Monday, July 19, 2010
The Final Blog
Race 14 proved to sum up our overall race in the most dramatic way as we tore our mainsail before we even got to the start line. As a result we sailed with 2 reefs in the main and struggled to keep up with the fleet heading towards Hull in light winds. When the winds picked up, everyone reefed in and we started to make some big gains, overtaking California and securing second place overall. The return to Hull was witnessed by some 50,000 people and I had my own supporters group assembled on the pontoon in specially prepared T shirts. It was probably one of the most emotional experiences of my life but made me feel so happy to be home. It has been the most amazing experience and one I shall never forget but 10 months at sea in the most primitive conditions is more than enough for me!
I shall carry on sailing with the Clipper Yacht Club and will undoubtedly be meeting up with one or two of my new life long friends in the months to come. For now though, it is more about re-uniting with friends, family and colleagues!
Thanks to everyone for their amazing support over the last year. I could not have done in without you!
Posted by , 7:36 AM,
The Final Blog
Race 14 proved to sum up our overall race in the most dramatic way as we tore our mainsail before we even got to the start line. As a result we sailed with 2 reefs in the main and struggled to keep up with the fleet heading towards Hull in light winds. When the winds picked up, everyone reefed in and we started to make some big gains, overtaking California and securing second place overall. The return to Hull was witnessed by some 50,000 people and I had my own supporters group assembled on the pontoon in specially prepared T shirts. It was probably one of the most emotional experiences of my life but made me feel so happy to be home. It has been the most amazing experience and one I shall never forget but 10 months at sea in the most primitive conditions is more than enough for me!
I shall carry on sailing with the Clipper Yacht Club and will undoubtedly be meeting up with one or two of my new life long friends in the months to come. For now though, it is more about re-uniting with friends, family and colleagues!
Thanks to everyone for their amazing support over the last year. I could not have done in without you!
Posted by , 7:36 AM,
Thursday, July 15, 2010
The Final Race
The final Clipper 09/10 race began today. Team Finland are keen to consolidate their overall second place. The race to The Netherlands left them 6.3 points ahead of their nearest rivals, Cape Breton Island. The start of race 14 saw them in third place behind Cape Breton Island and Cork who left earlier than the rest of the fleet.
Posted by , 8:37 PM, (1)
Woah! Second place overall, excellent work. That last leg seemed a little close for comfort. Posted by Peter, 1 day later
The Final Race
The final Clipper 09/10 race began today. Team Finland are keen to consolidate their overall second place. The race to The Netherlands left them 6.3 points ahead of their nearest rivals, Cape Breton Island. The start of race 14 saw them in third place behind Cape Breton Island and Cork who left earlier than the rest of the fleet.
Posted by , 8:37 PM, (1)
Woah! Second place overall, excellent work. That last leg seemed a little close for comfort. Posted by Peter, 1 day later
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
First across the line
Team Finland has taken line honours in the penultimate stage of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race, crossing the finish line at Ijmuiden, Netherlands at 2139 local time (1939 UTC) yesterday.
The first nine boats finished within 91 minutes of each other but, as the fleet is racing under IRC handicap ratings to account for the differences in the smaller and heavier Cork yacht, the results for Race 13 will not be announced until all ten boats have crossed the finish line just outside the Ijmuiden Seaport Marina, where they will be based until the start of the final race on Thursday 15 July, and Cork’s corrected time is calculated. The Irish team is expected in Ijmuiden early on Tuesday 13 July.
Posted by , 6:43 AM, (1)
Short race, but sweet! Well done again Team Finland. Posted by Jude, 14:30 hours later
First across the line
Team Finland has taken line honours in the penultimate stage of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race, crossing the finish line at Ijmuiden, Netherlands at 2139 local time (1939 UTC) yesterday.
The first nine boats finished within 91 minutes of each other but, as the fleet is racing under IRC handicap ratings to account for the differences in the smaller and heavier Cork yacht, the results for Race 13 will not be announced until all ten boats have crossed the finish line just outside the Ijmuiden Seaport Marina, where they will be based until the start of the final race on Thursday 15 July, and Cork’s corrected time is calculated. The Irish team is expected in Ijmuiden early on Tuesday 13 July.
Posted by , 6:43 AM, (1)
Short race, but sweet! Well done again Team Finland. Posted by Jude, 14:30 hours later
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Race 13
The penultimate race of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race is underway. At 1700 local time yesterday (1600 GMT) the cannon fired from the Royal Cork Yacht Club’s start line at Weaver’s Point near Crosshaven at the mouth of Cork Harbour to set the teams on their way in the 550-mile race to Ijmuiden, Holland.
In wet and overcast conditions with a breeze of 15 knots from the south, the fleet got off to a flying start. They began the long beat towards Land’s End and the Scilly Isles, where they will turn into the familiar waters of the English Channel.
By this time next week the crews will be racing towards Hull and the end of their epic journey.
Posted by , 7:30 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Race 13
The penultimate race of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race is underway. At 1700 local time yesterday (1600 GMT) the cannon fired from the Royal Cork Yacht Club’s start line at Weaver’s Point near Crosshaven at the mouth of Cork Harbour to set the teams on their way in the 550-mile race to Ijmuiden, Holland.
In wet and overcast conditions with a breeze of 15 knots from the south, the fleet got off to a flying start. They began the long beat towards Land’s End and the Scilly Isles, where they will turn into the familiar waters of the English Channel.
By this time next week the crews will be racing towards Hull and the end of their epic journey.
Posted by , 7:30 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Prizegiving
We may have been very impressed by our welcome in Kinsale but we were totally blown away by the reception we received in Cork. As we sailed toward the City Centre, the crowds lining the shores got bigger and bigger until we arrived at our pontoon to be greeted by over 2,000 spectators. We were marched team by team to the stage where we received our gold pennant for first place in race 12. Hopefully a taste of things to come in Hull!
Although Spirit of Australia have effectively sealed their first place overall, Team Finland currently lie 2nd, just 4.3 points ahead of Cape Breton and Jamaica who are tied in 3rd. So there is everything still to race for in the last two races. With 20 points available to the winners, just about anything can happen!
Posted by , 4:21 PM, (1)
Go get em Andy!! Best of luck to TF in these last couple races up and across the Channel. Posted by Jacob, 1 day later
Prizegiving
We may have been very impressed by our welcome in Kinsale but we were totally blown away by the reception we received in Cork. As we sailed toward the City Centre, the crowds lining the shores got bigger and bigger until we arrived at our pontoon to be greeted by over 2,000 spectators. We were marched team by team to the stage where we received our gold pennant for first place in race 12. Hopefully a taste of things to come in Hull!
Although Spirit of Australia have effectively sealed their first place overall, Team Finland currently lie 2nd, just 4.3 points ahead of Cape Breton and Jamaica who are tied in 3rd. So there is everything still to race for in the last two races. With 20 points available to the winners, just about anything can happen!
Posted by , 4:21 PM, (1)
Go get em Andy!! Best of luck to TF in these last couple races up and across the Channel. Posted by Jacob, 1 day later
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Perfect Hosts
From the moment we arrived in Kinsale, we knew we were in for a treat. Arriving 2 days early there were only two or three staff on duty at the Kinsale yacht club but they still managed to serve a full Irish breakfast (or steak) to each of the 200 crew.
We have been adopted by the Greyhound Pub (the oldest in Kinsale) but have nevertheless enjoyed hospitality in at least half of the 22 pubs in Kinsale. The local Council have timed a food, drink and Arts festival to coincide with the arrival of the Clipper fleet and thousands of visitors have flooded the town, basking in the glorious sunshine.
Kinsale have proved to be the perfect hosts and it is a pleasure to engage with local people as we walk around the town and mix with regulars in the pubs where beer is served with good food and traditional Irish music.
Tomorrow we move on to Cork where we will receive our 4th gold pennant. Friday sees the start of race 13 to Imujden in the Netherlands and a golden opportunity for us to consolidate our 2nd place in the overall race.
Posted by , 3:12 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Perfect Hosts
From the moment we arrived in Kinsale, we knew we were in for a treat. Arriving 2 days early there were only two or three staff on duty at the Kinsale yacht club but they still managed to serve a full Irish breakfast (or steak) to each of the 200 crew.
We have been adopted by the Greyhound Pub (the oldest in Kinsale) but have nevertheless enjoyed hospitality in at least half of the 22 pubs in Kinsale. The local Council have timed a food, drink and Arts festival to coincide with the arrival of the Clipper fleet and thousands of visitors have flooded the town, basking in the glorious sunshine.
Kinsale have proved to be the perfect hosts and it is a pleasure to engage with local people as we walk around the town and mix with regulars in the pubs where beer is served with good food and traditional Irish music.
Tomorrow we move on to Cork where we will receive our 4th gold pennant. Friday sees the start of race 13 to Imujden in the Netherlands and a golden opportunity for us to consolidate our 2nd place in the overall race.
Posted by , 3:12 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Monday, June 28, 2010
Another First Place
Team Finland arrived in Kinsale early this morning closely followed by Jamaica Lightning Bolt. Although they arrived after Cork because of the handicapping system they have been placed in first and second place respectively.
This trip was a record for an Atlantic crossing by a Clipper boat - the fact that the first boats were not expected in Kinsale until 30 June/1 July is testament to this.
Posted by , 7:28 AM, Permalink Comment (4)
Get in! Nice one TF! X Posted by Clare, 38 minutes later
Well done. Fantastic.Now for a glass or two of 'the black stuff'. Posted by Wendy, 3:45 hours later
Well done Team Finland. That must have been a thrilling race with a very exciting finish. Congratulations on 1st place!! Posted by Jude, 8:18 hours later
Great stuff! Are there enough points available for you to catch up with the Aussies? I guess you would need them to have an uncharacteristically poor run of results. Posted by Peter, 15:30 hours later
Another First Place
Team Finland arrived in Kinsale early this morning closely followed by Jamaica Lightning Bolt. Although they arrived after Cork because of the handicapping system they have been placed in first and second place respectively.
This trip was a record for an Atlantic crossing by a Clipper boat - the fact that the first boats were not expected in Kinsale until 30 June/1 July is testament to this.
Posted by , 7:28 AM, Permalink Comment (4)
Get in! Nice one TF! X Posted by Clare, 38 minutes later
Well done. Fantastic.Now for a glass or two of 'the black stuff'. Posted by Wendy, 3:45 hours later
Well done Team Finland. That must have been a thrilling race with a very exciting finish. Congratulations on 1st place!! Posted by Jude, 8:18 hours later
Great stuff! Are there enough points available for you to catch up with the Aussies? I guess you would need them to have an uncharacteristically poor run of results. Posted by Peter, 15:30 hours later
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Meridian360
Meridian360 came of age today. People have asked me about the site name which reflects the 360 degrees (or meridians) or longitude that circle the world from pole to pole - 0 degrees (or 360 degrees) being known as the Greenwich Meridian. Anyway, today we crossed the same meridian that we reached at the furthest west point when we crossed the Atlantic for the first time. So technically today we became circumnavigators. We won't officially get that honour until we actually cross our outward bound course - and that happens in the English Channel when we travel from Cork to Holland in a couple of weeks.
