AT ANCHOR IN UPSTART BAY

PAST 24 HOURSWITH WINDS REMAINING FAVOURABLE FOR OUR JOURNEY, WE CONTINUED TO MAKE GOOD GROUND TO THE NORTH WEST. THE CONSISTANT 12 KNOTS OF BREEZE FROM THE SOUTH/ SOUTH EAST ENSURED SOME QUALITY SAILING.OVER NIGHT WATCHES CONDUCTED ANOTHER TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITY THAT TESTED THEIR KNOWLEDGE, RESOURCEFULNESS, COMMUNICATION AND FLEXIBILITY. HAVING VERY BUSY WATCHES OVERNIGHT OUR TEAM WAS A LITTLE WEARY GOING INTO TODAY. BUT WITH COMMAND DAY LOOMING, THERE WAS NO TIME TO RELAX. AFTER MORNING BRIEF, EACH OF THE WATCHES PROVED THEMSELVES COMPETENT AND SAFE IN SETTING THE SAILS. PLEASESD WITH THEIR EFFORTS IT WAS TIME TO HEAD IN TO ANCHOR AT UPSTART BAY.AFTER YET ANOTHER WONDERFUL LUNCH PREPARED BY BEC, THE TIME HAD COME FOR THESE YOUNG AUSTRALIANS TO NOMINATE THEIR TEAM AND STRUCTURE FOR COMMAND DAY. AFTER A BRIEF ON COMMAND DAY, ELECTIONS WERE HELD AND THE TEAM SELECTED.THIS TEAM WAS ANNOUNCED TO ALL AFTER DINNER. BUT THIS WAS NOT BEFORE WE CELEBREATED ANDREW’S 18TH BIRTHDAY IN STYLE. A SUPERB BIRTHDAY CAKE HAD BEEN CRAFTED AND WE EVEN HAD A VERY SPECIAL RETURN VISIT OF MISS EPIRB. SO IN FULL VOICE HAPPY BIRTHDAY WAS SUNG BY 33 NEWFOUND FRIENDS TO CREATE A UNIQUE BIRTHDAY EXPERIENCE AT SEA FOR ANDREW THAT WILL NOT EASILY BE FORGOTTEN. SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREW, HOPE YOU HAD A BALL BIG FELLA. AFTER AMPLE CHOCOLATE CAKE AND STILL NEEDING TO RAMP THINGS UPLEADING INTO THEIR BIG DAY, ANOTHER ACTIVITY WAS HELD TO ENSURE THAT TEAMWORK WAS FINE TUNED. BODIES CONTORTED INTO ALL SHAPES AND SIZES AND SUSPENDED TO SQUEEZE THROUGH ALL SORTS OF GAPS. THROUGH PERSERVERANCE (AND A LITTLE SNEAKINESS – LOU AND WOZZA) THE AIM WAS ACHIEVED. THEN TO SET THE TONE FOR THE NEXT DAYS ACTIVITIES, A VIDEO WAS SHOWN IN THE CAFE, COMPLETE WITH POPCORN, LOLLIES AND LEFT OVER BIRTHDAY CAKE. THE VIDEO OF COURSE WAS WHAT SET THE TONE – NOT THE ASSOCIATED CONFECTIONERY.IT WAS THEN TIME TO REST AND PREPARE FOR THE CHALLENGES AHEAD. THESE 24 YOUNG AUSTRALIANS HAVE EVOLVED INTO A TIGHT KNIT TEAM OVER THE PAST 7 DAYS. TOMORROW, THIS TEAM WILL BE PUT TO THE TEST.COMMENTS FROM YOUTH CREWFROM MUZZA:MANY THINGS WHICH SEEM TO BE RISKS ARE RISKS NO LONGER AND IF THAT RISK HAS BEEN GAUGED BEFOREHAND IT BECOMES A NICETY AND COUNTERED. ARRIVING ON THE YOUNG ENDEAVOUR THE YOUTH CREW WERE NERVOUS AND SCARED OF WHAT WAS TO COME BUT WITH A FEW SLEEPLESS NIGHTS AND EXHAUSTING DAYS IT HAS BECOME A EXHILARATION TO BE SHAKEN IN THE MORNING KNOWING THAT WE WILL BE WORKING FOR OUR SHIP, USING THE ELEMENTS TO POWER US TO OUR DESTINATION. WE HAVE ALL MADE GREAT FRIENDS AND LIFETIME MEMORYS WHICH CAN BE REPLACED BY NOTHING.FROM CORY:THIS TRIP HAS BEEN AWESOME. I HAVE MET SOME GREAT PEOPLE FROMQUEENSLAND, NEW SOUTH WALES, VICTORIA AND TASMANIA. THE PAST WEEK HAS BEEN FULL OF AMAZING, REWARDING AND CHALLANGING EXPERIENCES FROM HAULING ON LINES TO THE ADRENALINE FILLED TASK OF CLIMBING TO THE TOP OF THE MAST. AFTER MANY SLEEP INTERUPTED NIGHTS WE HAVE DROPPED ANCHOR AT UPSTART BAY. THIS TRIP HAS BEEN AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE THAT I WILL NEVER FORGET. THIS ONCE IN A LIFETIME TRIP HAS BROUGHT TWENTY- FOUR STRANGERS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE AND MADE THEM INTO A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOW CLOSE FRIENDS. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY HI TO ALL THE PEOPLE IN BOONAH AND BEYOND.NAUTICAL TERM OF THE DAYAVAST: TO STOP WHAT ONE IS DOING.YOURS AYEDION CURTISLIEUTENANT, RANCAPTAIN STS YOUNG ENDEAVOUR