"Hello. Time is 0345AST. I am sure that aside from the weather the hot topic onboard in the past couple of days has been about the presidential election. We might not be the first to inform you, as your friends and family may have notified you already, but the next President of the United States is:

Donald Trump

Something to discuss on your night watch!
(Clinton called Trump to concede the election when she had 210 and he had 248 in the race to 270)

Regards & safe sailing,
Rally Control"

I'd had a similar message from my sister, with the hashtag '#notkidding' around the same time, and more messages from Liz, our intern, who is also posting these blogs to our site while we're at sea. The mood aboard matches the weather - grey & overcast. Regardless of your political leanings, I think it's safe to say the news comes as a shock.

It's very strange in our little isolated bubble on Isbjorn to be getting news in chunks from afar, and I'm sure the fleet feels the same. Interestingly, last year while the yachts were at sea, the Paris terrorist attacks happened. Makes you realize how connected you are ashore, and how nice - but weird - it is to be so disconnected.

So, Cubs win the World Series and the next week Donald J Trump is president-elect! Strange days indeed.

In moments of uncertainty like this I'm glad I chose this career path, and I'm happy we're offshore right now. None of us can imagine what the news is like today around the world. Yet here we are, in full control of our own destiny out here at basically the farthest point we'll get from land. That's a cool feeling, and forces us to stay in the moment. In the bigger picture, I'm in full control of my own destiny in life, and I like that feeling too.

The wind died this morning with the sunrise and we've been motoring now for a few hours, but at least we're headed in the right direction.

Andy / Isbjorn