Not much to report otherwise. Not much change. Most of the fleet is within a few miles of one another and benefitting from strong winds and high speeds. We just have to keep pushing. Whatever the outcome this is likely to be the fastest ever clipper crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.
Posted by , 7:04 AM, Permalink Comment (1)
Congratulations Andy! I guess you can now join those who can truely say they've "been around." :-)
Jacob Posted by Jacob, 19:41 hours later
Meridian360
Meridian360 came of age today. People have asked me about the site name which reflects the 360 degrees (or meridians) or longitude that circle the world from pole to pole - 0 degrees (or 360 degrees) being known as the Greenwich Meridian. Anyway, today we crossed the same meridian that we reached at the furthest west point when we crossed the Atlantic for the first time. So technically today we became circumnavigators. We won't officially get that honour until we actually cross our outward bound course - and that happens in the English Channel when we travel from Cork to Holland in a couple of weeks.
Not much to report otherwise. Not much change. Most of the fleet is within a few miles of one another and benefitting from strong winds and high speeds. We just have to keep pushing. Whatever the outcome this is likely to be the fastest ever clipper crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.
Posted by , 7:04 AM, Permalink Comment (1)
Congratulations Andy! I guess you can now join those who can truely say they've "been around." :-)
Jacob Posted by Jacob, 19:41 hours later
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The Start of Race 12
A typically strong start from Team Finland although good winds have meant most of the boats have achieved speeds in excess of 10 knots since we left Nova Scotia. Yesterday we could see all 8 boats around us with only Hull & Humber ahead of us. During the morning we dropped our medium weight spinny in favour of the heavyweight as winds pickled up to over 20 knots. Others stayed with middleweights and paid the price. Singers, California (with only 12 crew left on board), Edinburgh and Qingdao all shredded their middleweights. There will be some anxious repairs going on there to make sure they are not at a disadvantage in the closing stages of the race. Cape Breton are already without a middleweight.
Fog has now descended as we pass over the Grand Banks and Flemish Cap. We can't believe the speed we are making (still over 10 knots even with headsails back up). At this rate we will be in Cork in 5 days time!! Still nothing to choose between the boats. Some have headed north, others south so distance to finish misleading at the minute.
I was on mother watch yesterday so had time to reflect on a great race that is coming to an end all too soon. The highs and lows revolve around the same incidents - dropping out of race 5 to help Cork who had run aground and dropping out of race 6 to rescue ourselves following the dismasting. The plus side of the current situation is that we are at last pointing home and heading back to family and friends who we have missed much more than words can tell.
Posted by , 4:20 PM, (0)
The Start of Race 12
A typically strong start from Team Finland although good winds have meant most of the boats have achieved speeds in excess of 10 knots since we left Nova Scotia. Yesterday we could see all 8 boats around us with only Hull & Humber ahead of us. During the morning we dropped our medium weight spinny in favour of the heavyweight as winds pickled up to over 20 knots. Others stayed with middleweights and paid the price. Singers, California (with only 12 crew left on board), Edinburgh and Qingdao all shredded their middleweights. There will be some anxious repairs going on there to make sure they are not at a disadvantage in the closing stages of the race. Cape Breton are already without a middleweight.
Fog has now descended as we pass over the Grand Banks and Flemish Cap. We can't believe the speed we are making (still over 10 knots even with headsails back up). At this rate we will be in Cork in 5 days time!! Still nothing to choose between the boats. Some have headed north, others south so distance to finish misleading at the minute.
I was on mother watch yesterday so had time to reflect on a great race that is coming to an end all too soon. The highs and lows revolve around the same incidents - dropping out of race 5 to help Cork who had run aground and dropping out of race 6 to rescue ourselves following the dismasting. The plus side of the current situation is that we are at last pointing home and heading back to family and friends who we have missed much more than words can tell.
Posted by , 4:20 PM, (0)
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Race 12 Begins
Team Finland had a good start to Race 12 - Sydney to Kinsale and are currently lying 3rd in the pack that left Nova Scotia this evening. The Cork boat which left 2 days prior to the rest of the fleet is currently in stealth mode so giving little away about their chosen route and weather conditions further ahead.
Posted by , 11:10 PM, (0)
Race 12 Begins
Team Finland had a good start to Race 12 - Sydney to Kinsale and are currently lying 3rd in the pack that left Nova Scotia this evening. The Cork boat which left 2 days prior to the rest of the fleet is currently in stealth mode so giving little away about their chosen route and weather conditions further ahead.
Posted by , 11:10 PM, (0)
Friday, June 18, 2010
Last Ocean Crossing
It only seems a short time ago that I reported to Gosport and joined the boat for the Round the World Race. But in reality that was nearly 11 months ago and here we are preparing for our final ocean crossing. It will be our 3rd crossing of the Atlantic Ocean and when we arrive in Kinsale we can genuinely describe ourselves as circumnavigators.
Those of you who have been following the race recently will have noticed that the replacement Cork boat is much slower. This is due to its shorter length and its steel construction. To make the race to their home port more exciting, race 12 is now a pursuit race. That means they get their 'handicap' at the beginnig of the race - a 33 hour head start. Our job, when we sail on Saturday will be to try and catch them before they get to Ireland.
It will make for some exciting sailing and you can be sure we will be doing everything we can to get another win - particularly after our disappointing finish in the last race.
Posted by , 2:21 PM, (1)
Having just checked the Clipper site I was indeed wondering about Cork's early departure. Thanks for yet another informative posting Andy. I can imagine the excitement is building as you prep for the homeward leg. All the best and may the wind be with you this time out!! Safe journey! Posted by Jacob, 10:40 hours later
Last Ocean Crossing
It only seems a short time ago that I reported to Gosport and joined the boat for the Round the World Race. But in reality that was nearly 11 months ago and here we are preparing for our final ocean crossing. It will be our 3rd crossing of the Atlantic Ocean and when we arrive in Kinsale we can genuinely describe ourselves as circumnavigators.
Those of you who have been following the race recently will have noticed that the replacement Cork boat is much slower. This is due to its shorter length and its steel construction. To make the race to their home port more exciting, race 12 is now a pursuit race. That means they get their 'handicap' at the beginnig of the race - a 33 hour head start. Our job, when we sail on Saturday will be to try and catch them before they get to Ireland.
It will make for some exciting sailing and you can be sure we will be doing everything we can to get another win - particularly after our disappointing finish in the last race.
Posted by , 2:21 PM, (1)
Having just checked the Clipper site I was indeed wondering about Cork's early departure. Thanks for yet another informative posting Andy. I can imagine the excitement is building as you prep for the homeward leg. All the best and may the wind be with you this time out!! Safe journey! Posted by Jacob, 10:40 hours later
Friday, June 11, 2010
Race End
The end to our race was quite disastrous. We dropped from 2nd to 4th and all looked lost but during my next watch we showed a lot of fire and managed to get level pegging again with Cape Breton for third spot. Better than nothing I thought. I went off watch and came back to find us in 4th place and just about to lose that to Singapore. California later passed us in light winds to leave us 6th.
We are hurting right now and I would be concerned if we felt any other way. It's hard to draw the positives right now but we should not lose sight of them. We lost it in the last 24 hours and we will be analysing that as a team over the next few days. We were second and looking strong thanks to good effort, commitment and enthusiasm. At least that is something to take forward. If there is any justice in this world we will get something out of the next race.
Right now there is not just a beer but a lobster with my name on it in Sydney.
Posted by , 7:36 AM, (0)
Race End
The end to our race was quite disastrous. We dropped from 2nd to 4th and all looked lost but during my next watch we showed a lot of fire and managed to get level pegging again with Cape Breton for third spot. Better than nothing I thought. I went off watch and came back to find us in 4th place and just about to lose that to Singapore. California later passed us in light winds to leave us 6th.
We are hurting right now and I would be concerned if we felt any other way. It's hard to draw the positives right now but we should not lose sight of them. We lost it in the last 24 hours and we will be analysing that as a team over the next few days. We were second and looking strong thanks to good effort, commitment and enthusiasm. At least that is something to take forward. If there is any justice in this world we will get something out of the next race.
Right now there is not just a beer but a lobster with my name on it in Sydney.
Posted by , 7:36 AM, (0)
Monday, June 7, 2010
The Start to Cape Breton
Race 11 to Cape Breton Island began with a Le Mans start. The start of a race is always a bit of a lottery but we got away reasonably well. Time, tides and the wind will determine our fate - with a lot of hard work from Team Finland thrown into the mix!
Posted by , 7:31 AM, (0)
The Start to Cape Breton
Race 11 to Cape Breton Island began with a Le Mans start. The start of a race is always a bit of a lottery but we got away reasonably well. Time, tides and the wind will determine our fate - with a lot of hard work from Team Finland thrown into the mix!
Posted by , 7:31 AM, (0)
Thursday, June 3, 2010
The Big Apple
Team Finland arrived in a misty New York this morning. The team crossed the line in 7th place
Posted by , 6:36 PM, (0)
The Big Apple
Team Finland arrived in a misty New York this morning. The team crossed the line in 7th place
Posted by , 6:36 PM, (0)
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
That Pivotal Point
Everyone told me that the passage through the Panama Canal would be a pivotal point in our race. Saying goodbye to the Pacific Ocean and hello to the Atlantic being a sure sign that you're on your way home. It did not quite work like that for me. We were so disappointed with two fourth places we were determined to do well in this race. In many ways we did everything right. A strong start gave us a decent lead and our choice of route seemed pretty good too. Our trimming, grinding and helming was as good as could expect but the lack of wind was our undoing. At one point we were almost level with the Aussies and then they disappeared over the horizon whilst we barely moved. How do you explain that? Since then we have tracked west to pick up the gulfstream and, along with decent winds, that has given us some half decent progress towards New York City. We hope to take our good sailing form into the next race and with better winds - and perhaps a small amount of luck - we aim to be back amongst the leaders. The fight for podium places is now red hot and I'm personally enjoying the race much more as a result.
That pivotal point that I mentioned came, for me, these last 24 hours as the warm weather was replaced with conditions you would more associate with the North Atlantic. Away go the shorts and sandals to be replaced by foulies and boots. The tropical blue waters have been replaced by steel grey seas and banks of fog mark our approach to Long Island. It's now June so for the first time we can say we will be home next month.
In many ways, that brings tremendous excitement. The thought of seeing family, friends and work colleagues again undoubtedly brings a smile to your face. On the flipside, though, there is the reality that this experience of a lifetime is drawing to an end. I'll be saying goodbye to a crew I have grown very close to. There are some exceptional people who will remain friends for many years to come but they don't exactly live around the corner so it may be a little while before we meet up again.
