Clipper Round the World Yacht Race - Race 8 Start
by Clipper Ventures 6 Apr 2008 08:55 BST
6 April 2008
Race 8 in the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race starts in Honolulu © Douglas Peebles / Clipper Ventures
Nova Scotia leads fleet across start line
Race 8 in the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race series is underway after a start in 15 knots of breeze off Honolulu on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.
Nova Scotia was the first of eight internationally-backed yachts to cross
the start line at the western end of the world-famous Waikiki Beach, before
racing along the shore towards Diamond Head and out into the Pacific Ocean
at the beginning of the 2,080-mile race to Santa Cruz, California. Durban
2010 and Beyond and westernaustralia2011.com did not make the start line as
work continues on their new masts.
The Canadian entry was followed across the start line by Uniquely Singapore
and Jamaica, the only yacht to start on a starboard tack, and Qingdao who
squeezed out rivals Hull & Humber forcing them round again. New York,
Liverpool 08, Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper and Hull & Humber
completed the order over the line, approximately two minutes after the start
horn was sounded at 1130 local (2130 GMT).
The start was postponed 30 minutes from the advertised time due to a final
rig inspection and a new gas sensor being fitted on Hull & Humber.
The crews have had a longer than expected stopover in Honolulu after race
organiser, Clipper Ventures, took the decision to replace some rigging
fittings across the rest of the fleet following the dismasting of two
yachts, westernaustralia2011.com and Durban 2010 and Beyond, during the
Pacific Ocean race from Qingdao, China. The work was completed yesterday and
all eight teams headed out of the Ala Wai Harbor for short test sails to
check their rigs and to get back into an ocean racing frame of mind.
Having been surfing, diving, shopping, climbing Diamond Head, flying Maui
and to the Big Island to witness the volcanic activity there, the crews have
taken advantage of all Oahu and the Neighbour Islands have to offer. They
said their farewells and mahalo, (Hawaiian for 'thank you') to their hosts,
Hawaii Yacht Club, Waikiki Yacht Club and Magic Island Fuel Dock, for the
aloha they received during their stay in the Ala Wai. There were tears from
the staff at the Fuel Dock as the yachts slipped their moorings and headed
out of the harbour to the start line.
Nova Scotia skipper, Rob McInally, said, "I don't think anyone wants to
leave here but we do have to crack on. I think the race to Santa Cruz is
going to be a very close one. We've had a fantastic time here and it's going
to be tough leaving."
Race Director Joff Bailey says, "It's great to see these yachts racing
again. The entire Clipper team both here and back home in the UK has worked
flat out to get them back to sea within the delay we announced when they
arrived here. Our thanks goes to the manufacturers who delivered the new
parts to us within such a tight timeframe and to the specialist riggers and
mast builder who have flown out to work with our own highly skilled
maintenance team to ensure we succeeded."
Waikiki Yacht Club and Hawaii Yacht Club's Commodores, Michael Roth and
Frank E. Lang, respectively, assisted the Race Director for this morning's
start.
Joff says, "My sincere appreciation goes to Waikiki Yacht Club and Hawaii
Yacht Club who provided boats for the race officials and media team during
the start, in particular Principal Race Officer Ted Miller and 5-year-old
Maxwell Roth, the Commodore's son, who sounded the start horn."
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 5
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."
Durban 2010 and Beyond followed the eight yachts out of the Ala Wai to wave
farewell to the teams who set off on Race 8 this morning. Watching from the
quayside was westernaustralia2011.com's skipper Martin Silk along with
several of his crew. Round the worlder, John Kimber said, "This is weird,
watching them go and being left behind."
Progress on the masts has been excellent and the shipment containing the
spreaders arrived yesterday. The team will work through the weekend to
ensure the task of getting westernaustralia2011.com and Durban 2010 and
Beyond on their way to Santa Cruz is completed as quickly as possible.
This is the sixth edition of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, the
brainchild of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, 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.
Last night Sir Robin was presented with one of the Ocean Cruising Club's two
annual Orders of Merit for his participation in the latest VELUX 5 OCEANS
Race. The other was awarded to 72 year old Minouru Saito from Japan who
participated in three BOC Around Alone races - the former guise of the VELUX
5 OCEANS, which is also organised by Clipper Ventures. Sir Robin was also
awarded the Jester Medal for his 500,000 miles of sailing, much of it single
handed.
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.
Current positions and full race leaderboard can be viewed at www.clipperroundtheworld.com