(Photo by Heather Ewing / Clipper Ventures PLC 2010)
In the final 24 hours of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race Mother Nature is throwing the crews of the ten yachts one final challenge to remember her by.
In strong winds the crews left Ijmuiden in the Netherlands and were quickly blasting their way across the North Sea, the heavy shipping and oil and gas platforms adding to the navigational obstacles between them and the finish line off the coast of north east England.
Hull & Humber’s crew are entirely focussed on winning this last race to their home port. Skipper, Justin Taylor, says, “So the final race of this epic adventure and it’s every bit as exciting as it promised to be. We didn’t quite get the gale force winds we were prepared for, much to the relief of those that tend to suffer from sea sickness. None of that here on ‘Ull & ‘Umber.
“After a good start and a quick change through the gears from the Yankee 3 down to the 1, we soon had the heavyweight kite up and Hull & Humber has been flying! A steady increase in wind meant we returned to white sails just before breakfast but are still holding our position well. The crew have been working hard and are focussed and determined. An overall podium position is looking unlikely for us now but everyone is giving 120 percent and going all out for that illusive win into a home port. With less than 12 hours to go and our old adversaries, Cape Breton Island snapping at our heels, plus surely a big local crowd cheering us on as we pass Bridlington later, it’s now all or nothing! Go ‘Umba!”
This final race sees a return to the pursuit format introduced in the transatlantic crossing from Cape Breton Island to Kinsale, Ireland, in which Cork’s IRC handicap was applied up front and the rest of the fleet must chase them down. Hull & Humber are the closest to Cork, closing down the gap – and opening up a narrow lead over the rest of the chasing pack.
“It’s rather crazy to think that 48 hours ago we were dancing the night away in Amsterdam (fitness training, of course) and now we find ourselves tearing up the miles in the North Sea, weaving between rigs and reminding the odd cheeky ship who has right of way,” says Hannah Jenner, skipper of the Irish boat. “We are back to the pursuit race format, one which we enjoyed in the Atlantic and we hope to make the best of in this final race. We began in great breeze reaching under full main, staysail and Yankee 2, after an hour we were down to three reefs and just the Yankee which is the smallest sail plan we have ever used but effective in the lumpy old sea state.”
In shifting and variable winds Cork’s crew completed many sail changes through the night, including hoisting their heavyweight spinnaker.
“After a check on the course it became clear that the boat would not be very easy to handle as we threaded our way between sandbanks so the spinny promptly came down,” reports Hannah. “Thankfully the wind is now holding and with the tide underneath us all is well and speeds are great.”
Team Finland, who won the race to Ijmuiden and are currently second overall, are struggling with a ripped mainsail and, with just 6.3 points between them and third placed Cape Breton Island, it could affect their final position.
“Shortly before the start our mainsail decided it had had enough and split from leech to luff,” says skipper, Rob McInally. “The stitching along the large horizontal panel gave way. The forecasts had shown high winds all evening and through the night. Unfortunately for us this did not happen. Although it is fairly windy now, for much of the night we were incredibly underpowered because we can only sail with two reefs in our main. This just about halves the size of the canvas we can use to power the yacht and also affects our pointing ability. This aside we are still racing hard doing all we can to keep up with the fleet.”
Cape Breton Island, Spirit of Australia and Jamaica Lightning Bolt are neck and neck as they race towards the finish line on a course that will include a loop in Bridlington Bay so spectators can watch the action from the shore between 1600 and 2200 BST today.
Jamaica Lightning Bolt’s skipper, Pete Stirling, says, “Within an hour of the start the wind had started to subside and all the crews were kept busy shaking out reefs and changing headsails. The biggest drama for us came just after dawn this morning when a particularly big gust of wind came through and we blew the head off the heavyweight spinnaker. It was a very clean break allowing the spinnaker to drop into the sea next to the boat from where it was quickly recovered by the crew. We quickly hoisted the Yankee 2 and staysail but had lost a mile of ground to Cape Breton Island who were now alongside us.
“The ‘comeback kids’ are pushing hard all the way to the finish. If we do well there is still a slim chance we could rise from fourth to third place overall. However if we get a bad result we could drop back to fifth place overall. There is a lot at stake on this race and everything to play for.”
