The Race, Episode 10"

Phil Day 73 - we were sailing through a huge hurricane when a massive wave hit us. Oh why did I try to sail through this storm? I was hoping to get back home in 80 days but that seems impossible now. I must make sure my crew is ok - I need them now more than ever…

Phil Is everyone OK?

Sophia Oh, ouch, my arm. Passepartout, are you OK down there?

PP Where I am? Who am I?

Phil You’re Passepartout - you’re on a yacht and we were hit by a big wave.

PP Oh yes… I knew that… of course… a big wave. Let me just get up… oh my legs… right, I need to inspect the damage.

Sophia Well, Peggy the parrot seems OK.

PP Hooray! Well the satnav is still working but there’s a tear in the front sail and everything in the galley is underwater.

Phil I’m so sorry. I wanted to carry on through the storm - but I was wrong.

Sophia It’s OK Phil. I thought you were very courageous, very brave. Look we’re still alive. We’ve just got to get back to London, and with the money you’ll get, we… I mean you… can enjoy living the rest of your life.

Phil Oh Sophia, thank you, I’m so glad we found you.

PP We won’t be going anywhere with this damage.

Phil We must try Passepartout - never give up!

Phil I don’t know where all my courage and determination has come from but I like it! We are now sailing across the Atlantic - it doesn’t seem as big and scary anymore. We’ve sailed past the Azores - we couldn’t stop to have a rest - and now we’re not far from the coastline of Britain, but we’ve run into some thick fog and we can’t see where we’re going. I can hear the foghorn of a lighthouse but we are all so tired, weary and exhausted from our trip that we’re… falling… asleep.

Sophia What’s that? We’ve hit something. We’re sinking.

Phil Oh no, look, water, water. Abandon ship, abandon ship! Get the lifebelts.

PP Quick, set off one of those emergency flares - we need help.

Phil Oh no, The Mermaid is sinking, farewell.

Phil We’ve failed to get back home in 80 days. Disaster! We didn ‘t reach the pub in London on time and we’ve lost Tom’s yacht - the yacht I was supposed to win and then sell to make some money. But we’re alive and we have been rescued by a lifeboat. It’s taking us to shore where we can make our way to the station, catch a train to London and hopefully meet our friends in the Horse and Groom pub.

John Phil - goodness, we’d forgotten all about you. And you, Pete.

Phil We have been sailing around the world for 80 days… We’ve nearly faced death and you have forgotten about us?!

Tom He’s just joking. It’s great to see you again: let me get you a drink and you can tell me all about your adventure but, hold on, who’s your new companion?

Phil This is Sophia - we met her in Sao Tome and she’s helped us sail around the world.

Tom Pleased to meet you Sophia.

Sophia Sorry we’re a day late.

Tom A day late? You mean it’s day 81? Oh well. In that case, the yacht is still mine. A bet is a bet!

Phil Ahh… well, about that. Your yacht… The Mermaid… she’s wonderful…. I mean, she was wonderful… we had an accident… we hit some rocks and sank.

Tom You’re joking?!

Sophia Errr… he’s not.We sank off the coast of Cornwall this morning.

Phil Tom wasn’t pleased to hear the news about his yacht. I was hoping to win our bet. But here we are, with no yacht and no money - and I have to write a story about how we failed to sail around the world in 80 days.

PP Excuse me. Can everyone stop talking for a moment - I have an important announcement. I’ve just double-checked our route on the computer and I realised that at zero degrees west and zero degrees east we crossed the International Date Line.

Tom Very interesting, Pete - but so what?

PP Well when you cross that line you gain an extra day - that means today is only day 80, not day 81!

Phil You’re right Passepartout - today is day 80. We’re on time! What would I do without you?

Sophia So does that mean Phil has won the challenge after all?

Tom Well… erm… I suppose so. You went around the world in 80 days - but did you stop to collect the things on your challenge list?

Phil I… we got them all. Look… Morna music from Cape Verde, cacao beans from Sao Tome, Bourbon Pointu coffee from Reunion Island, a conch shell from… well we don’t know where really, a Savi mask from Papua New Guinea, and a pahu drum from Tahiti.

Tom Impressive! Congratulations - but I’m afraid you still don’t get a prize - that was my yacht, and you sank it.

Phil It’s OK. I don’t really need it. I’ve decided there’s something much more important. Sophia… I’m so glad we rescued you… I’ve grown very fond of you and I don ‘t want to lose you… I know it’s going to be complicated but… will you marry me?

Sophia Oh gosh… well, yes! You’re my hero - give me a kiss.

PP Oh dear… I suppose I get to keep the parrot?

Phil Dear Diary - My adventure is going to make a great story. I’m hoping to sell lots of books this time. Sometimes you need a big adventure to change your life. Even when your journey doesn’t go to plan you just learn so much. Luckily for me, I’ve won a great prize - a loyal friend in Passepartout, and Sophia, a new friend and wife. It’s good to be home.