Oceanracing - Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race

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

Tuesday, 13th June 2006
Photo by: Colin de Mowbray
By Colin de Mowbray - Clipper Ventures Operations Director
My first visit to Panama was as a skipper in the Clipper 96 race. Since then I have returned to assist the Fleet through the Canal in 2000 and 2002. After Clipper 05-06 started I included Panama in one of my recce trips as it was the intention to make it more of a stop as opposed to a mere transit. I now find myself back here for my fourth visit receiving and despatching the boats but this time with one big difference, namely we are doing it in the reverse direction.

One thing that has reindexed constant is input from our agents, Associated Steamship. They are one of several agents that arrange all the administration of taking ships through the Canal and we have got to know them well. The whole evolution is extremely complicated and one is entirely in the hands of the Canal Authority who decide who goes through and when. The variables are endless and the amount of traffic depends on wide ranging factors such as the rainfall that fills the river that feed the lakes, the indextenance of the lock gates, the success of the Chilean soft fruit harvest creating a shipping backlog and, most importantly, the availability of the pilots. Could, I wonder, the last point be related to the World Cup programme?

In all my dealings in Panama it has been a delight to have worked with the team from Associated Steamship and they have always done us proud. I mention this as yachts are not normally a high priority and one can wait a matter of weeks to be called forward. This wait can be extremely tedious let alone play havoc with finely honed programmes such as the Clipper Race Schedule!

It was therefore a great delight to see the 5 Clippers leaving at dawn this morning. Victoria had arrived in the Marina at a civilised hour on Saturday morning and the last three boats arrived just as the Prize Giving party was underway on Sunday night. Hats off to Glasgow and Qingdao who arrived late in the afternoon on Sunday, had their boats measured, refuelled, attended the Prize Giving party, managed to take in some local culture and sight seeing in Panama city AND were ready to sail at 0600 this morning. A special commendation to those in Glasgow who were wearing Club Elite polo shirts when they slipped their lines bang on schedule this morning with Skipper Rory muttering ‘Well Tim, taking all things into account, it was the most expensive polo shirt I will ever buy in my life!’

The Prize Giving was the other end of the scale to some of the grander ones. The marina has a vast flat roof which is ideal for parties proving it does not rain. We gambled and won and we had an informal party which was enjoyed by everyone. The highlight was recognising the achievement of the Singapore crew’s victory. There was genuine support from every boat as the grinning Singapore crew received their yellow pennant for first place. A night they will all remeber with tremendous pride.

Before boats or ships transit the Panama Canal they have to be inspected and measured by the Canal Authority. The measurements are unique to the Canal and determine how much the dues are. Large liners and cargo ships pay huge amounts to go through the Canal but this has to be balanced against the cost and time of the alternatives such as unshipping containers and taking them by road or rail, or of course going round Cape Horn. The lowest ever dues were paid by an American called Richard Halliburton (who up to now, I had mistakenly thought was called Halibut – a much better story). He swam through the Canal in 1928 and after measuring in the water was charged 34 cents. Rumour had it that had he been suitably aroused this would have been 44 cents due to the extra draft.

More on swimming through the Canal at:

http://www.ymtvacations.com/weblog/2006/05/swimming_the_panama_canal.html

Should you follow the link you will also see the reference to alligators that are a definite man overboard hazard in the lakes. A word of comfort to anxious mums here. This is the fifth time the Clipper Race has gone through the Canal and so far, touch wood, we have not lost any crew members to alligators, although Uniquely Singapore did report seeing one this afternoon on their way through.

When the yachts get through the Canal they have a great advantage this time as they will be berthed in the Shelter Bay Marina across the bay from Colon. The previous races have all had to wait at anchor off Colon before their transit and this can be very tedious.

How times change. At the Pacific end, no longer is it swinging moorings at the Balboa Yacht Club but it is the bars, restaurants and bright lights of the Flamenco Marina. At the Caribbean end it is now the marina at Shelter Cove offering good berthing and a tranquil and picturesque setting in the old US Fort Sherman Military complex. Fellow Clipper 96 Skipper Mervyn Wheatley, who has been Skippering Cardiff, agrees. ‘Grunt, grunt, mutter, mutter. Clipper crews these days do not know how lucky they are! Not only that, we are going through in daylight. And another thing ………whose nicked my Royal Marine tape’