The battle for sixth and seventh places continues to rage between Qingdao and Uniquely Singapore, the Chinese team marginally holding the advantage for the time being.
“In all likelihood this will be the last report from Qingdao,” says skipper, Chris Stanmore-Major, who is in reflective mood. “After many, many miles and many, many words I come to the final hundred and it will be with some regret that I hang up my spurs. How best to encapsulate what we as a crew have experienced in these past ten months? A list of adjectives comes to mind but it would be too clichéd to list them. I know I speak for the crew when I say this race has been about dreaming big, bigger than any of us had ever dreamed before, and about fulfilling that dream through hard work and determination.
“How can you go from not being able to sail to becoming a circumnavigator? It’s literally an ocean away – impossible, surely? Well, as the crew have shown, you start by believing you can do it and then you make a plan. As we have girdled the world we have learnt that there is no challenge that cannot be completed if you have a plan and no drama or crisis that cannot be overcome if one believes in one’s self. For many aboard the coming weeks will be a sharp return to a reality that right now seems very far away, even though we are approaching the finish at breakneck speed.
“Though their surroundings will change they take away with them a fantastic catalogue of memories, some pleasant, some not so, and some very precious ones from the very edge of adrenaline-fuelled exhilaration where for a moment life burnt white hot and nothing was impossible. Flying through the Southern Ocean chasing down the fleet, surfing ashore at Gosong Mampango to do what we could for Cork, battling upwind to Qingdao and taking on and surviving the mighty North Pacific. No-one can deny us these things; circumstance called on us and we responded and we triumphed. From this starting point lives will begin afresh. For now nothing is impossible, nothing is beyond reach, goals are only on ocean away now and crossing an ocean is difficult. It’s hard work but it is possible. Step one – believe you can do it. Step two – make a plan.”
Jim Dobie, skipper of Uniquely Singapore is in equally contemplative mood.
“As I write this my last report it is with a touch of sadness but yet happy that we, the crew of Uniquely Singapore, are going to be finishing this epic race tomorrow. It’s been a long way since the first report I sent after leaving Hull and, if the welcome back is half as good as the send off, it will be a memory to hold on to for the rest of my life.
“I think the mood on board is one of excitement, sadness, a little bit of trepidation but most of all full of memories of ‘mate-ship’, laughter, exhilaration, a little bit of fear perhaps, and loads of fun. In all this has been one heck of a ride and I believe we have fully taken our sponsor Keppel’s ‘Can do!’ message around the world. It has shown in our experience of dealing with a three-day kite wrap, keeping up our spirits in the Doldrums, recovering after our knock down, our podium finishes, especially our first win into New York, bouncing back after coming last in the fleet and many, many more.
“My crew have been outstanding and have never stopped to amaze me in their courage, determination, bravery and their non-stop commitment to this boat. As such we became the closest crew in the race and I’m sure that bond will continue after. To all Singas’s supporters, friends, families and ex-crew: a big Thank You for your continued support and all the messages we received. You kept us going through those long races.
“We are presently flying across the North Sea and have had an interesting night of fast downwind sailing under kite and a bit of excitement when the guy snapped but very quickly had the kite down and under control. We are still hunting that last podium place as well as doing our best to keep Qingdao behind us so we don’t lose our place in the rankings.”
“The last chapter of a long story, and every boat wants this to be their best – none more so than the crew on Edinburgh Inspiring Capital. It was a poor Le Mans start for us after the Yankee halyard jammer broke, trapping the rope. After a quick fix we were off, fully expecting a long tough night but, to our amazement and against all predictions, the wind eased off and one by one the reefs were shaken out and the Yankee 3 was replaced by the Yankee 2. Still the wind continued to drop and back southerly. Yankee 1 or wait until it backs further and go straight for the heavy spinnaker? We didn’t wait long and soon were flying towards Hull with a heavy kite set and the wind beginning to build again. We were recording good speeds – a 6.8nm half hour and top speed of just over 20 knots as the wind built to a steady Force 7, gusting higher.”
The high boat speeds mean that any mistake or damage is punished heavily – slowing down for 20 minutes can allow a rival boat to swiftly open up a lead of a couple of miles, as California’s crew have found to their cost.