Have I changed? Not really. I'm a bit fitter (and thinner!). The jokes are still the same (you'll be sorry to hear). I've learnt a lot about sailing, quite a bit about engines and watermakers, and I'm a dab hand with gaffer tape and cable ties if anything needs fixing. The whole experience has hopefully made me a more tolerant person, more laid back and less stressed - a situation I aim to maintain when I get back to work. Losing your mast in a force 8 does have the effect of putting most other problems into perspective.
Right now though, we can almost smell land and I suspect there is a large chunk of New York cheesecake out there with my name on it....
Posted by , 7:50 PM, Permalink Comment (1) Great posting Andy! I've been wondering how it must feel to be getting closer to the end of the adventure. Enjoy the cheesecake - it's been well earned sir! Posted by Jacob, 5:34 hours later
That Pivotal Point
Everyone told me that the passage through the Panama Canal would be a pivotal point in our race. Saying goodbye to the Pacific Ocean and hello to the Atlantic being a sure sign that you're on your way home. It did not quite work like that for me. We were so disappointed with two fourth places we were determined to do well in this race. In many ways we did everything right. A strong start gave us a decent lead and our choice of route seemed pretty good too. Our trimming, grinding and helming was as good as could expect but the lack of wind was our undoing. At one point we were almost level with the Aussies and then they disappeared over the horizon whilst we barely moved. How do you explain that? Since then we have tracked west to pick up the gulfstream and, along with decent winds, that has given us some half decent progress towards New York City. We hope to take our good sailing form into the next race and with better winds - and perhaps a small amount of luck - we aim to be back amongst the leaders. The fight for podium places is now red hot and I'm personally enjoying the race much more as a result.
That pivotal point that I mentioned came, for me, these last 24 hours as the warm weather was replaced with conditions you would more associate with the North Atlantic. Away go the shorts and sandals to be replaced by foulies and boots. The tropical blue waters have been replaced by steel grey seas and banks of fog mark our approach to Long Island. It's now June so for the first time we can say we will be home next month.
In many ways, that brings tremendous excitement. The thought of seeing family, friends and work colleagues again undoubtedly brings a smile to your face. On the flipside, though, there is the reality that this experience of a lifetime is drawing to an end. I'll be saying goodbye to a crew I have grown very close to. There are some exceptional people who will remain friends for many years to come but they don't exactly live around the corner so it may be a little while before we meet up again.
Have I changed? Not really. I'm a bit fitter (and thinner!). The jokes are still the same (you'll be sorry to hear). I've learnt a lot about sailing, quite a bit about engines and watermakers, and I'm a dab hand with gaffer tape and cable ties if anything needs fixing. The whole experience has hopefully made me a more tolerant person, more laid back and less stressed - a situation I aim to maintain when I get back to work. Losing your mast in a force 8 does have the effect of putting most other problems into perspective.
Right now though, we can almost smell land and I suspect there is a large chunk of New York cheesecake out there with my name on it....
Posted by , 7:50 PM, Permalink Comment (1) Great posting Andy! I've been wondering how it must feel to be getting closer to the end of the adventure. Enjoy the cheesecake - it's been well earned sir! Posted by Jacob, 5:34 hours later
Friday, May 28, 2010
What a difference .......
.....a day makes! We have not done much wrong in this race. Our best 'team' performance for a while but sometimes you need a little help from the wind gods too. We caught up with the Aussies again but they have since disappeared over the horizon in winds that did not reach us just 3 miles away. There are only 30 miles between us and the leaders so anything could happen yet. It's an open race. Our priority is to keep Skippy and Jamaica close and then to go on and win if we can. It's a really even playing field now with just about any boat capable of getting a podium finish. As a result I am enjoying my racing more than ever.
Posted by , 3:54 PM, (0)
What a difference .......
.....a day makes! We have not done much wrong in this race. Our best 'team' performance for a while but sometimes you need a little help from the wind gods too. We caught up with the Aussies again but they have since disappeared over the horizon in winds that did not reach us just 3 miles away. There are only 30 miles between us and the leaders so anything could happen yet. It's an open race. Our priority is to keep Skippy and Jamaica close and then to go on and win if we can. It's a really even playing field now with just about any boat capable of getting a podium finish. As a result I am enjoying my racing more than ever.
Posted by , 3:54 PM, (0)
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The Bight of Acklins
That's where we are right now. Somewhere in the Bahamas. We've been playing cat and mouse with the Aussies most of the last 36 hours, each taking it in turns to catch the other and take the lead. They were 5 miles ahead of us at one point today when they caught in a wind hole while we benefitted from off shore breezes (from some islands), caught them and then passed. Thinking we would go on to build a big lead, we then got caught in the same windhole. California were so concerned by our lack of movement they called us to make sure we were OK (nice of them!!). We then got the most amazing squall which gave us winds to develop a bit of a lead. They appear to be the only winds around at the minute on an otherwise glassy sea so we are trying to follow them - the direction is roughly north!!
Otherwise, very hot (the rain was a welcome relief) a good mood on board and some good sailing, helming and trimming all round.
Posted by , 3:35 PM, (0)
The Bight of Acklins
That's where we are right now. Somewhere in the Bahamas. We've been playing cat and mouse with the Aussies most of the last 36 hours, each taking it in turns to catch the other and take the lead. They were 5 miles ahead of us at one point today when they caught in a wind hole while we benefitted from off shore breezes (from some islands), caught them and then passed. Thinking we would go on to build a big lead, we then got caught in the same windhole. California were so concerned by our lack of movement they called us to make sure we were OK (nice of them!!). We then got the most amazing squall which gave us winds to develop a bit of a lead. They appear to be the only winds around at the minute on an otherwise glassy sea so we are trying to follow them - the direction is roughly north!!
Otherwise, very hot (the rain was a welcome relief) a good mood on board and some good sailing, helming and trimming all round.
Posted by , 3:35 PM, (0)
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
4th Across the Line
Team Finland crossed the line 4th in the race from Pamana to Jamaica. Line honours were taken by Spirit of Australia followed by Hull and Humber and Cape Breton Island.
As the yachts are now racing under the IRC rating system to take account of the differences between the Clipper 68s and Cork, a Challenge 67, the teams now face a nervous wait until the Irish boat crosses the finish line and times can be adjusted according to the handicap rating.
Posted by , 7:07 AM, (0)
4th Across the Line
Team Finland crossed the line 4th in the race from Pamana to Jamaica. Line honours were taken by Spirit of Australia followed by Hull and Humber and Cape Breton Island.
As the yachts are now racing under the IRC rating system to take account of the differences between the Clipper 68s and Cork, a Challenge 67, the teams now face a nervous wait until the Irish boat crosses the finish line and times can be adjusted according to the handicap rating.
Posted by , 7:07 AM, (0)
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Le Mans Start for Race 9
Having had a reasonably successful comeback in race 8 (albeit pipped to a pennant by just a few minutes) we enjoyed a brief break from racing as we sailed through the Panama Canal, accompanied through the last locks by the biggest tanker you have ever seen. It had inches to spare either side of the lock - hence its tag as a panamax vessel.
Just 12 hours rest in Colon (more like a semi colon really) and we are back racing in race 9 - a short sprint of just under 600 miles to Jamaica. The race is exciting for a number of reasons. It is our first race back in the Atlantic, Cork are back racing so we have ten boats in the fleet once again, and we had our first Le Mans start. Starts are normally on the gun across a defined start line. On a Le Mans start, the boats motor in a line with sails down and 1 minute before the gun, we kill the engine. On 'go' we rush forward to raise and power up the fore sails. We did quite well and led the field alongside Hull & Humber who seem to be bearing off more than the rest of the fleet. Mother watch has been particularly difficult and my first attempt at bread slid off the oven tray (we are well heeled over a almost 40 degrees) into a soggy mess. My second attempt seems to be holding up - so far but I'm later to bed than expected as a result!
It's a bumpy ride for everyone. Wet on deck as we close haul. Hot and humid below which makes sleep difficult. But as Turbo Tony Allen used to say, bed is for tired people and we are too excited to worry about that right now.
Posted by , 7:33 AM, (0)
Le Mans Start for Race 9
Having had a reasonably successful comeback in race 8 (albeit pipped to a pennant by just a few minutes) we enjoyed a brief break from racing as we sailed through the Panama Canal, accompanied through the last locks by the biggest tanker you have ever seen. It had inches to spare either side of the lock - hence its tag as a panamax vessel.
Just 12 hours rest in Colon (more like a semi colon really) and we are back racing in race 9 - a short sprint of just under 600 miles to Jamaica. The race is exciting for a number of reasons. It is our first race back in the Atlantic, Cork are back racing so we have ten boats in the fleet once again, and we had our first Le Mans start. Starts are normally on the gun across a defined start line. On a Le Mans start, the boats motor in a line with sails down and 1 minute before the gun, we kill the engine. On 'go' we rush forward to raise and power up the fore sails. We did quite well and led the field alongside Hull & Humber who seem to be bearing off more than the rest of the fleet. Mother watch has been particularly difficult and my first attempt at bread slid off the oven tray (we are well heeled over a almost 40 degrees) into a soggy mess. My second attempt seems to be holding up - so far but I'm later to bed than expected as a result!
It's a bumpy ride for everyone. Wet on deck as we close haul. Hot and humid below which makes sleep difficult. But as Turbo Tony Allen used to say, bed is for tired people and we are too excited to worry about that right now.
Posted by , 7:33 AM, (0)
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Through the Canal
We have had an interesting couple of days motoring through the Panama Canal. The canal is 48 miles long and we couldn't make it in one hop. We moored overnight with Cape Breton and Uniquely Singapore and enjoyed an evening of swimming and loud music.
The race to Jamaica is due to start today with different rules. Since the first Clipper Race in 1996 the race fleet has always been one of matched yachts, providing a level playing field for the teams who are also allocated to the boats in as balanced a way as possible.
There are some differences between the new Cork boat, a Challenge 67, and the rest of the fleet, the Clipper 68s which were designed and built specifically for the Clipper Race. Therefore the ten yachts will now race under IRC rating rules – the standard by which boats of differing classes are measured when they race in international regattas including such classics as Cowes Week, the China Sea Race and the Round the Island Race.
The rating takes into account a raft of technical specifications such as sail area, keel weight and other performance data which are then calculated to produce a rating value for each yacht. This value is then used as a multiplier of the time the boat takes to complete the race. According to the IRC ratings, there is approximately a nine percent difference in speed between the faster Clipper 68s and the Challenge 67.
So, from Race 9 onwards all ten yachts will have to wait for time adjustments before the results for each race are announced and the first boat across the finish line will have taken line honours but will not necessarily have won that race. The race viewer will show the positions of the yachts in real time, not IRC corrected time.
Through the Canal
We have had an interesting couple of days motoring through the Panama Canal. The canal is 48 miles long and we couldn't make it in one hop. We moored overnight with Cape Breton and Uniquely Singapore and enjoyed an evening of swimming and loud music.
The race to Jamaica is due to start today with different rules. Since the first Clipper Race in 1996 the race fleet has always been one of matched yachts, providing a level playing field for the teams who are also allocated to the boats in as balanced a way as possible.
