Yachting Australia

Five weeks to the day since westernaustralia2011.com lost the top half of her mast 700 miles off Japan, and after a mammoth logistical operation, both yachts left Ala Wai Harbor for the final part of their journey across the Pacific Ocean. They will motor sail to Santa Cruz in order to arrive in time for the start of Race 9 to Panama.

Skipper of westernaustralia2011.com, Martin Silk, said, “I’m very happy – it’s great to be getting back racing again. The boat’s ready, the crew’s ready, it’s been a great adventure but we’re looking forward to getting out there and back into the race.”

As they made their final departure preparations, Frank E. Lang, Commodore of Hawaii Yacht Club addressed both crews. “It is time to bid you farewell,” he said. “The misfortune that fell upon your rigging provided you with opportunities to demonstrate seamanship skills seldom used in modern sailing and to place yourselves in prominent pages of the history of modern yacht racing.”

He continued “Now you’re about to cast of for Santa Cruz. We shall miss your smiling faces and your cheerful laughter and our quiet little harbour will seem empty without you. You and the rest of the Clipper crews have been most excellent guests and, for that reason, we have instituted a new award for our club.”

The Commodore presented both skippers with the Corinthian Spirit Award for, “Contagious courtesy, comportment and camaraderie; exceptional enthusiasm, efficiency and effectiveness; and generous good cheer, good grace and good fellowship whilst overcoming outrageous and unanticipated problems of support, supply and vessel repair during the Honolulu stopover of the Qingdao to Santa Cruz leg of the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race. Skipper and crew have proved themselves to uphold the highest standards and traditions of Corinthian Yachtsmen and Yachtswomen.”

Ricky Chalmers, skipper of Durban 2010 and Beyond said, “I’d like to thank Hawaii Yacht Club and your neighbours at Waikiki Yacht Club where we were initially berthed, and of course our friends at Magic Island Petroleum Fuel Dock for your generous hospitality during the stopover. We’ll certainly miss the steaks at your Monday night barbecue.”

For Race Director Joff Bailey and the rest of the Clipper 07-08 team, the departure of the two yachts marks the end of a massive international operation to variously source, manufacture, ship and fit masts, rigging and all the attendant parts necessary to repair and get the yachts underway again. Riggers, a mast builder and specialist machinery were flown out from the UK in order to work on the two dismasted yachts as well as replace some of the rigging components across the rest of the fleet.

Joff says, “I’m relieved we’ve managed to complete this operation successfully in such a relatively short space of time. I’m sure there were people who thought it couldn’t be done but it goes to show what teamwork can achieve – and it has been a whole team effort, from our fleet manager and finance director in the UK who have been sourcing supplies and arranging shipping to our highly skilled maintenance team who have worked relentlessly to achieve what many thought was the impossible. They are the best in the business. The teams from Spencer Rigging and Atlantic Spars have also gone above and beyond to build and fit these masts and rigging and we couldn’t have done it without Charlie and his team at Ala Wai Marine boat yard.”

As the two southern hemisphere entries did not make the start line for Race 8 with the rest of the fleet on Saturday morning due to the work on their masts, the Race Committee has decided the only fair way forward for all teams is to award these two the points associated with their average position for the previous seven races, rounded to the nearest whole position, and allow the other eight boats to race for full points. Durban 2010 and Beyond’s average position was fourth so they will get seven points, westernaustralia2011.com’s average position is sixth so they will get five points.

The first eight of the fleet of ten internationally-backed 68-foot racing yachts are due to arrive in Santa Cruz on approximately 19 April, with the pair who have set sail today joining them in time for the start of Race 9.

Clipper Race founder and legendary solo sailor, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston says, “We expect the race to Santa Cruz to take about 14 days so the ETA is 19 April. We are asking all Leg 6 crew to be available in Santa Cruz for a crew changeover on or before 1000 local time on 21 April. The actual re-start date will depend upon the arrival date and the race duration but is likely to be 23 April. The Santa Cruz stopover will be no longer than five days.

“Of course, the times are weather dependent. The boats need to get north out of the easterly trade winds which means crossing the variables to get into the westerly trades, then it is a spinnaker run to California. The extent of the variables is, well, variable! Our plan remains to try to get back on schedule for departure from Jamaica.”  

This is the sixth edition of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. It was established in 1996 by Sir Robin, who wanted to give ordinary people access to the exhilaration of ocean racing. Ten months after they set off, at the end of their 35,000-mile circumnavigation, the teams will arrive back in Liverpool, England, on 5 July 2008 during the city’s European Capital of Culture 2008 celebrations.

The welcome in Hawaii has been enthusiastic and there will undoubtedly be many more people following the race on www.clipperroundtheworld.com where the yachts’ positions are updated every six hours and where visitors to the site can feel they are part of the challenge of a lifetime by reading the blogs and watching the videos sent back by the crews during the race.

Berths are now available for the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race. For more information on applying to become a crew member email oceanracer@clipperroundtheworld.com call the Crew Recruitment Manager on +44 (0) 2392 526000. The Clipper Race is open to anyone over the age of 18 and there is no upper age limit.

  

 

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