Page 122 - HMS 2020

Alumni
Extreme Sailing with
Rhiannon Massey
Rhiannon Massey and Lyndsay Barnes, both former Heath Mount pupils, are the only two professional yachtswomen taking part in the Clipper Round The World Yacht Race – one of the toughest endurance challenges on the planet covering 45,000 nautical miles of the globe’s most challenging and dangerous oceans. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the race has had to be suspended but is due to restart around February 2021. Here we talk to Rhiannon, who sails with Qingdao, about her incredible journey so far.
Photo Credit: Clipper Round The World Race.
Q Which leg of the route has been your favourite so far?
My favourite leg of the race was leg 1 on our race from Portimao, Portugal to Punta Del Este, Uruguay. It was the longest of all our races and we faced a multitude of weather conditions. This included sailing through Tropical Storm Lorenzo (later turning into Hurricane Lorenzo) but also facing the fickle winds of the Doldrums. It was a long race but our hard work paid off as we won!
Q The race is a breath-taking way to see the Natural
World. What have you spotted on your journey?
There is a vast amount
of wildlife out at sea,
which changes largely
between each ocean
and continent. To name just a few, we saw everything from whales and dolphins, albatrosses and petrels
as well as flying fish (pictured ) and even some penguins. We also saw thousands of squid in the southern ocean that would glow in the dark!
Q What were you looking forward to most when you
reached dry land again?
After being at sea sometimes for
over a month at a time, things that were considered basic, become a real luxury. This includes a bed (which you aren’t being thrown about in), showers, and flushing toilets. Now I’m back home again it has been great to get out cycling and enjoying the green space we have around Hertfordshire.
Q Did you aspire to be a competitive sailor
and adventurer while still at school?
When I was at Heath Mount I had already begun sailing and competing in the sport. The freedom and adventure that sailing gives you, even in small boats and at a young age, has been one of the biggest aspects that keeps me coming back.
Q Did Heath Mount encourage you to pursue
your dreams?
When I was at Heath Mount it was always a place where you could think big and dream big. Never was there
a time when someone told me my dreams were unachievable.
Q What were your favourite subjects at Heath Mount?
I always loved geography lessons
at school; learning about the world around us and how it works. I went on to study Physical Earth Science at University. I enjoyed almost all sports whilst at Heath Mount and in particular, I enjoyed both swimming and hockey. However, I dreaded doing gymnastics in PE; I never really could do a forward roll!
Q What are your ambitions after the race ends?
My aims are to continue sailing professionally after the race;
I would love to get involved in some double-handed or single-handed ocean racing.
Q What has been your most hair-raising moment during
the voyage?
On leg 2, racing from Punta del Este, Uruguay to Cape Town, South Africa we had a rather close encounter with a whale. Whilst sailing through some of the windiest conditions we were faced with (approx. 50-60 knots), we were surfing down the face of a wave much larger than the size of an average house when a whale surfaced in front of us. It was a close call! Hitting the whale could have done some serious damage both to our boat as well as the whale.
Heath Mount pupils have been eagerly following Rhiannon’s progress on Qingdao.
120
Keep up to date with Rhiannon’s adventures @rhiannon_massey
>