There are some differences between the new Cork boat, a Challenge 67, and the rest of the fleet, the Clipper 68s which were designed and built specifically for the Clipper Race. Therefore the ten yachts will now race under IRC rating rules – the standard by which boats of differing classes are measured when they race in international regattas including such classics as Cowes Week, the China Sea Race and the Round the Island Race.
The rating takes into account a raft of technical specifications such as sail area, keel weight and other performance data which are then calculated to produce a rating value for each yacht. This value is then used as a multiplier of the time the boat takes to complete the race. According to the IRC ratings, there is approximately a nine percent difference in speed between the faster Clipper 68s and the Challenge 67.
So, from Race 9 onwards all ten yachts will have to wait for time adjustments before the results for each race are announced and the first boat across the finish line will have taken line honours but will not necessarily have won that race. The race viewer will show the positions of the yachts in real time, not IRC corrected time.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Race shortened
Team Finland finished the shortened race to Panama in 4th place. The first three places were taken by Spirit of Australia, Jamaica Lightning Bolt and Qingdao respectively.
The results are provisional until all the skippers have handed in their Race Declarations on arrival in Panama. All the yachts will assemble at the Flamenco Marina, Panama, from where they will transit the Panama Canal, one of the great wonders of modern engineering, before the start of Race 9, a short, upwind sprint to Port Antonio on the beautiful north coast of Jamaica.
Posted by , 1:07 PM, (2)
Whether by accident or design the two lone words say a lot Andy. Even though third place was missed by the thinnest of margins, you and Team Finland have shown extraordinary resolve and stamina. While all have had thier struggles, no one else in the fleet has had to be on the water continuously for the length of time TF has been. For you all to have faught such a fine race in such strenuous conditions, mentally and physically, is amazing. Stand proud! You're a remarkable group of people!! Posted by Jacob, 48 minutes later
Well said Jacob- they are an amazing team and should be very proud of themselves.
Hope you can all have a good rest before starting the next race. Enjoy the Panama canal experience. Posted by Jude, 1 day later
Race shortened
Team Finland finished the shortened race to Panama in 4th place. The first three places were taken by Spirit of Australia, Jamaica Lightning Bolt and Qingdao respectively.
The results are provisional until all the skippers have handed in their Race Declarations on arrival in Panama. All the yachts will assemble at the Flamenco Marina, Panama, from where they will transit the Panama Canal, one of the great wonders of modern engineering, before the start of Race 9, a short, upwind sprint to Port Antonio on the beautiful north coast of Jamaica.
Posted by , 1:07 PM, (2)
Whether by accident or design the two lone words say a lot Andy. Even though third place was missed by the thinnest of margins, you and Team Finland have shown extraordinary resolve and stamina. While all have had thier struggles, no one else in the fleet has had to be on the water continuously for the length of time TF has been. For you all to have faught such a fine race in such strenuous conditions, mentally and physically, is amazing. Stand proud! You're a remarkable group of people!! Posted by Jacob, 48 minutes later
Well said Jacob- they are an amazing team and should be very proud of themselves.
Hope you can all have a good rest before starting the next race. Enjoy the Panama canal experience. Posted by Jude, 1 day later
Friday, May 7, 2010
Last push
This has perhaps been the most exciting/frustrating/stressful/
challenging race to date. We were fresh from our 35 day trip from Qingdao (as far as sailing was concerned) but only managed 36 hours in SF which was used mainly to catch up with loved ones. We started well in gale force conditions and having led the fleet south, we swopped the lead with the Aussies several times; each taking it in turns to go west and get a good run back in towards the rhum line.
After that things started to go wrong a bit. We stayed west thinking it would benefit us. It didn't. We started to tire having effectively been at sea for over 42 days. We knew we had a competitive crew but having slipped down to 7th/8th place, did we have the winning mentality to crawl back into it?
The answer came yesterday morning after a frustrating night of light winds going nowhere fast. I had just taken over the helm and we were flying the mid weight spinny with lightning on the horizon. We thought we were skirting the edge of the storm safely but suddenly the wind rocketed from 6 knots to 20 pulling the spinnaker (and boat) on to its side whilst spinning the bow up into the wind. Even though he had been sleeping below, the skipper was still the first on deck to release the main sheet and depower the vessel. We got the boat under control and safely dropped the spinnaker without damage. For the next 12 hours we hurtled along on the edge of the storm at about 9 knots. The three boats in front of us had previously held a lead of between 63 and 73 miles and we whittled that down to 6 miles for third place.
The winds have now lightened again but we are still moving well and determined to get something out of this race which, no doubt has a few twists and turns still to come.
Last push
This has perhaps been the most exciting/frustrating/stressful/
challenging race to date. We were fresh from our 35 day trip from Qingdao (as far as sailing was concerned) but only managed 36 hours in SF which was used mainly to catch up with loved ones. We started well in gale force conditions and having led the fleet south, we swopped the lead with the Aussies several times; each taking it in turns to go west and get a good run back in towards the rhum line.
After that things started to go wrong a bit. We stayed west thinking it would benefit us. It didn't. We started to tire having effectively been at sea for over 42 days. We knew we had a competitive crew but having slipped down to 7th/8th place, did we have the winning mentality to crawl back into it?
The answer came yesterday morning after a frustrating night of light winds going nowhere fast. I had just taken over the helm and we were flying the mid weight spinny with lightning on the horizon. We thought we were skirting the edge of the storm safely but suddenly the wind rocketed from 6 knots to 20 pulling the spinnaker (and boat) on to its side whilst spinning the bow up into the wind. Even though he had been sleeping below, the skipper was still the first on deck to release the main sheet and depower the vessel. We got the boat under control and safely dropped the spinnaker without damage. For the next 12 hours we hurtled along on the edge of the storm at about 9 knots. The three boats in front of us had previously held a lead of between 63 and 73 miles and we whittled that down to 6 miles for third place.
The winds have now lightened again but we are still moving well and determined to get something out of this race which, no doubt has a few twists and turns still to come.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Where's the wind?
We never seem to be really happy with the weather on Team Finland. Last month we were complaining about the bitterly cold and wet conditions coming across the Pacific from Qingdao. We complained about the lack of sunshine and wind as we approached San Francisco. In reality of course, we were delighted to make the trip in 35 days and fully appreciate just what an awesome achievement it was given we had no other vessels in distance to offer assistance if we needed it.
Of course our 35 days at sea will become around 53 days at sea by the time we arrive in Panama - just 36 hours to turn the boat around in California but with huge support from the crews on other boats, we made it. The first three days were raced in gale conditions and we took advantage of our sea legs, stretching out an impressive lead over the fleet. Since then we have had champagne sailing conditions and have exchanged the lead with Australia as we take it in turns to gybe west and then come back in to the west coast of Mexico. Winds have got gradually lighter and today we even had to drop our lightweight spinnaker in favour of the windseeker. It is so important just to keep the boat moving as most of our speed is derived from our own 'apparent' wind. If we make a mistake we know the boat will stall and will take literally hours to get going again. So last night, as we swopped the mid weight for light weight spinnaker, we did a peel to make sure we were not without sail at any time. This involves raising the lightweight inside of the mid weight before dropping the heavier sail. It went very smoothly; another first for TF crew!
The wind is barely 2 knots at the minute and we creep around the deck trying not to disturb the movement of the hull. We are still creeping along. The first rule is to keep the boat moving; the second is to worry about what direction you are going in. For this reason, this morning saw us actually heading slightly north again (!) but the continued momentum meant we could take advantage of the winds when they eventually turned in our favour. We are now making a bee line for the finish line and have reduced the Aussies lead to just 9 miles. Not much really. More importantly, we are further south from them. A statistic we hope will give us an advantage in the closing stages of this race.
Posted by , 7:55 AM, (0)
Where's the wind?
We never seem to be really happy with the weather on Team Finland. Last month we were complaining about the bitterly cold and wet conditions coming across the Pacific from Qingdao. We complained about the lack of sunshine and wind as we approached San Francisco. In reality of course, we were delighted to make the trip in 35 days and fully appreciate just what an awesome achievement it was given we had no other vessels in distance to offer assistance if we needed it.
Of course our 35 days at sea will become around 53 days at sea by the time we arrive in Panama - just 36 hours to turn the boat around in California but with huge support from the crews on other boats, we made it. The first three days were raced in gale conditions and we took advantage of our sea legs, stretching out an impressive lead over the fleet. Since then we have had champagne sailing conditions and have exchanged the lead with Australia as we take it in turns to gybe west and then come back in to the west coast of Mexico. Winds have got gradually lighter and today we even had to drop our lightweight spinnaker in favour of the windseeker. It is so important just to keep the boat moving as most of our speed is derived from our own 'apparent' wind. If we make a mistake we know the boat will stall and will take literally hours to get going again. So last night, as we swopped the mid weight for light weight spinnaker, we did a peel to make sure we were not without sail at any time. This involves raising the lightweight inside of the mid weight before dropping the heavier sail. It went very smoothly; another first for TF crew!
The wind is barely 2 knots at the minute and we creep around the deck trying not to disturb the movement of the hull. We are still creeping along. The first rule is to keep the boat moving; the second is to worry about what direction you are going in. For this reason, this morning saw us actually heading slightly north again (!) but the continued momentum meant we could take advantage of the winds when they eventually turned in our favour. We are now making a bee line for the finish line and have reduced the Aussies lead to just 9 miles. Not much really. More importantly, we are further south from them. A statistic we hope will give us an advantage in the closing stages of this race.
Posted by , 7:55 AM, (0)
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Minutes matter
As Spirit of Australia took the three points, it was nip and tuck between Team Finland and Qingdao to see who would claim the others. Team Finland triumphed, second through the scoring gate at 0937 UTC, just 48 minutes behind the Aussies.
The race with Spirit of Australia had been very close. After a morning of spinnaker changing after a small nick in the foot appeared Team Finland were unable to regain the small loss in miles which meant they had to settle for 2 gate points
Posted by , 4:11 PM, (0)
Minutes matter
As Spirit of Australia took the three points, it was nip and tuck between Team Finland and Qingdao to see who would claim the others. Team Finland triumphed, second through the scoring gate at 0937 UTC, just 48 minutes behind the Aussies.
The race with Spirit of Australia had been very close. After a morning of spinnaker changing after a small nick in the foot appeared Team Finland were unable to regain the small loss in miles which meant they had to settle for 2 gate points
Posted by , 4:11 PM, (0)
Saturday, April 24, 2010
The race start
It is great to be racing again and everyone seems to be having fun. The new leggers all started off with seasickness but most are on their feet now. It was our best race start since Cape Town. Most went for Y3 and reefed main. We went for Y2 and full main and it showed. We timed our run to the start line badly - nearly crossing too early before we had to bear away. After that we tacked away from the fleet to clear water and then there was no stopping us. We had a spectacular send off under Golden Gate Bridge.
Skippy caught us overnight and crossed our bows from the windward side very close. Huge seas and a seemingly endless display by dolphins have kept us entertained. Have just come off watch after 90 minutes of non stop evolutions and I'm ready for bed.
