Clipper Race - Race Director provides update on Greenings crew
by Clipper Round the World on 3 Nov 2017
Greenings crew before leaving Cape Town ahead of Leg 3 Clipper Round The World Yacht Race
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The Clipper Race Office has continued to support Greenings Interim Skipper, Andy Woodruff, and its crew following yesterday’s announcement that the yacht (CV24) will take no further part in the Clipper 2017-18 Race.
Clipper Race Director Mark Light praised the team’s response after running aground on the western side of the Cape Peninsula, as well as the incredible work of the emergency services. He said: “This is obviously a very unfortunate incident. However, the crew and skipper of Greenings did a great job of getting safely off the vessel. Clearly the training kicked in. The crew are so positive, they’re all together as a unit. We’re looking forward to getting them back into the race.”
He added: “We were in contact with the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI); they were deployed very quickly and were very professional. They sent five boats down and did a great job and, most importantly, got the skipper and crew safely off the vessel.”
The team were brought onshore from the CV24 yacht and relocated to Cape Town where debriefings took place and next steps were discussed with race officials. Mark Light reported: “It is important that an incident of this nature has a full investigation. The Greenings crew and Interim Skipper, Andy Woodruff, will be helping with that. We will make sure we get all the right information together in order to help any investigation going forwards.”
He added: “It is important for us to get the Greenings crew back into the Clipper Race. We have got several options going forwards and we’re helping them in lots of different ways so they can continue their Clipper Race with us.”
Greenings crew that are due to join the race, future race mates, and also their supporters, friends and families have been contacted by the Clipper Race office.
In the meantime, Leg 3 of the Clipper Race continues and Mark said: “We have still got a Clipper Race running and it’s important that we continue our support as we have got eleven boats out there racing to Western Australia. There will be a team, including myself, back in the UK looking after the rest of the race. Meanwhile Sir Robin Knox-Johnston is currently in Cape Town to lead any investigations (on behalf of the Clipper Race).”
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