Ex Cockney Sailor XVIII was a 14-day sailing expedition were we took two yachts sailing the west coast of Scotland. We mainly traveled at night so we could experience the islands during the day. The last 4 days were spent transiting back to the yachts’ base in Belfast over series of offshore legs. The last couple of days had arduous conditions, and OCdt Munday explains how the experiences of these legs have brought alive the Values and Stands that have been driven into him during his training:
“Adventure training provides officer cadets with the perfect time to reflect on what the British Army’s values and standards look like in reality. Exercise Cockney Sailor pushed us, with decisions having to be made in tough conditions, with strong winds, rough seas and the ever-present struggle of tiredness.
“Selfless commitment was perhaps the most key of all the values and standards. The nature of rough sea sailing required all those onboard both boats to find the maturity and collective calm that would allow the passages between islands to be safer and smoother. The beauty of sailing is that the care of the boats and crew is not just down to the skipper, it is down to everyone. Much like you have to look after your section/platoon on exercise to ensure drills are properly followed, you must look after one another on a yacht to make sure the crew can sail it safely to harbour. Dealing with being cold and wet is nothing that was new to us but the fact we were having to endure rough water and wind as well made us have to dig that bit deeper than we would on exercise.”