Posted by , 11:23 PM, (0)
The race start
It is great to be racing again and everyone seems to be having fun. The new leggers all started off with seasickness but most are on their feet now. It was our best race start since Cape Town. Most went for Y3 and reefed main. We went for Y2 and full main and it showed. We timed our run to the start line badly - nearly crossing too early before we had to bear away. After that we tacked away from the fleet to clear water and then there was no stopping us. We had a spectacular send off under Golden Gate Bridge.
Skippy caught us overnight and crossed our bows from the windward side very close. Huge seas and a seemingly endless display by dolphins have kept us entertained. Have just come off watch after 90 minutes of non stop evolutions and I'm ready for bed.
Posted by , 11:23 PM, (0)
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Back Racing!
Having had a lonely trip from Qingdao it is great to be back racing. Our stopover in San Francisco was short but refreshing. We are ready to race and feel the short time ashore will work to our advantage. There will be no period of adjustment for us while we find our sealegs - we didn't have time to lose them!
As at 0300 GMT Team Finland were leading the field.
Posted by , 6:46 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Back Racing!
Having had a lonely trip from Qingdao it is great to be back racing. Our stopover in San Francisco was short but refreshing. We are ready to race and feel the short time ashore will work to our advantage. There will be no period of adjustment for us while we find our sealegs - we didn't have time to lose them!
As at 0300 GMT Team Finland were leading the field.
Posted by , 6:46 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Monday, April 19, 2010
Hello San Francisco
Team Finland has now arrived at San Francisco Marina and is safely tied up alongside. We were in great spirits and gave Cape Breton Island three rousing cheers after came out to meet us last night. In amongst the items transferred across in the darkness were pizza and cigarettes after the final packet was smoked three days ago.
We have to remain on the pontoon for a couple of hours awaiting US Immigration and can then leave the boat to an army of volunteers who will take over the deep clean and prepare for the Clipper maintenance team to step on board. The last ten days at sea have been well spent and many of the safety checks and much of the servicing has already been completed.
With all crew wearing flowers (albeit plastic ones) in their hair (a challenge for me!), we have finally achieved our goal to be in San Francisco.
Posted by , 2:48 PM, Permalink Comment (1)
Congratulations to all on TF on your arrival in San Francisco!Well done to a brilliant crew!! Get as much rest as you can before you set off again.Will have beer waiting on pontoon in Jamaica!SISU!!!
Cheers,
John B. Posted by John B, 16 minutes later
Hello San Francisco
Team Finland has now arrived at San Francisco Marina and is safely tied up alongside. We were in great spirits and gave Cape Breton Island three rousing cheers after came out to meet us last night. In amongst the items transferred across in the darkness were pizza and cigarettes after the final packet was smoked three days ago.
We have to remain on the pontoon for a couple of hours awaiting US Immigration and can then leave the boat to an army of volunteers who will take over the deep clean and prepare for the Clipper maintenance team to step on board. The last ten days at sea have been well spent and many of the safety checks and much of the servicing has already been completed.
With all crew wearing flowers (albeit plastic ones) in their hair (a challenge for me!), we have finally achieved our goal to be in San Francisco.
Posted by , 2:48 PM, Permalink Comment (1)
Congratulations to all on TF on your arrival in San Francisco!Well done to a brilliant crew!! Get as much rest as you can before you set off again.Will have beer waiting on pontoon in Jamaica!SISU!!!
Cheers,
John B. Posted by John B, 16 minutes later
Sunday, April 11, 2010
What Exactly IS the Challenge of a Lifetime?
Our trip to California is inevitably more like a delivery trip than a race although we are now racing against the clock to make sure we start race 8 with the others. Our trip gives us a lot of time for thinking and my thoughts have gone back to the original challenge as I saw it.
To describe the Clipper Round the World Race as a race for amateurs belies the true spirit of Clipper. This is a race not just for amateurs but for novice sailors. Over half of the crews have never sailed before in their lives. Ironically, when I spoke to former crew members from 07/08 and 05/06 about the race, the common theme from experienced sailors was that it was a great event but frustrating because Clipper allow non sailors in! Of course they do! That is the whole point! Training does much to emphasise this and at this stage of the race – amazingly we are well over half way now – it is both staggering and pleasing to see how well individuals have developed. What binds us as a team is the common factor that every individual is testing the limits of their comfort zone in their own way. For some, the challenge of a lifetime means climbing the mast in a force 7; for others it means moving forward of the mast or mastering the helm. The successful teams are those that recognise this common bond and focus on their own efforts rather than constantly analysing and questioning what others are doing.
Team Finland have shown time and again that we have these qualities and we are preparing ourselves for a major push in the next race. We still lie in fourth place so we must be doing something right! Just like every boat in the fleet, we have crew of varying ages, backgrounds and abilities. We represent 21 nationalities; more than any other boat. We have the youngest crew member (Evie ‘I’m too young to drink in the USA’ Watt from Torbay) who, at 19, whips sheets like no one else on the boat and is generally good humoured so long as you drop a marshmallow in her hot chocolate. We also have the oldest (‘Turbo’ Tony Allen from Texas) who at 69 puts us all to shame by working the longest day quite consistently. He is my partner on mother watch today and every time I ask him to take a rest, he tells me “beds are for tired people” and starts off another important job! He works tirelessly and is an inspiration to us all.
Right now we are working on a number of jobs to save us time in California. Winches are all being serviced, the rip in the main sail is being repaired and we are carrying out rig checks. We are thinking of using the race schedules from 2/3 weeks ago to simulate racing for the last 1,000 miles and we are
starting our deep clean already.
So watch out guys – the Finns are back in the water – and this time we mean business!
Posted by , 11:27 AM, Permalink Comment (2)
Go Team Finland!Your all doing a fantastic job! See you in Jamaica!
SISU! SISU! Posted by John B, 2 days later
Hey Andy - Been watching as you approach SF ... in the light airs. Must be a real trial for all on board!! It'll be quite a reunion with the rest of the crews when you land though. Thanks for the fantastic updates and all the best on the next leg!!! At least there'll be no delay for Team Finland in getting their sea legs and that could be a REAL advantage. Posted by Jacob, 7 days later
What Exactly IS the Challenge of a Lifetime?
Our trip to California is inevitably more like a delivery trip than a race although we are now racing against the clock to make sure we start race 8 with the others. Our trip gives us a lot of time for thinking and my thoughts have gone back to the original challenge as I saw it.
To describe the Clipper Round the World Race as a race for amateurs belies the true spirit of Clipper. This is a race not just for amateurs but for novice sailors. Over half of the crews have never sailed before in their lives. Ironically, when I spoke to former crew members from 07/08 and 05/06 about the race, the common theme from experienced sailors was that it was a great event but frustrating because Clipper allow non sailors in! Of course they do! That is the whole point! Training does much to emphasise this and at this stage of the race – amazingly we are well over half way now – it is both staggering and pleasing to see how well individuals have developed. What binds us as a team is the common factor that every individual is testing the limits of their comfort zone in their own way. For some, the challenge of a lifetime means climbing the mast in a force 7; for others it means moving forward of the mast or mastering the helm. The successful teams are those that recognise this common bond and focus on their own efforts rather than constantly analysing and questioning what others are doing.
Team Finland have shown time and again that we have these qualities and we are preparing ourselves for a major push in the next race. We still lie in fourth place so we must be doing something right! Just like every boat in the fleet, we have crew of varying ages, backgrounds and abilities. We represent 21 nationalities; more than any other boat. We have the youngest crew member (Evie ‘I’m too young to drink in the USA’ Watt from Torbay) who, at 19, whips sheets like no one else on the boat and is generally good humoured so long as you drop a marshmallow in her hot chocolate. We also have the oldest (‘Turbo’ Tony Allen from Texas) who at 69 puts us all to shame by working the longest day quite consistently. He is my partner on mother watch today and every time I ask him to take a rest, he tells me “beds are for tired people” and starts off another important job! He works tirelessly and is an inspiration to us all.
Right now we are working on a number of jobs to save us time in California. Winches are all being serviced, the rip in the main sail is being repaired and we are carrying out rig checks. We are thinking of using the race schedules from 2/3 weeks ago to simulate racing for the last 1,000 miles and we are
starting our deep clean already.
So watch out guys – the Finns are back in the water – and this time we mean business!
Posted by , 11:27 AM, Permalink Comment (2)
Go Team Finland!Your all doing a fantastic job! See you in Jamaica!
SISU! SISU! Posted by John B, 2 days later
Hey Andy - Been watching as you approach SF ... in the light airs. Must be a real trial for all on board!! It'll be quite a reunion with the rest of the crews when you land though. Thanks for the fantastic updates and all the best on the next leg!!! At least there'll be no delay for Team Finland in getting their sea legs and that could be a REAL advantage. Posted by Jacob, 7 days later
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Same Ocean, Different Sea
Every morning watch we wake up, have breakfast and climb up on deck to be greeted by a familiar sight. As far as the eye can see in every direction there is water. That’s it. Just water. Every day it is the same and unless we had charts and GPS we could, for all we know, be sailing in the same spot of sea every day. Some might say that can get a bit boring but in reality, with all the tacks, gybes, reefs and sail changes, nothing is further from the truth. In addition, every day, that same sea displays hugely different characteristics.
On calm days the sea looks like molten lead. In moderate seas it is gun metal grey, sometimes with white horses that are constantly moving and changing. In the sunlight the sea takes on a dark blue hue and under a full moon the sheer beauty of the sea’s movement is captured perfectly. In heavier seas you see rolling waves breaking on top of the swells – often displaying a jewel like glimpse of topaz or turquoise just below the crest of the wave.
And then there is the wildlife that never ceases to enthral us. Flying fish may smell horrible but they are a wonder of nature and we happily return them to the sea when they crash land on deck (or my back as one did the other night). Albatross, petrels , terns and boobies grace the air above the boat, playing in the thermals created by our sails. Best of all though are the whales – some as close as ten metres to the boat (well, even closer if you count the one we collided with on leg 3) – and the dolphins. Last night we were delighted by a display by close to 50 dolphins on both sides of the bow. I can now confirm that after 2,345 attempts - I now have a decent picture of a dolphin!!!
All I need now is a picture of that elusive mermaid…..
Posted by , 4:09 PM, (0)
Same Ocean, Different Sea
Every morning watch we wake up, have breakfast and climb up on deck to be greeted by a familiar sight. As far as the eye can see in every direction there is water. That’s it. Just water. Every day it is the same and unless we had charts and GPS we could, for all we know, be sailing in the same spot of sea every day. Some might say that can get a bit boring but in reality, with all the tacks, gybes, reefs and sail changes, nothing is further from the truth. In addition, every day, that same sea displays hugely different characteristics.