“Unfortunately California had a problem when we tried to reef down the mainsail,” reports skipper, Pete Rollason. “The sail would not come down and eventually the decision was made to heave-to so that we could free the line that was stuck and preventing us from reducing the sail area. All in all it took about 30 to 40 minutes but that instantly dropped us back about six or seven miles from the leaders and we have been fighting to make it up ever since. As always we will push hard until the line.”
The course of the final race will take the fleet past Bridlington between 1600 and 2200 on their way to the finish line to the east of Spurn Point where HMS Severn will be marking the official finish line of Clipper 09-10. There are excellent vantage points at Flamborough Head and The Spa in Bridlington. Tomorrow the fleet will race up the Humber in the presentational John Harrison Race, starting at 9.30am from outside Hull Marina towards the Humber Bridge (within approximately one mile) and back, before beginning their entry to the marina at 11am.
Positions at 1200 GMT Friday 16 July
Boat DTF* DTL*
1 Cork 77nm
2 Hull & Humber 96nm 19nm
3 Spirit of Australia 98nm 21nm
4 Cape Breton Island 99nm 22nm
5 Jamaica Lightning Bolt 99nm 22nm
6 Qingdao 100nm 23nm
7 Uniquely Singapore 102nm 25nm
8 Edinburgh Inspiring Capital 106nm 29nm
9 Team Finland 116nm 39nm
10 California 121nm 44nm
(Photo by Heather Ewing / Clipper Ventures PLC 2010)
Hull and Humber (Photo By Ian Dickens / Clipper Ventures PLC )
It’s been a lively 24 hours for the Clipper 09-10 fleet with some tough conditions for the crews on their final ocean crossing of this 35,000-mile race around the planet. The words of race founder and chairman, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, at the pre-race crew briefing in Cape Breton Island, in which he warned against complacency have never rung truer.
For the crew of California, the conditions are proving reminiscent of the race across the Pacific in which their boat was rolled 120 degrees and dismasted.
“It’s been a wild night aboard California during which we were achieving some great boat speed,” reports skipper, Pete Rollason. “In fact we beat our previous race record and our top speed now stands at 25.8 knots. Unfortunately, with the rough sea state, some crew members were revisited by their memories of the North Pacific. With a few well placed words, the odd hug and a couple of jokes we as a crew pulled through and are charging as hard as we dare.
“The weather has calmed down a little and the sea state should follow over the coming hours which may enable us to get the kite up again. We have four boats around us and everyone is charging hard for the finish. With 650 miles to go the famous Fastnet Rock it should be a grandstand finish with all the boats converging on a small piece of ocean. It has been raining for the last two days and the crew are all hoping that the sun will make an appearance today to dry out some kit and warm things up a bit.”
Cork Clipper is still 100 miles ahead of the chasing pack and the crew are getting some great performances from their steel-hulled yacht which is a foot shorter and eight tonnes heavier than the Clipper 68s.
“After a frustrating 12 hours with a big sea state and only 25 knots of wind we are now up to a healthy gale producing some nice waves to play with,” says skipper, Hannah Jenner. “‘Fatty’ as our Challenge 67 has affectionately become known ‘don’t (usually) surf’ but yesterday just the right wave came along and off she went at 16.7 knots. Helm Kev (Kevlar) Austen was left looking a tad startled but none the less chuffed to have smashed the speed record quite handsomely and, to be fair, I think he is quite likely to keep it.
“So the fleet continue to chip away at our lead with Jamaica Lighting Bolt soon to be under 100 miles from us but we are pushing as hard as we can. The first reef we have put in since racing to Jamaica has just gone in the main now that we are seeing gusts of 40 knots. The physicality of this boat compared to the 68s is starting to take its toll with a lot of Deep Heat required to soothe the muscles strains associated with handling our boat.
“Still, not long to go and there is a distinct buzz of excitement as we close in on the Emerald Isle. Yesterday we switched over to the final paper chart for the crossing, The Western Approaches to the British Isles. We all know there is a long way to go yet but I don’t think any of us anticipated being within 600 miles of the finish after just eight days of racing. Long may the wind last.”
