Branfield’s account of his 2022 Jester Challenge experience. It’s a long read. Bernie takes us through his preparations, daily trials and tribulations, and the good and bad experiences he encountered. I am full of admiration for everyone who undertakes this challenge, it’s no small thing. The mental and physical aspects of the Jester are huge. It’s a hell of a read though.