On calm days the sea looks like molten lead. In moderate seas it is gun metal grey, sometimes with white horses that are constantly moving and changing. In the sunlight the sea takes on a dark blue hue and under a full moon the sheer beauty of the sea’s movement is captured perfectly. In heavier seas you see rolling waves breaking on top of the swells – often displaying a jewel like glimpse of topaz or turquoise just below the crest of the wave.
And then there is the wildlife that never ceases to enthral us. Flying fish may smell horrible but they are a wonder of nature and we happily return them to the sea when they crash land on deck (or my back as one did the other night). Albatross, petrels , terns and boobies grace the air above the boat, playing in the thermals created by our sails. Best of all though are the whales – some as close as ten metres to the boat (well, even closer if you count the one we collided with on leg 3) – and the dolphins. Last night we were delighted by a display by close to 50 dolphins on both sides of the bow. I can now confirm that after 2,345 attempts - I now have a decent picture of a dolphin!!!
All I need now is a picture of that elusive mermaid…..
Posted by , 4:09 PM, (0)
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Diving again
It has been a busy couple of days for us. We are now in high pressure systems and enjoying sunshine though very cold and still rough seas. I had to dive under the boat again yesterday as we had trouble with our engine. Turns out our prop is jammed up with a fishing net and kelp which we must cut free. Too dangerous to do now but we hope for some calmer seas soon.
Meanwhile I've been helping Rob with the failed generator. We changed a lot of wiring, I changed the impeller blade and we cleared the cooling system and fuel line (which was blocked with a sweet wrapper!!).
Anyway it’s nearly yesterday (who says tomorrow never comes?) and I need to get tomorrows sleep in before my next watch. This international date line stuff is very confusing
Posted by , 11:07 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Diving again
It has been a busy couple of days for us. We are now in high pressure systems and enjoying sunshine though very cold and still rough seas. I had to dive under the boat again yesterday as we had trouble with our engine. Turns out our prop is jammed up with a fishing net and kelp which we must cut free. Too dangerous to do now but we hope for some calmer seas soon.
Meanwhile I've been helping Rob with the failed generator. We changed a lot of wiring, I changed the impeller blade and we cleared the cooling system and fuel line (which was blocked with a sweet wrapper!!).
Anyway it’s nearly yesterday (who says tomorrow never comes?) and I need to get tomorrows sleep in before my next watch. This international date line stuff is very confusing
Posted by , 11:07 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Sunday, March 28, 2010
A Mother's Day
I’ve talked about mother watch before but as ours has changed somewhat since the beginning of the race, I thought it would be interesting to take you through a typical day. We now have a dedicated mother watch with one from each of two opposite watches teaming up for the day. This in itself is quite good since opposite watches replace one another on deck and rarely get the chance to talk.
My day started at 5am preparing breakfast for the watches starting and finishing at 6am. Since my last watch finished at 8pm the previous evening I’ve had a good nights sleep and I am pretty fresh! My first mother watch of this trip saw bacon butties being served but meat does not keep long so today it is a choice of porridge, cereal or bread cooked by yesterdays mothers. It was pretty good too with cinnamon and raisins.
Emil is my fellow mother today and he prepares the second set of breakfasts at 8am whilst I return to my sleeping bag for a sneaky 90 minutes extra sleep! I’m up again at 8:30 and together we clean the boat from top to bottom with anti bacterial spray. I thought I had the better part of the deal as Emil set to the on heads but I soon realised that in rough seas cleaning the front cabins can be little hazardous to say the least. Those same conditions are causing havoc in the galley with milk spilling, crockery escaping from the hatches and a rather messy leak from a soy sauce bottle that has to be cleaned up. Our water maker is not operational for this trip so water conservation is high on the agenda. Dishes are washed in sea water for now and not rinsed in fresh as we would normally.
Lunch is a simple affair – pasta and sauce (as yesterday; as tomorrow!!) and it seems well received. Our preparations are interrupted as Laura (our troublesome generator) demands yet more attention. I’d checked the oil, looked for leaks, checked for shortages, looked at the fan belt and the racor filter before consulting the skipper. ‘Have you checked the water?’ I feel foolish….…. we check the bilges for water and with help from the on watch crew, get the excess water up and overboard. So with her thirst satisfied she purrs along for the rest of the day quite happily.
That leaves Emil and me to do our Ready Steady Cook bit on tonight’s dinner. Tinned pork and curry sauce are the basic ingredients but we manage to make it a little more interesting with coconut milk, mushrooms that look a bit like sheep’s eyeballs, butternut squash, potatoes, chilli, onion and garlic. All preparations are carried out at an angle with feet rammed in lower lockers for stability and knives handled with the utmost caution! All worth it though as the meal goes down a treat and even the tinned fruit is appreciated.
No one looks forward to mother watch but what makes it really worthwhile is that no one goes to bed without a sincere thank you.
Emil is on watch again at midnight so he goes off to bed after the 6pm watch change. That leaves me to feed the 8pm watch change, wash up, bake bread (mine had olive oil added tonight) and write this blog before turning in around 10pm.
Posted by , 8:21 AM, (0)
A Mother's Day
I’ve talked about mother watch before but as ours has changed somewhat since the beginning of the race, I thought it would be interesting to take you through a typical day. We now have a dedicated mother watch with one from each of two opposite watches teaming up for the day. This in itself is quite good since opposite watches replace one another on deck and rarely get the chance to talk.
My day started at 5am preparing breakfast for the watches starting and finishing at 6am. Since my last watch finished at 8pm the previous evening I’ve had a good nights sleep and I am pretty fresh! My first mother watch of this trip saw bacon butties being served but meat does not keep long so today it is a choice of porridge, cereal or bread cooked by yesterdays mothers. It was pretty good too with cinnamon and raisins.
Emil is my fellow mother today and he prepares the second set of breakfasts at 8am whilst I return to my sleeping bag for a sneaky 90 minutes extra sleep! I’m up again at 8:30 and together we clean the boat from top to bottom with anti bacterial spray. I thought I had the better part of the deal as Emil set to the on heads but I soon realised that in rough seas cleaning the front cabins can be little hazardous to say the least. Those same conditions are causing havoc in the galley with milk spilling, crockery escaping from the hatches and a rather messy leak from a soy sauce bottle that has to be cleaned up. Our water maker is not operational for this trip so water conservation is high on the agenda. Dishes are washed in sea water for now and not rinsed in fresh as we would normally.
Lunch is a simple affair – pasta and sauce (as yesterday; as tomorrow!!) and it seems well received. Our preparations are interrupted as Laura (our troublesome generator) demands yet more attention. I’d checked the oil, looked for leaks, checked for shortages, looked at the fan belt and the racor filter before consulting the skipper. ‘Have you checked the water?’ I feel foolish….…. we check the bilges for water and with help from the on watch crew, get the excess water up and overboard. So with her thirst satisfied she purrs along for the rest of the day quite happily.
That leaves Emil and me to do our Ready Steady Cook bit on tonight’s dinner. Tinned pork and curry sauce are the basic ingredients but we manage to make it a little more interesting with coconut milk, mushrooms that look a bit like sheep’s eyeballs, butternut squash, potatoes, chilli, onion and garlic. All preparations are carried out at an angle with feet rammed in lower lockers for stability and knives handled with the utmost caution! All worth it though as the meal goes down a treat and even the tinned fruit is appreciated.
No one looks forward to mother watch but what makes it really worthwhile is that no one goes to bed without a sincere thank you.
Emil is on watch again at midnight so he goes off to bed after the 6pm watch change. That leaves me to feed the 8pm watch change, wash up, bake bread (mine had olive oil added tonight) and write this blog before turning in around 10pm.
Posted by , 8:21 AM, (0)
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Onward to San Fran
Since we left China we have had cool wet and windy conditions. Problems with our water maker and mainsail meant we made a brief stop in Japan but conditions since have been unrelenting with moderate to rough seas and winds between 30 and 40 knots. All good fun helming but the constant wet gets to you after a while. The foulies are good for only so long and eventually the damp penetrates. I've resorted to wearing my wet clothes to bed in an attempt to dry them. It is uncomfortable but not unbearable. The boat leaks a lot too in this weather so we are constantly emptying the bilges. The mood is good though and we are making very good speed across The Pacific. We have now crossed Mariana Trench where the sea bed is an aweinspiring 7 miles beneath the boat.
Our thoughts are mainly with the other boats which have endured a nightmare crossing including California which lost its mast in a roll - far scarier than our mast loss. The whole of The Pacific is a constant stream of storms at the moment approaching hurricane force in places. The only place you would want to be is where we are right now. We are trying to keep south of the worst weather in the hope that this will see us through a smoother passage.
Posted by , 10:57 AM, (1)
Remarkable updates Andy!! I hope you can stay out of the worst of the storms they look horrific on the race tracker. Stay safe and maybe spare a thought for the Fisherman's Wharf crab cakes that await at journey's end if that helps get you there faster. :-) Which leads to a question - what's the menu like for you these days? Posted by Jacob, 13:41 hours later
Onward to San Fran
Since we left China we have had cool wet and windy conditions. Problems with our water maker and mainsail meant we made a brief stop in Japan but conditions since have been unrelenting with moderate to rough seas and winds between 30 and 40 knots. All good fun helming but the constant wet gets to you after a while. The foulies are good for only so long and eventually the damp penetrates. I've resorted to wearing my wet clothes to bed in an attempt to dry them. It is uncomfortable but not unbearable. The boat leaks a lot too in this weather so we are constantly emptying the bilges. The mood is good though and we are making very good speed across The Pacific. We have now crossed Mariana Trench where the sea bed is an aweinspiring 7 miles beneath the boat.
Our thoughts are mainly with the other boats which have endured a nightmare crossing including California which lost its mast in a roll - far scarier than our mast loss. The whole of The Pacific is a constant stream of storms at the moment approaching hurricane force in places. The only place you would want to be is where we are right now. We are trying to keep south of the worst weather in the hope that this will see us through a smoother passage.
Posted by , 10:57 AM, (1)
Remarkable updates Andy!! I hope you can stay out of the worst of the storms they look horrific on the race tracker. Stay safe and maybe spare a thought for the Fisherman's Wharf crab cakes that await at journey's end if that helps get you there faster. :-) Which leads to a question - what's the menu like for you these days? Posted by Jacob, 13:41 hours later
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Water water
Not many people take a day trip to Japan but that is the aim for the crew of Team Finland. As our watermaker is not working we have to make a pitstop in Japan where we will fill our diesel and water tanks and take on enough bottled water to last us through to San Francisco. We are working on 3 litres per day per person and 10 litres per day for cooking. That makes 55 litres per day for 23 (remaining) days. We have tanks that hold 780 litres so that leaves 485 litres to store in canisters around the boat. We are actuially aiming to take 700 litres in canisters so we should be OK. Depending on the weather and thus the time it will take to get to San Francisco there may need to be a bit of rationing along the way.
Posted by , 2:23 PM, Permalink Comment (1)
Thanks as always for the updates Andy.There'll be no showers for you guys till SF!Hope you have time in SF to fix the problems.Good luck with the crossing and hope you don't run into any storms.