The conditions have taken their toll on a couple of the yachts and both Spirit of Australia and Jamaica Lightning Bolt have sustained damage to their spinnaker pole track in winds gusting up to Force 9 (41-47 knots).
Pete Stirling, Jamaica Lightning Bolt’s skipper, explained what happened in his daily report to the Race Office.
He says, “We were flying a second-reefed mainsail and poled out yankee 3 when the boat got skewed round by a particularly large wave. Despite the best efforts of the helm the yankee backed which in turn caused the spinnaker pole track on the front of the mast to rip off where the pole was attached to it. The crew once again sprang into action and the off watch were called to help on deck as well. The yankee was dropped and the flailing pole brought back under control. Remarkably both the pole and the sail appear completely undamaged. The track however is a different story and we will have to see what we can do to effect a workable repair. All the crew silently acknowledge that if we are to remain competitive in this race then we need to be able to use our spinnaker poles.”
Spirit of Australia’s crew are facing much the same task, according to skipper, Brendan Hall. “We found ourselves alongside our friends on Hull & Humber today, as both boats surfed the building swells with our poled-out headsails. Sadly, during our mid-ocean tussle that we sustained a small amount of damage to our spinnaker pole track, the device which lets you adjust the height of the spinnaker pole. We are repairing all the bits in the saloon at the moment, but we will need to wait for calmer conditions to send somebody up the mast to fit them back on. In the mean time, we sail on, with a less than ideal angle on the wind, but ready to get back to the fight as soon as the damage is fixed.”
While Spirit of Australia raced alongside Hull & Humber, the English boat was enduring challenges of her own.
“I tried to leave the boat last night on my back and head first after we had a mini knock down caused by a large wave,” reports skipper, Justin Taylor. “I heard its approach but didn’t see it. I was sitting by the helmsman with my back to the sea when a wave came in from the side and not from behind, as you would expect from a following sea. I can vouch for the effectiveness of the safety lines we use to clip on and I am also very glad Piers (Hull & Humber’s original skipper) decided to locate the emergency tiller on the starboard pushpit as this is what stopped me going for a swim.
“The conditions are far from the worst I have been through before but the sea state is quite confused with 40-knot winds. Luckily we had just dropped our poled out yankee headsail to slow us down a bit a get more control. I’m a bit stiff now with a couple of bruises. Helming is a real brute and we only have our experienced crew doing it. The rest of the crew are still super motivated. I would tell you more about our tactics and position but we are still in Stealth Mode.”
Hull & Humber and Team Finland, currently third in the overall race standings, have just emerged from their undercover period to find both have moved ahead of Spirit of Australia – but will it be enough to keep the Aussies from claiming an unassailable lead and clinching overall victory at the end of this race? Both the English and Finnish teams are pushing hard for a place on the podium when the fleet arrives back in Hull on Saturday 17 July.
Cape Breton Island is in a group with Spirit of Australia and Qingdao and being pushed further north than skipper Jan Ridd would like.
“After a night of heavy rain, strong winds and large seas I am sitting in the nav station, soaking wet and shivering as the Big Blue Canoe launches off another wave. We have been pushing hard for the last 24 hours to no avail. We have seen some small gains on the other two boats who stayed north close to the great circle route but unfortunately the boats to the south are still pulling away from us. I must admit I cannot see how they are making such gains when we have been hitting speeds of more than 20 knots on the surfs and have averaged ten knots. They must be making some great speeds!
“I am now feeling the weight of my decision to stay north, as it is looking like it is not going to give us any advantage as the weather system slips further south, keeping the other boats in strong wind with a better wind angle. I am sitting here with very tired eyes trying to see a pattern in the weather that can give us that crucial advantage.
“Unfortunately this weather system has deepened and overpowered the Azores high that was dominant in the eastern Atlantic and is not tracking north eastwards as I expected. We are now sailing a little north of our Great Circle route and, without an angle on the wind, will probably have to sail further north than I would like.
“It is a long way from over yet and we will be pushing Cape Breton Island to the max but I am hoping the weather will give us a little help!”
As they tear in towards the finish line Qingdao’s skipper, Chris Stanmore-Major has been reflecting on how far his crew has progressed.
“Nine months ago I seem to remember being not far from here. How very far we have come since then.
