And then there was one

I'm in Washington DC, having just completed Leg 7 of 8, and with two back-to-back first place finishes, the Dragon Riders of Team Qingdao are on a roll! The races from Seattle to Panama and Panama to Washington, DC, have been hot, close and exciting. But with over 40,500 nautical miles of ocean racing behind me, I'm now preparing to leave tonight for the last leg, Leg 8, across the North Atlantic Ocean and onto Oban, Scotland, with our final landfall being Portsmouth, in late July.

Leg 7, composed of two races, from Seattle to Panama, transiting the Panama Canal (amazing!) and then Panama to Washington DC, was a hard fought, hot fought battle, amongst our competitors, Ha Long Bay, UNICEF, and Zhuhai. We were able to prevail, but not without always glancing astern, wondering if and when these worthy competitors would threaten...and they did, with close, competitive racing by all.

It has been a great visit to Washington, DC...the nation's capital is in fine, hot and humid summer form. My wife Jean and I have been able to spend time with my brother Kevin and sister-in-law Lori, our close friend Cindy and others..."thank you" to everyone for taking the time to come see me, our boat, and root us on...it has been great. To all of Qingdao's supporters, it means the world to us when you come and visit, and I hope we have been able to impart a bit of what this adventure has been like through our boat tours, our pictures and stories. I look forward to sharing more when I return to Chicago in early August.

People often ask me "What has it been like?', "Are you having fun?", "Would you do it again?" etc. These are tough questions, usually with a complex answer composed of "yes" and "no". It has been an amazing adventure, with more sailing than I could ever dream of, across all of world's great oceans and seas. I am truly looking forward, without rushing, the completion of Leg 8, to returning home, and starting the next chapter of my life with friends and family. But I have no regrets on doing this Clipper Round the World Race 23-24. And "yes", I will continue sailing in Chicago, and around the world. There is so much more to look forward to upon returning: reconnecting with family, friends, colleagues...doing some volunteer work, maybe pick up some interesting work, getting back into my piano playing, and all the assorted "regular day" stuff that keeps us all productive...and grounded. There is joy in mowing the lawn, shoveling the snow, and taking care of the house...and I miss all of it.

Leg 8 promises to be a battle. While we are most likely not in contention for an overall podium spot, we are very focused on moving up from our current 6th position overall...and taking down a few more boats. Qingdao and three other boats are playing their "jokers", which allows us to double our scoring points, so we will be very focused on attempting to place high. With podium finishes in 5 of the last 6 races, we have a quiet confidence, yet know our competitors are gunning for us...stay tuned to the Clipper Race Viewer as it will be a fun, and hopefully fast ride across the Atlantic! We will leave Washington, DC, tonight, with a parade of sail and fireworks, and motor down the Potomac River, down the Chesapeake Bay and out into the Atlantic for a "Le Mans" type start...and then blast our way across the North Atlantic.

In closing this post, I want to thank all you, my supporters, family, and friends for all of your amazing support of my journey. The cards and letters of support, the donations to my philanthropy...and let's not forgot, loads of my favorite snacks...have been amazing and unwavering! There is nothing like pulling into port and seeing those you love, waving and shouting their excitement! I could not do this without you.

Thanks for reading...and we'll connect again in Oban, Scotland!

Chris