Lindsey's Epic Sailing Race Blue Peter Bite

This is Blue Peter, but mini!

Expect epic adventures,

makes, bakes, badges, pets,

presenters and your post!

We've only got five minutes, so get ready for your Blue Peter adventure!

'Cowes Week, the biggest annual sailing event in the world.

'Competing here are some of the fastest sailing boats on the planet,

'just like Invictus,

'a 40-foot yacht manned by a highly trained professional crew.

'And for one race at Cowes, they'll have a new crew member.'

Over here. Just over here. Hiya!

Yeah, that person, in case you're wondering, is me.

I'm not nervous at all!

I'm really nervous.

'And that's because, whilst I've learned the basics of sailing,

'I've never set foot on a yacht this size with a crew before.

'So it's a good job the boat's owner, Sir Keith Mills,

'has loads of experience when it comes to taking on big challenges.'

Keith, it is an honour to be racing with your team.

I'm really excited, and what a boat this is.

What can I expect from the race?

Well, it's a pretty awesome machine, and we've got a nice breeze

today, so we'll really get going, but we won't scare you too much.

Well, listen, I cannot wait, I am really excited,

so thank you so much for having me.

Hope I don't let you down!

'To get a feel for the boat,

'I'm joining the team for their final training session.

'With a crew of 12, each person has their own very important role,

'and they have to work together.

'Keith is in charge of steering,

'but instructing everyone on what to do is Rob, the boat's skipper.

'On Invictus, teamwork is key.

'Just to raise the sails takes two of us.'

This is hardcore.

'And then I find out what my job will be during the race.'

So, this is called hiking, and it is as terrifying as it looks.

'To turn a boat of this size and power at top speed,

'steering isn't enough.

'The crew need to move their weight

'from one side of the boat to the other.

'This is hiking, and if we don't do it,

'Invictus could tip over under the huge force of the wind.'

I'm hanging off the end of a boat,

being told to basically lean over so much that my chin's in the water.

This isn't normal!

'Just when I thought the session was going well, there's a problem.

'One of the sail ropes has got tangled at the front.'

And if that happens tomorrow,

that could affect the entire race for these guys.

'It's a reminder for me that one mistake could be the

'difference between success and failure for everyone on board.'

And that's why these training days happen.

Now, during the race, there's the maximum number of people that are

allowed on board, so that means I've got to leave the camera crew behind.

But don't worry, I've got this little camera here,

which means I'll be taking you on my epic journey, so let's go.

Say goodbye, crew.

Bye!

LINDSAY CHUCKLES

'We're up against 12 other boats,

'taking on a course that takes up to four hours to complete.'

You can sense some nerves for sure. They're all very, very focused.

Can't believe this is it.

'The start is vital.

'In sailing, the boats are always moving, so the crew judge

'when to approach the line, and we hit it just as the race begins.'

Three, two, one, here we go.

'Despite giving it everything, we find ourselves second to last,

'with plenty of work to do.

'For me, the action on board is almost overwhelming.'

This is something quite amazing to watch.

The teamwork is ridiculous.

There's constant communication,

everyone's got their job that they're doing.

'But I need to get used to everything that's going on,

'and fast, because the team need me to pull my weight.

'So I start hiking.

'I'm determined to help us come back from this.

Crest, crest, crest!

And now we lean.

'Little by little, with everyone pulling together,

'we begin to move up the field.

'By the halfway point, we find ourselves eighth out of 13.

'But we're not done yet. We cruise past two more boats.

'It feels like it's all clicked.

'The adrenaline is pumping, and I'm loving this!'

I did not expect the boats to be this close together.

The ones in front are just there.

The ones that are just behind us in the race are over here.

'This is so close now!

'As we approach the last corner, we have to take it perfectly.'

We've got another corner coming, and these bits are intense!

'If we get this right we could move into the top three.'

Whoa, we're close!

'We take it as tight as we can.

'We're putting everything we've got into this.'

All to play for. It is neck and neck.

'It's now a straight head-to-head race for the line.

'There's three boats between us and the finish.

'The wind is in our favour, our sails are up, and the crew are doing

'everything they can to squeeze

'every last drop of speed from our yacht.'

CREW SHOUT

'We catch third.

'We catch second.

Just one more left!

'We could win this!

'In the end, we run out of time, and cross the line in second.'

Rob, how do you think I got on?

I think you did a fantastic job, Lindsay.

Second time on a boat, obviously a bit of training yesterday,

and you're thrown in the deep end, so you did a great job.

'To move from almost last to second place was incredible,

'and I'm so proud to have played just a small part

'in a phenomenal team effort.'

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