Oceanracing 2007 - Clipper Round World Race 07/08

Clipper Round World Race 07-08
www.clipper-ventures.com - Übersicht

Race Viewer mit Google maps !

5. April 2008
³Aloha and Mahalo² to Hawaii as Race 8 gets underway in Clipper 07-08

Ala Wai Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii
Race 8 in the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race series is underway after a start in a stiff breeze off 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 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.

Foto: Douglas Peebles/onEdition

Abschied von den Lieben auf Hawaii
Foto: Heather onEdition

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 Œthank you¹) 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, ³I don¹t 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. We¹ve had a fantastic time here and it¹s going to be tough leaving.²

Race Director Joff Bailey says, ³It¹s 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 indextenance team to ensure we succeeded.²

Waikiki Yacht Club and Hawaii Yacht Club¹s Commodores, Michael Roth and Frank E. Lang, respectively, assisted the Race Director for this morning¹s start.

Joff says, ³My 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 Commodore¹s son, who sounded the start horn.²

Clipper Race founder and legendary solo sailor, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston says, ³We 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.

³Of 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 reindexs to try to get back on schedule for departure from Jamaica.²

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.com¹s skipper Martin Silk along with several of his crew. Round the worlder, John Kimber said, ³This is weird, watching them go and being left behind.²

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 city¹s European Capital of Culture 2008 celebrations.

The welcome in Hawaii has been enthusiastic and there will undoubtedly be many more people following the race on www.clipperroundtheworld.com where the yachts¹ 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.

Berths are now available for the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race. For more information on applying to become a crew member email oceanracer@clipperroundtheworld.com call the Crew Recruitment Manager on +44 (0) 2392 526000. The Clipper Race is open to anyone over the age of 18 and there is no upper age limit.

ENDS NOTES TO EDITORS - Low resolution images of Nova Scotia and the Clipper 07-08 fleet racing past Waikiki Beach is attached. High resolution files are available. - The Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race began on 16 September 2007 in Liverpool. The race lasts ten months and takes in 35,000 miles of ocean racing. The overall race is divided into seven legs and a total of 14 individual races. Points are accumulated according to each race position, and the yacht with the highest total at the finish on 5 July 2008 wins the race trophy. - For media information, photographs and interviews with skippers, crew or Race Team, please contact: Heather Ewing, Communications Coordinator (in Hawaii) Local Cell: +1 (808) 228-2646 UK Mobile: +44 (0) 7792 408 695 Email: hewing@clipper-ventures.com Zoe Williamson, Communications Coordinator (in UK) Tel: +44 (0) 2392 526000 Mobile: +44 (0) 7793 417 751 Email: zwilliamson@clipper-ventures.com - For further information log onto www.clipperroundtheworld.com Please contact us if you have any specific image requirements to accompany your copy. Kind Regards Martin Silnevs World Wide Images T: +44(0)20 7498 9100 F: +44(0)20 7978 1469 E: info@W-W-I.com W: http://www.W-W-I.com Our on-line image library World Wide Images can be viewed at: http://www.W-W-I.com World Wide Images is the official image library for: Aviva Challenge Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race Flora, the Flora London Marathon International Motorcycle & Scooter Show London Boat Show Skandia Cowes Week Skandia RYA Sail for Gold Regatta Southampton Boat Show VELUX 5 Oceans Volvo ISAF Youth Worlds CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE AND LEGAL LIABILITY WAIVER: If you require hard copy proof of the contents of this email or you wish to confirm whether the statements and opinions contained in this email are endorsed by World Wide Images please contact us on the above telephone numbers and written confirmation will be provided. The content of the email and any attachments are CONFIDENTIAL and may contain privileged information. If you are not the addressee it may be UNLAWFUL for you to read, copy, distribute, disclose or otherwise use the information contained herein.