Oceanracing - Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race

Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race
www.clipper-ventures.com - Übersicht

Sunday, 12th February 2006

In different circumstances Subic Bay would be a great place for a stopover. Previously the largest US Military base outside the states, it has been designated as a Free Port since their departure in the early nineties. To give it its full name, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Area (SBMA) now acts as a freight hub and has a flourishing tourist industry with regional tourists descending from Taiwan and Japan at weekends to take full advantage of the local casino. There is also a small airport, the remnants of a naval base and a reasonably sized industrial park. It is also an excellent base from which to explore the surrounding area. Several crew have already headed south to sample the renowned dive sites off Palawan Island in the south.

The yacht club is superb, if somewhat underused. A large marina easily capable of taking the 10 Clipper 68s is backed by a magnificent club house complete with swimming pools, bars, restaurants and a full spa and there is no doubt that this has somewhat eased the pain of this unscheduled stop.

However everyone is conscious that the priority is to get the boats back racing again and to that end Skippers and crew have been working hard over the past few days stripping the boats to ensure full access for the surveyors and the work that needs to be done. Sails, bunks, cushions, cooking utensils, personal kit, all have been unloaded into containers on shore as the boats prepare for haul out. Cradles are being delivered and tools gathered for the work to come.

Today has been a day of coming and going, literally. The surveyor responsible for fully ascertaining the cause of the problem arrived this afternoon and is already poring over boats and plans together with the yard manager from the yacht builders who arrived yesterday. On the departure front we had the first large batch of crew head off to the airport in Manila and there were mixed emotions all round as they said goodbye to friends and fellow crewmembers. Most will be back in a few weeks, no doubt glad to be back in the tropics after a brief interlude in a UK winter. For the Singapore crew going home has been somewhat easier, whilst for one it has meant only a 3 hour drive as he lives just south of Manila.

As I write this I have to reflect on how lucky we have been for despite everything we have arrived safely in a wonderful place with excellent facilities, and with a crew whose commitment and good humour reindexs shining through.