Today was a chance to explore the Isle of Man or relax, depending on your preference. For those keen on the former, a trip was organised to Douglas to visit the Tynwald, the Isle of Man parliament. There they were shown around by the President himself. Suzanne was impressed by the informality of the visit – the crew were allowed to sit in the chamber and Carsten even tried out the President’s chair. The Tynwald dates back to the time of Viking settlement on the Isle of Man, and is said to be the oldest continually operating parliament in the world. The name comes from Old Norse and is a clear reminder of the island’s Viking heritage. I don’t think I’ve been anywhere outside Scandinavia where Viking symbols are so omnipresent. Almost every pub or café seems to have images of Viking ships or runes and there’s great local awareness and pride in their Viking history.
Waiting for the opposition
For the rest of the crew, it was a day to enjoy the restaurants, the beach and the famous Isle of Man ice cream. Today is Dylan’s birthday and he got the present he was hoping for – a day of uninterrupted sunshine. Those that stayed on the beach were lucky enough to see a basking shark swimming around in the bay.
Louise opted for a relaxing day, that is until the evening when for her and 9 other crew members it was time for a physical challenge. A local sport here in Peel is Viking boat racing and moored near 'Sea Stallion' were 3 Viking rowing boats. When a member of the local team threw down the gauntlet there was only one thing to do – a race was hastily arranged. The boats aren’t quite as authentic as 'Sea Stallion', being made of fibre-glass and only loosely based on Viking ship designs. But this race wasn’t about historical accuracy – it was about pride.
The victorious 'Sea Stallion' crew
Right from the outset the Viking ship certainly had the more vocal support, and they got off to a good start. For the first half the race was too close to call with oars clashing at one point. But once 'Sea Stallion's crew got in their stride they left the locals behind and won by several boat lengths. According to Erik it was a victory of technique – the crew have learnt to row with their backs rather than their arms and that gives them a significant power advantage.
For Louise, it was particularly pleasing to have won with a team of 5 women and 5 men, against the local all-male crew. She’s hoping that will put an end to any suggestion that the women on board aren’t as tough as most men. There won’t be any late night celebrations, however. Carsten has announced that we’re leaving tomorrow and need to be ready to go at 9am. We’re all sad to be leaving so soon, but if the winds are right we need to take the opportunity to cross the Irish sea. Ireland awaits…
