GABRIELE OLIVO

"The team is my team. I don't feel like it is a team and then a media guy. I feel part of it and I desperately want the team to win."

We have done almost 60 days of sailing already so we are just about half way around the world. I think everyone on the boat is now making conclusions about how things have gone and are going to go.

In Alicante I didn't know what to expect. It was a totally new job for me, a new challenge and I had to learn everything. In Cape Town I was quite frustrated because there were not enough areas where I could help on the boat.

I understand perfectly now why the media people are there, but I think still I should be allowed under the rules to do more on the boat. For me, it wouldn't be so much for helping with the boat, but more helping with the relationship with the guys.

For example, why can't I stack during the night when I have no media work? Why can't I push the button on the water-maker? On a boat it is all about responsibility areas and I look after all the kitchen and food.

I am using water but I have to disturb someone else so they can switch the water-maker on. It's a small thing really, but you get obsessed with them on the boat.

I am so happy to be onboard and with the guys, but I want to help more. It's a great position, the media guy, and I think it will go on to be so important for the race. But like any project, you learn and make refinements and it gets better.

I'm loving the job, there really is nothing like being on these boats in this race. I don't know if I'm wrong or not, but when something goes bad on the boat I should be happy because that is when I get the cool video and pictures.

But I still don't feel happy about it because I want to win the race! The guys are all my friends, the team is my team. I don't feel like it is a team and then a media guy. I feel part of it and I desperately want the team to win.

With the nominations for the media prizes, there is competition for the media guys. It is heavily favoured for videos of exciting things. We haven't had any real breakages so don't make news. We didn't catch any fishing nets, didn't break any booms or the boat. If winning the media prize means the boat breaking, I'd pass.

Every day I am on the boat, I love it and want to do the next race as a sailor even more. Even though I can't sail it at the moment, in the sense that I can't pull on a rope or turn a wheel, it is beautiful just to be on the boat and out there on the ocean.

From a physical perspective it is quite difficult. I have lost a lot of muscle because although I move around a lot, I don't do the extreme physical things that the other guys do. The other guys only do about 50 metres walking a day, going up for four hours at a time and coming down for four hours.

I go up and down all day, but I am losing so much muscle and getting a lot of fat. The first leg I lost seven kilos and got five back, then in the second I lost six and got back five. Same in the last two legs. Compared to Alicante I'm probably four kilos lighter. If you weigh me in Rio it will be more.

This week for me has been quite busy. I'm in charge of preparing 500 kilos of food for the boat and that takes time, but I don't mind. This next leg will be a huge challenge. We will be away for up to 40 days, sailing the Southern Ocean. It will be cold and windy and wet. I really cannot wait!