COMMAND DAY (PART 2)

Ahoy Shipmates,Please find attached the second part of Command Day by Youth Crew Captain Alex.Yours AyeCaptain GavCommand Day Part 2Hello this is Alex Knight-Mattingly, captain of the second half of Command Day from 10pm in the evening till our eventual handover of command at 10 30 the next morning. When my command group and I took control we discovered we had little less than an hour and a half before yet another tack. This was a blessing in that we would be closer to reaching the goal of 50 tacks but not good for the youth (and staff) who enjoyed sleep.Our first tack was exhilarating and despite a minor slip from command, we gained valuable insight into how stressful a command position can be. Morgan was of great assistance during this tack but soon after went to sleep due to a stressful but successful first half of command day.After our first tack, we had received some negative feedback regarding the position of the Jib. This in itself was not a bad thing but we quickly learnt that everyone would have to respect rank, perform their role and most importantly: allow the command group to make the decisions and learn from their mistakes.Two hours later had seen us work on our organization and priorities and as a result we decided to skip two of the five waypoints. This meant that either we tack before Palm Island and attempt to reach the fourth waypoint or alternatively, we furl all sails and navigate the rest of the way using motors.We were hesitant about choosing the latter because motor sailing was to be an emergency option only and would make it seem that much of what we had learnt had gone to waste. However, conditions soon changed with an unexpected cold front doubling the wind speed up to 30 knots and more importantly, knocking Captain Morgan out of bed.Furling the 3 major sails was a tense and gruelling exercise but at the same time one of the most rewarding. The Bow Sprit became entirely immersed in water during one particularly large wave and this resulted in a thoroughly wet white watch group (aka Ghost Busters)Sun rise was both a relief and a reminder that we needed to get to our final destination (the 5th waypoint) by 10am. Fortunately due to some excellent navigation by Nicky and Brent this seemed entirely possible. In fact, we were able to get there by 8 30 and send the Youth Crew who were unable to obtain a command position, on a mission.This mission involved capturing a bus full of tourists and locals and insisting that they join in singing the Australian National Anthem on the beach at Horseshoe Bay. They were entirely successful and were able to recruit 50+ people to their cause. This was then transmitted through the PA system aboard Young Endeavour and we all joined in.It was a fun and challenging night. Mistakes were made, vomit records were smashed and more importantly: we had a great timeFrom Captains Alex and Morgan: we would like to thank the Youth Crew and staff for their support and faith during command day. It was an eventful 24 hours and it couldn’t have been completed without everyone working as hard as they did. Thank you once again for trusting with this responsibility and we hope that you had a memorable time as we certainly did.Over and out Captain Alex ‘Hornblower’ and ‘El Capitano’ Morgan