Heading south

With a cold front sweeping in from the west and bringing with it snow storms and shivering temperatures, and unpredictable conditions developing in the Irish Sea, Race Meteorologist Gonzalo Infante hasn't been able to take his eyes off the weather maps for the last couple of days.

But now, on the eve of the challenge, a decision has been made.

"The plan is to leave tomorrow - very early," he explains. "We're looking at docking out around 7am.

"It's good news, because when we start, the intensity will increase progressively."

In truth, there wasn't really an 'easier' option out of the two - it was all about safety. Despite the northern route promising similarly spectacular sailing, in the end it was deemed simply too unsafe for this inexperienced crew.

"The first day will be a bit quieter than we first expected - so there will be some time for the celebrities to adapt to life onboard," Gonzalo continues.

"Then, the second day, things start to get interesting!"

'Interesting'. Well that doesn't sound good. Can Gonzalo build on that description?

He laughs. "Interesting - just how interesting, we don't know yet. The main thing is that we have good safety margins, we will make the right decisions and we will enjoy some very challenging conditions, safely."

So, there you have it. First big decision of this challenge made. The boat will head south, past the Isle of Man, the south-western tip of Wales, the Cornish coast, through the English Channel and past the white cliffs of Dover - all while trying to make it to London by Friday evening.

Sound easy? Well, the only predictable thing about sailing is that it's totally unpredictable. Let's just say we're in for an interesting few days!