See you in Jamaica! Posted by John B., 4:45 hours later
Water water
Not many people take a day trip to Japan but that is the aim for the crew of Team Finland. As our watermaker is not working we have to make a pitstop in Japan where we will fill our diesel and water tanks and take on enough bottled water to last us through to San Francisco. We are working on 3 litres per day per person and 10 litres per day for cooking. That makes 55 litres per day for 23 (remaining) days. We have tanks that hold 780 litres so that leaves 485 litres to store in canisters around the boat. We are actuially aiming to take 700 litres in canisters so we should be OK. Depending on the weather and thus the time it will take to get to San Francisco there may need to be a bit of rationing along the way.
Posted by , 2:23 PM, Permalink Comment (1)
Thanks as always for the updates Andy.There'll be no showers for you guys till SF!Hope you have time in SF to fix the problems.Good luck with the crossing and hope you don't run into any storms.
See you in Jamaica! Posted by John B., 4:45 hours later
Friday, March 19, 2010
Made of strong stuff
Right now I’m starting to see the appeal of these round the world races that do not stop anywhere en route. Once the crew and boat are in harmony, it’s best to just keep going whilst everything works well! We’ve had a terrific race so far and have stopped at some wonderful ports. In terms of hospitality, the people of Qingdao were undoubtedly the best so far, treating us like heroes – despite that fact that we lost our mast.
However, now that we are back at sea we are starting to find there are drawbacks to being in port for three weeks. It seems to take just a little more effort than usual to complete a sail change or put a reef in. A number of crew have suffered sea sickness as they shake away their land legs. Despite the heroics of our shore based engineering team – who have already got us out of more fixes than I’ve had hot dinners – we have encountered a number of technical problems. We lost part of our watermaker to Hull and Humber only to find two days out that the ‘new’ kit produces salty water. Our batteries went to Jamaica Clipper and the Chinese replacements do not hold their charge anywhere near as well. In addition, of course, we have our new mast which needs constant attention as we head across the Yellow Sea towards the Southern tip of Japan.
You would think we would be downhearted with all this going on but Team Finland is made of stronger stuff. We are sailing again which makes us happy. The rolling seas, though cold, are very impressive and we are starting to get some speed up. Last time I looked we were even closing the gap on Spirit of Australia. So we are more determined than ever to overcome our problems andprove ourselves competitively for Race 8 to Panama.
Posted by , 6:42 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Made of strong stuff
Right now I’m starting to see the appeal of these round the world races that do not stop anywhere en route. Once the crew and boat are in harmony, it’s best to just keep going whilst everything works well! We’ve had a terrific race so far and have stopped at some wonderful ports. In terms of hospitality, the people of Qingdao were undoubtedly the best so far, treating us like heroes – despite that fact that we lost our mast.
However, now that we are back at sea we are starting to find there are drawbacks to being in port for three weeks. It seems to take just a little more effort than usual to complete a sail change or put a reef in. A number of crew have suffered sea sickness as they shake away their land legs. Despite the heroics of our shore based engineering team – who have already got us out of more fixes than I’ve had hot dinners – we have encountered a number of technical problems. We lost part of our watermaker to Hull and Humber only to find two days out that the ‘new’ kit produces salty water. Our batteries went to Jamaica Clipper and the Chinese replacements do not hold their charge anywhere near as well. In addition, of course, we have our new mast which needs constant attention as we head across the Yellow Sea towards the Southern tip of Japan.
You would think we would be downhearted with all this going on but Team Finland is made of stronger stuff. We are sailing again which makes us happy. The rolling seas, though cold, are very impressive and we are starting to get some speed up. Last time I looked we were even closing the gap on Spirit of Australia. So we are more determined than ever to overcome our problems andprove ourselves competitively for Race 8 to Panama.
Posted by , 6:42 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
We are sailing!
Team Finland has left the Olympic Sailing Centre in Qingdao and has begun her race to San Francisco. Having been held up in Qingdao after being dismasted during the race from Singapore the crew were itching to be back sailing. Team Finland left Qingdao at approximately 0930 GMT (1730 local) 14 days after the rest of the fleet. Through the dusk the sound of drums and cymbals bade them farewell.
Here’s hoping for fair winds and safe sailing to San Francisco
Posted by , 4:21 PM, Permalink Comment (1)
Best wishes for the onward journey. Be safe! Posted by Jude, 2:35 hours later
We are sailing!
Team Finland has left the Olympic Sailing Centre in Qingdao and has begun her race to San Francisco. Having been held up in Qingdao after being dismasted during the race from Singapore the crew were itching to be back sailing. Team Finland left Qingdao at approximately 0930 GMT (1730 local) 14 days after the rest of the fleet. Through the dusk the sound of drums and cymbals bade them farewell.
Here’s hoping for fair winds and safe sailing to San Francisco
Posted by , 4:21 PM, Permalink Comment (1)
Best wishes for the onward journey. Be safe! Posted by Jude, 2:35 hours later
Monday, March 15, 2010
The Riggers Apprentice (or the riggers skivvy!).
Not many people get the chance to sail around the world. Even fewer get the chance to race around the world. But how many novice sailors actually get the chance to build, rig and install a new mast on a 68 foot racing yacht? That is just what I have been doing over the last two days and I've enjoyed every second. Helping to attach spreaders, run cabling and halyards down the centre of the mast and actually helping drop the mast in has been truly the exprerience of a lifetime. Tomorrow, we will finish off the installation, tune the rigging and take her for a test sail before (hopefully) leaving for San Francisco tomorrow night. It's been a long wait in cold Qingdao but the experiences just keep piling up!
Posted by , 4:47 PM, Permalink Comment (1)
WHOA Andy!! Great to hear Team Finland will soon be back in action! All the best for a safe crossing. Posted by Jacob, 9:15 hours later
Thursday, March 11, 2010
The Riggers Apprentice (or the riggers skivvy!).
Not many people get the chance to sail around the world. Even fewer get the chance to race around the world. But how many novice sailors actually get the chance to build, rig and install a new mast on a 68 foot racing yacht? That is just what I have been doing over the last two days and I've enjoyed every second. Helping to attach spreaders, run cabling and halyards down the centre of the mast and actually helping drop the mast in has been truly the exprerience of a lifetime. Tomorrow, we will finish off the installation, tune the rigging and take her for a test sail before (hopefully) leaving for San Francisco tomorrow night. It's been a long wait in cold Qingdao but the experiences just keep piling up!
Posted by , 4:47 PM, Permalink Comment (1)
WHOA Andy!! Great to hear Team Finland will soon be back in action! All the best for a safe crossing. Posted by Jacob, 9:15 hours later
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Race to sail enters final stages
I arrived back from the UK on Tuesday after a 10 hour flight to Beijing and a 13 hour trip from Beijing to Qingdao. Snow in Beijing was the main problem and although we had a blizzard when we arrived back on the boat it has been sunny (but very cold) since.
The good news is that the mast made it as far as Taiwan on Monday (maybe we should have waited there!) and is expected to arrive in Qingdao later today. The riggers arrived last night and are already starting to prepare the standing rigging.
Posted by , 2:22 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
I arrived back from the UK on Tuesday after a 10 hour flight to Beijing and a 13 hour trip from Beijing to Qingdao. Snow in Beijing was the main problem and although we had a blizzard when we arrived back on the boat it has been sunny (but very cold) since.
The good news is that the mast made it as far as Taiwan on Monday (maybe we should have waited there!) and is expected to arrive in Qingdao later today. The riggers arrived last night and are already starting to prepare the standing rigging.
Posted by , 2:22 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Special Award for Team Finland
Qingdao continued to prove themselves as magnificent hosts this week as the Welcome Banquet was followed by a prize giving extravaganza that was televised nationwide across China.
Podium pennants were awarded to Spirit of Australia, Jamaica Lightening Bolt and home port Qingdao with magnificent performances in between from Chinese opera, ballet and kung fu experts.
Team Finland received a special award for their professionalism and attitude following their dismasting near Taiwan. The replacement mast is already being constructed in Devon and will be flown to Qingdao next week. Team Finland expect to sail by 14 March which will see them arrive in California between 7-10 April. They will then rejoin the race for leg 6 to Panama and Jamaica.
Posted by , 12:39 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Special Award for Team Finland
Qingdao continued to prove themselves as magnificent hosts this week as the Welcome Banquet was followed by a prize giving extravaganza that was televised nationwide across China.
Podium pennants were awarded to Spirit of Australia, Jamaica Lightening Bolt and home port Qingdao with magnificent performances in between from Chinese opera, ballet and kung fu experts.
Team Finland received a special award for their professionalism and attitude following their dismasting near Taiwan. The replacement mast is already being constructed in Devon and will be flown to Qingdao next week. Team Finland expect to sail by 14 March which will see them arrive in California between 7-10 April. They will then rejoin the race for leg 6 to Panama and Jamaica.
Posted by , 12:39 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Within hours of Team Finland arriving in Qingdao, the remains of the old mast had been removed from the boat and preparations for the new mast to be flown across were in full swing.
It's about -5 degrees in China with thick fog. But don't let that cloud the warmth of the welcome we have received here. The Chinese have been magnificent hosts and have treated all crews (that they refer to as 'warriors'!) as heroes.
Posted by , 12:22 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
It's about -5 degrees in China with thick fog. But don't let that cloud the warmth of the welcome we have received here. The Chinese have been magnificent hosts and have treated all crews (that they refer to as 'warriors'!) as heroes.
Posted by , 12:22 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
The Race Begins
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Team Finland arrive in Qingdao
After the unscheduled diversion to Taiwan Team Finland have arrived in Qingdao. A warm welcome awaited the crew complete with fireworks.
A new mast is required for the boat and Clipper are working on the logistics of getting this to China as soon as possible.
Posted by , 8:24 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Team Finland arrive in Qingdao
After the unscheduled diversion to Taiwan Team Finland have arrived in Qingdao. A warm welcome awaited the crew complete with fireworks.
A new mast is required for the boat and Clipper are working on the logistics of getting this to China as soon as possible.
Posted by , 8:24 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Taiwan
Funny place Taiwan. Can't say it's a place that I will be breaking a leg to return to but they have been very friendly here. The Commodore of the Coastguards entertained us in their mess last night with far too many shots of something we never really identified. So much that we ended up doing a crew Karaoke (they are mad on it here and consider it impolite if you refuse). We then ended up at a local bar which was pretty good for beer as well as live music - there are not many foreigners here at all so you really see Taiwan in the raw!
Today we've been working hard on the boat. Got all the broken stanchions off and the top half of the mast was removed by a crane. We have salvaged as much rigging as we can and have effected some temporary plywood repairs to holes in the deck. The broken section of mast is strapped to the deck at the moment although there is some debate as to whether that is safe given all the jagged edges. We have a jury (temporary) rig constructed but it won't stand too much wind so lets hope we have enough diesel to motor all the way. It's been a very sad day in many ways; our beautiful home looks a right sorry mess right now and it will take a lot of work to get her back into a racing machine. The first instinct is to say our race is over but we are all so upset, it makes us more determined than ever to secure more pennants. One thing we were saying today was how remarkably calm everyone was when it happened. It seems even these major crises occur 'within' our comfort zone now!!
