As the Volvo Ocean Race’s toughest leg get under way, we go on board AkzoNobel to experience what it’s like to live and race in the world’s toughest yacht race.
James Blake might have already had his most special moment as part of the Volvo Ocean Race.
The onboard reporter (OBR), who sailed into Auckland with Turn the Tide on Plastic, was greeted by loud cheers before he had even set foot on land.
It was an unexpected, but memorablesurprise – his mother, Pippa, and sister, Sarah-Jayne, were out on the water to welcome him home.
"I didn't realise they'd be out on the water, so I just heard these shouts and screams out there in a tug boat," Blake said with a grin.
"It was great to see actually, and seeing them on the dock was fantastic. We all hadn't been together in ages, so that made it special...nothing can beat that. That was fantastic."
James Blake was welcomed into Auckland by his family. Photo: Jesus Renedo/Volvo Ocean Race
After seeing his family for the first time in years, Blake was set to depart once more with the fleet, who set out for Itajai, Brazil, on Sunday, sailing with Team AkzoNobel.
For sailors, the leg from Auckland to Itajai through the Southern Ocean is one of the most demanding they'll encounter – with high winds, large swells and icebergs providing a challenge in one of the world's most remote oceans.
The journey would be slightly different for Blake and his fellow OBRs, but in many ways it would be just as demanding.
Like the sailors, the OBRs will be decked out from head to toe in waterproof gear, while the cameras have to be in waterproof covers at all times. It wasn't likely to be the most enjoyable time at sea, Blake said.
"It's a little bit claustrophobic sometimes because we'll probably have dry suits on then for the camera gear as well it's always got to be cover so it's going to be very tricky working so every shot you can get really does count on these legs."
While some parts of the leg would be horrible for the sailors, Blake said he was excited to capture the raw emotion the challenging sea brought out of those onboard.
For him, it was that emotion going from bad to good that he was hoping to shoot when he signed on for the job.
So trying to capture that and show really what it's like onboard and what the sailors actually go through, a bit more of that human side, that's what really interests me and actually how tough it is for them.
"They don't enjoy it all the time. I think they actually find it quite miserable, and it's trying to capture that and then when they do have their highs they are very good."
