October was a whirlwind. I only spent two weeks at home, but looking back at my calendar, I honestly don't know how it all fitted into 31 days.
From royal castles to the docks of St Malo, here is a look behind the scenes at the last month.
First things first: being home means getting back into a routine. I am back with my personal trainer to make sure I have absolutely zero excuses, and that accountability has been exactly what I needed to reset. I am also working around an injury that I hope to put right before the end of the year, so the support and guidance are vital. It would be all too easy to avoid the discomfort and pain by simply doing nothing.
On the professional front, I plunged straight into meetings and interviews regarding my role as the RYA representative on the World Sailing Oceanic and Offshore Committee. It is an incredibly busy time of year as we finalise preparations for the upcoming World Sailing Annual Conference in China.
I also made sure to squeeze in some catch-ups with friends, which was just as well, because my next stop was about as formal as it gets: a State Banquet at Windsor Castle in honour of the Sultan of Oman.
The dress code was strict: White Tie and Decorations. It was a rare occasion to dig out my MBE medal and pin it to my evening wear. The night was a total fairy tale - full of incredible splendour, dining in St George’s Hall, and having the privilege of meeting and speaking with members of the Royal Family.
The very next day, I traded the palace gates for the buzzing race village of the Route du Rhum in St Malo, France.
This legendary solo transatlantic race to Guadeloupe kicks off on 1st November, with 115 solo competitors tackling the ocean on everything from Class 40s to giant Ultimes. Most importantly, there are 11 incredible female sailors breaking boundaries this year.
I was there to support Alexia Barrier, skipper of Idec Sport CIC. She is making history as the first-ever female sailor to race an Ultime solo. It is wild to imagine her commanding this absolute beast of a boat - an Ultime trimaran that took eight of us to sail around the world! She is ready, well-supported, and changing the narrative.
Anne-Claire Le Berre is flying the flag as the only female competitor in the high-octane Ocean Fifty class. In the IMOCA class, all eyes are on Violette Dorange, Francesca Clapcich, and Élodie Bonafous as they take on the open ocean - any one of them could easily make the podium. There are 49 competitors in the Class 40 fleet, with an impressive line-up of six female skippers.
Even when Storm Austin battered the race village last weekend, the crowds still turned out in droves to see these athletes and their incredible machines. Thankfully, the storm came through when it did, as a high-pressure system is now blocking the next big depression, promising a downwind start for the fleet on Sunday 1st November. Getting out of the English Channel will still be a tactical minefield of commercial traffic, fishing boats, and wind farms, but the opening days look stable enough for the skippers to settle in. I’ll be sending Alexia every ounce of encouragement from the shore.
While I was in St Malo, a short film documenting our round-the-world record attempt from earlier this year was shown on the big screen. Watching it brought back an overwhelming rush of memories and a fierce determination to get back out there and apply everything we learned during those 57 days.
To round off an already unforgettable month, our crew has been shortlisted for the prestigious World Sailing Team of the Year Award. This is a massive milestone for us as the first all-female team to set a reference time around the world in a giant multihull. The winner will be chosen from the shortlisted nominees, with the public vote counting for 50% of the final decision, so we shall see how we get on next month.