Clippers Durban & westernaustralia leave Hawaii

by Clipper Ventures Media on 10 Apr 2008 In pouring rain - a Hawaiian blessing, according to the Commodore of Hawaii Yacht Club - westernaustralia2011.com and Durban 2010 and Beyond left Honolulu this afternoon to rejoin the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race fleet on the race to Santa Cruz. They will motor sail to Santa Cruz in order to arrive in time for the start of Race 9 to Panama.

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.

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.'

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 at HYC!'

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.'

The eight teams who left Honolulu to race to Santa Cruz have been battling with strong headwinds overnight with most skippers reporting that they have reefed mainsails and small headsails up. It may be windy but the wind direction means that all the teams have made great progress towards Santa Cruz with most achieving nearly 200 nautical miles in the right direction over the last 24 hours. This will change in the near future as the winds again become more easterly and the tacking angles will become important again.

Ben Galloway, Liverpool 08's skipper reports, 'Lots of sail changes, reefing in, out and smashing upwind getting soaked to the bone again. Pretty well set up with the yankee 3, two reefs and staysail, tanking along north to pick up the next weather system in a day or so.'

Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper continues to hold a good lead at the front over New York but, further down the field, Uniquely Singapore appears to have been sailing slightly off the wind which has given them lots of speed and lots of northing but has dropped them down the leader board. Maybe skipper Mark Preedy has a secret tactic that will reveal itself over the next few days.

Latest positions and full leaderboard can be viewed at www.clipperroundtheworld.com