“Today was a relatively standard day to us – a bit windy perhaps blowing Force 8 through the afternoon but no great shakes. The helms did a fantastic job and tell me they enjoyed very much the excellent surfing conditions in the eight-metres swell – hitting 20 knots on a number of occasions and averaging eleven knots most of the day.
“We had to put in, and then later take out, a few reefs with the wind well behind the beam. Non-standard, it’s true, as we normally come up on the breeze to do this but that would have meant a change in course which would have slowed us down. Anyway, it’s possible with practise. I think that happened around three; I have to admit to being asleep at the time. One thing I did see was the afternoon watch sending Abdullah up the forestay to reconnect some yankee hanks that had come off to avoid having to drop the headsail to do it. He seemed relatively comfortable 70 feet up, bouncing around, performing his work as we surfed our way down wave after wave. When he came back down he got back on with leading the watch.
“33,000nm and counting but the changes I see each day place this crew light years ahead of what they knew last September – it truly is an unbelievable change.”
The fast conditions mean the arrival of the yachts in Kinsale, Co Cork, Ireland, is now anticipated earlier than originally estimated. The first boats are expected on Tuesday 29 June with the possibility of some arrivals on Monday 28 June.
Positions at 1200 GMT Friday 25 June
Boat DTF* DTL*
1 Cork 543nm
2 Jamaica Lightning Bolt 650nm 107nm
3 Team Finland 657nm 114nm
4 Hull & Humber 678nm 111nm
5 Spirit of Australia 682nm 138nm
6 Qingdao 683nm 140nm
7 Cape Breton Island 692nm 149nm
8 Edinburgh Inspiring Capital 695nm 152nm
9 Uniquely Singapore 720nm 177nm
10 California 752nm 209nm (position at 0600 GMT)
California skippered by Pete Rollason as they leave Geraldton, Western Australia for Singapore at the start of race 5 in the Clipper 09/10 Round the World Yacht Race. (Photo by Clipper Ventures PLC)
Whilst the Southern Ocean leg is the one that often has the most
fearsome reputation, for the teams competing in Clipper 09-10 it pales
into insignificance when compared to what the Pacific Ocean is currently
throwing at them. 24 hours into the latest tempest and another team has
fallen victim to the punishing conditions with California reported to
have been dismasted at the level of their first spreader.
Race Director, Joff Bailey, says, “We received a call from Falmouth
Coastguard at around 1600 GMT yesterday to advise us that California’s
EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) had been activated.
At the time we made every attempt to contact the boat by all means
available but were unfortunately unsuccessful.”
Given that the yacht had been sailing in more than 50 knots of wind with
associated heavy seas, it was essential to establish why the EPIRB had
been activated. Falmouth Coastguard handed over the incident to the US
Coastguard who promptly sent a C130 aircraft towards the transmitting
emergency beacon.
The crew of the aircraft successfully located the yacht and communicated
with skipper Pete Rollason using VHF radio. The aircraft also made
contact with fellow race entry, Jamaica Lightning Bolt, whose skipper,
Pete Stirling, was able to relay the first brief detail back to the
Clipper Race office.
The California skipper confirmed that the yacht has lost her mast at the
first spreader but that her hull is undamaged and that they are
currently motoring towards San Francisco. Jamaica Lightning Bolt,
Uniquely Singapore, Spirit of Australia and Hull & Humber have all been
asked to make for the yacht and the Jamaica sponsored boat is expected
to be on station by around 1400 GMT. A merchant ship in the vicinity has
also been directed to the yacht by the US Coastguard and is due to
arrive early this evening.
“Fruity” is how skipper Brendan Hall describes the conditions through
which he and his adopted crew on board Hull & Humber have just sailed.
“Fruity is the word I now use to describe wind over 60 knots,” he
explains. “It sounds less intimidating when describing the conditions to
those back home.
“If we had seen these sorts of seas back on Leg 1, the crew would have
been incredibly scared. Now, having sailed 20,000 nautical miles, the
round-the-worlders take these conditions in their stride, handling the
boat in a safe, confident, methodical way. This confidence flows on to
the leggers, who are becoming more hardened by the day.
“The boat is under control and we have a very small amount of sail up.
>From time to time, a wave comes in from an unexpected angle and slaps
the hull, rounding the nose of the boat up towards the wind in a very
violent manner. Down below, anything that isn’t anchored down, stowed or
braced goes flying across the boat.
“There is nothing you can do in these instances except hold on, keep
yourself safe and trust that the boat will get through it. While every
lurching round-up makes us all cringe, the boat has not faltered and we
have absolute confidence in her strength and integrity and equal
confidence in our crewmates up on deck, driving her as safely as they
can.”
Uniquely Singapore is taking time to get back up to speed following
their recent knock down which caused some minor damage – tearing off the
companionway hood and buckling the steering wheel and frame in front of
it. As a precautionary measure skipper Jim Dobie made the decision to
hove-to overnight and wait for daylight and the prospect of reduced wind
strength and a better sea state before fixing the steering and carrying
on.
“Don’t know what to say today except I’ve had a gutful of this bloody
ocean,” writes Jim in his 0600 GMT report to the race office. “We
thought we had fixed our wheel but is has come loose again and we don’t
want to carry on with the emergency steering in this large swell and
breaking wave conditions. So the safest thing is to hove to and wait for
this weather to pass or the first light, whichever comes first. We also
haven’t quite solved the companionway issue yet but have managed to
board it up with storm boards and cutting a floorboard.”
Whilst Jim is confident he and his crew can repair the damage caused to
their steering wheel, the decision to wait until daylight is a wise one,
allowing the tired crew to get some much needed rest first.
Jim is not the only one to have found the stormy Pacific conditions
wearing and Cape Breton Island’s skipper, Jan Ridd, reports that things
are becoming harder by the day as the initial excitement and adrenaline
rush wears off.
“We are now all very cold, very wet and very tired,” says Jan. “We are
all looking forward to being able to sail the Big Blue Canoe in more
normal conditions and hopefully without the driving rain, howling wind
and being knee deep in sea water as the waves crash onto the deck. We
are dreaming of blue skies, sunshine and a gentle breeze on the beam -
all things being relative 25 to 30 knots would probably feel gentle to
us at the moment!”
“Apart from the physical ordeal the heavy weather has put the crew and
myself through, we have managed to hold on to and even extend our lead
over our competitors. This has been a motivating force for us when
climbing into soaking wet sailing clothes in the middle of the night to
drive the boat as hard as we dare.
“We feel we are just on the edge of the storm now and are cautiously
starting to put up more sails. Although, every time we increase the sail
area the Pacific firmly reminds us that it has not quite finished with
us yet by sending another squall through with torrential rain and a
burst of very heavy winds.”
Team Finland has just arrived at Bayside Marina in Yokohama in order to
top up with enough fresh water for rest of the leg to San Francisco
following an unresolved problem with their on board watermaker.
“Our aim is to get in and out as fast as possible with water and diesel
supplies for the trip,” says skipper Rob McInally. “Our race against
time to be in San Francisco in time for the race start has thrown us a
number of curved balls that have taken a toll on our efforts. There is
no letting up and we will have to change sails even faster and make
decisions even quicker. Everyone is pushing for the time table to be met
with the difficulty of nursing our new sail and rig at the same time.
This is our first go at a Formula 1 style pit stop, the next will be in
San Francisco.”
Meanwhile, Edinburgh Inspiring Capital continues to nurse their damaged
rig across the Pacific and a prudent move to stay further south has
meant the team avoided the worst of the storm. With more than 2,000
nautical miles of Race 7 still to go, California’s recent dismasting
will serve as a sharp reminder that the Scottish team cannot afford to
take any unnecessary risks if they are to preserve their rig all the way
to San Francisco.
Positions at 1200 UTC, Monday 22 March
Boat DTF* DTL*
1 Cape Breton Island 1803nm
2 California 2072nm 268nm
3 Jamaica Lightning Bolt 2074nm 271nm
4 Uniquely Singapore 2132nm 328nm
5 Qingdao 2155nm 352nm
6 Hull & Humber 2194nm 391nm
7 Spirit of Australia 2199nm 395nm
8 Edinburgh Inspiring Capital 2342nm 539nm
9 Team Finland 4533nm 2730nm
10 Cork Did not start
California Dismasted In Pacific (Photo by Clipper Ventures PPL)