I had a very nice e-mail from Elaine on California; they are really feeling for us and it was a sensitive and caring message which really lifted our spirits. It will be nice to link up with them in Qingdao, also they have Noreen from Cork with them now who has become a decent ice cream buddy.
Posted by , 1:53 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Taiwan
Funny place Taiwan. Can't say it's a place that I will be breaking a leg to return to but they have been very friendly here. The Commodore of the Coastguards entertained us in their mess last night with far too many shots of something we never really identified. So much that we ended up doing a crew Karaoke (they are mad on it here and consider it impolite if you refuse). We then ended up at a local bar which was pretty good for beer as well as live music - there are not many foreigners here at all so you really see Taiwan in the raw!
Today we've been working hard on the boat. Got all the broken stanchions off and the top half of the mast was removed by a crane. We have salvaged as much rigging as we can and have effected some temporary plywood repairs to holes in the deck. The broken section of mast is strapped to the deck at the moment although there is some debate as to whether that is safe given all the jagged edges. We have a jury (temporary) rig constructed but it won't stand too much wind so lets hope we have enough diesel to motor all the way. It's been a very sad day in many ways; our beautiful home looks a right sorry mess right now and it will take a lot of work to get her back into a racing machine. The first instinct is to say our race is over but we are all so upset, it makes us more determined than ever to secure more pennants. One thing we were saying today was how remarkably calm everyone was when it happened. It seems even these major crises occur 'within' our comfort zone now!!
I had a very nice e-mail from Elaine on California; they are really feeling for us and it was a sensitive and caring message which really lifted our spirits. It will be nice to link up with them in Qingdao, also they have Noreen from Cork with them now who has become a decent ice cream buddy.
Posted by , 1:53 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Monday, February 15, 2010
Ouch!
We had been flying along at around 9 knots, leading the pack to Qingdao when conditions started to deteriorate. We decided against raising our head sail opting instead for staysail and a reefed main. I went up to foredeck with Emil and Frank to tie the foresail to the deck. I was looking to go off watch at 4am when we hit a monster wave and crashing down the other side I felt the backstay go slack. I thought it had come off the winch but it looked fine. I then heard the boom drop and as I looked up to see the cause, I saw to my horror that the mast had folded at the first spreader. The backstays had both gone as well as the two forestays -taking our staysail into the water.
We quickly rallied and cut away anything that could damage the hull but rescued most of the mast and the mainsail. There is no damage below waterline as far as we can tell.
We are now motoring to Taiwan. Once we are satisfied there are no problems with the boat we will construct a jury rig and either sail or motor to Qingdao where the boat will be repaired.
Posted by , 8:30 AM, Permalink Comment (1)
Hi Andy,I'm glad you and everyone else is safe.Must've been a bit of a shock!Hope you get things sorted out and your way ASAP.Keep the updates coming if you can,thanks.
John B. Posted by guest, 1 day later
Ouch!
We had been flying along at around 9 knots, leading the pack to Qingdao when conditions started to deteriorate. We decided against raising our head sail opting instead for staysail and a reefed main. I went up to foredeck with Emil and Frank to tie the foresail to the deck. I was looking to go off watch at 4am when we hit a monster wave and crashing down the other side I felt the backstay go slack. I thought it had come off the winch but it looked fine. I then heard the boom drop and as I looked up to see the cause, I saw to my horror that the mast had folded at the first spreader. The backstays had both gone as well as the two forestays -taking our staysail into the water.
We quickly rallied and cut away anything that could damage the hull but rescued most of the mast and the mainsail. There is no damage below waterline as far as we can tell.
We are now motoring to Taiwan. Once we are satisfied there are no problems with the boat we will construct a jury rig and either sail or motor to Qingdao where the boat will be repaired.
Posted by , 8:30 AM, Permalink Comment (1)
Hi Andy,I'm glad you and everyone else is safe.Must've been a bit of a shock!Hope you get things sorted out and your way ASAP.Keep the updates coming if you can,thanks.
John B. Posted by guest, 1 day later
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Moving up
The lull before the storm has lasted a lot longer than we thought! Not only has it been pleasant sailing but we have even had the spinnaker up for the last 24 hours which should have had a quite dramatic effect on the schedules. Our early tussle with Skippy was great fun and we eventually came out winners and are now running our own race. The battle took us a little further west than we originally planned and although that placed us well down the pecking order it gave us an opportunity to avoid the light winds further north.
We now have around 10 crew that are competent and confident on the helm - more so than any other leg so far (and probably more than any other boat!) and we hope that this will hold us in good stead later on. I had two good helming lessons and had a light bulb moment on taking apparent with me as I headed the boat up into the wind. I'm starting to appreciate the big difference between knowing how to sail and how to race and take advantage of local wind conditions. Indeed, the same light bulb moment occurred to two or three of us. As a result, our helming has been much stronger. Combined with the fact that our course took us past the becalmed boats to our east, our progress through the fleet has been quite spectacular. Undoubtedly this is our most exciting race to date - if we can keep up the good work, I have no doubt there will be rewards.
It's monsoon season in the China Sea and it is these monsoons that are pushing the lighter winds south at the moment. All this will change in about 30 hours when we reach the scoring gate and turn towards Qingdao. Here, the winds will reach 25 knots and with the wind and current opposing each other it will seem a lot harder. It will be uncomfortable that is for sure. We are spending our last 24 hours trying to make things safer down below - spreading sails out to avoid people slipping, strapping down anything that moves and placing extra grab handles at strategic points around the cabin.
At night we continue to have spectacular starlit skies. We can still see the Southern Cross and the Plough has returned to indicate our journey back into the northern hemisphere. I am still trying to recognise more constellations. We can clearly see Scorpio and Orion’s Belt which has been the one constant throughout our 20,000 mile journey so far.
Posted by , 8:31 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Moving up
The lull before the storm has lasted a lot longer than we thought! Not only has it been pleasant sailing but we have even had the spinnaker up for the last 24 hours which should have had a quite dramatic effect on the schedules. Our early tussle with Skippy was great fun and we eventually came out winners and are now running our own race. The battle took us a little further west than we originally planned and although that placed us well down the pecking order it gave us an opportunity to avoid the light winds further north.
We now have around 10 crew that are competent and confident on the helm - more so than any other leg so far (and probably more than any other boat!) and we hope that this will hold us in good stead later on. I had two good helming lessons and had a light bulb moment on taking apparent with me as I headed the boat up into the wind. I'm starting to appreciate the big difference between knowing how to sail and how to race and take advantage of local wind conditions. Indeed, the same light bulb moment occurred to two or three of us. As a result, our helming has been much stronger. Combined with the fact that our course took us past the becalmed boats to our east, our progress through the fleet has been quite spectacular. Undoubtedly this is our most exciting race to date - if we can keep up the good work, I have no doubt there will be rewards.
It's monsoon season in the China Sea and it is these monsoons that are pushing the lighter winds south at the moment. All this will change in about 30 hours when we reach the scoring gate and turn towards Qingdao. Here, the winds will reach 25 knots and with the wind and current opposing each other it will seem a lot harder. It will be uncomfortable that is for sure. We are spending our last 24 hours trying to make things safer down below - spreading sails out to avoid people slipping, strapping down anything that moves and placing extra grab handles at strategic points around the cabin.
At night we continue to have spectacular starlit skies. We can still see the Southern Cross and the Plough has returned to indicate our journey back into the northern hemisphere. I am still trying to recognise more constellations. We can clearly see Scorpio and Orion’s Belt which has been the one constant throughout our 20,000 mile journey so far.
Posted by , 8:31 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Keeping close
Our strategy so far has been to stick with Spirit of Australia and that seems to have worked. We are still with them but they are running well and are proving difficult to overtake. We must be patient and feel sure our time will come. Meanwhile, as the easterly boats start to come back to join us, we can see the climatic changes starting to kick in. We now have white horses on the top of the waves, the nights are much cooler and the wind is picking up. The lull before the storm...
The nights have been spectacular though. Almost clear skies give rise to colourful sunsets and the clear night sky gives us a wonderful view of stars. It’s difficult not to gaze in awe at it all and wonder about how it all came about. I'm not particularly religious but it’s hard to see how all this happened by accident. We are undoubtedly very fortunate to witness these skies night after night without the taint of light pollution. Shooting stars and flying fish landing on deck seem to be the only disturbances we face.
Posted by , 1:05 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Keeping close
Our strategy so far has been to stick with Spirit of Australia and that seems to have worked. We are still with them but they are running well and are proving difficult to overtake. We must be patient and feel sure our time will come. Meanwhile, as the easterly boats start to come back to join us, we can see the climatic changes starting to kick in. We now have white horses on the top of the waves, the nights are much cooler and the wind is picking up. The lull before the storm...
The nights have been spectacular though. Almost clear skies give rise to colourful sunsets and the clear night sky gives us a wonderful view of stars. It’s difficult not to gaze in awe at it all and wonder about how it all came about. I'm not particularly religious but it’s hard to see how all this happened by accident. We are undoubtedly very fortunate to witness these skies night after night without the taint of light pollution. Shooting stars and flying fish landing on deck seem to be the only disturbances we face.
Posted by , 1:05 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Race 6 begins
Batam was a fantastic pit stop and Singapore was pretty good too - a great opportunity to catch up with friends from other boats and earlier legs. Keppel are one of the big sponsors so we spent a fair amount of time at the marina entertaining corporate guests and sponsors. This included a sail with representatives from Finland. Singapore was also one of the most spectacular welcomes and departures but apparently it will seem like nothing compared to the reception that awaits us in Qingdao. There the welcome will be on the scale of an Olympic opening ceremony with pyrotechnics for each and every boat and a two hour TV special that goes to every home in China!
Back to racing. We were keen to make our mark early and we had another good start. As the wind picked up we switched sails whilst others persevered with the big Yankee 1. Unfortunately it backfired on us and we had to change back which cost us both time and speed. However, we do seem to excel with upwind sailing and as I write this first blog of race 6, we have sailed through the night and are chasing down the leaders, Spirit of Australia. We are currently closing the gap of two miles or so and hope to take them before dawn.
We still have light winds and balmy nights - padding around deck in T shirts and bare feet. We need to make the most of these conditions while we can!
NB As at 0600 GMT Team Finland were leading the race.
Posted by , 6:05 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Race 6 begins
Batam was a fantastic pit stop and Singapore was pretty good too - a great opportunity to catch up with friends from other boats and earlier legs. Keppel are one of the big sponsors so we spent a fair amount of time at the marina entertaining corporate guests and sponsors. This included a sail with representatives from Finland. Singapore was also one of the most spectacular welcomes and departures but apparently it will seem like nothing compared to the reception that awaits us in Qingdao. There the welcome will be on the scale of an Olympic opening ceremony with pyrotechnics for each and every boat and a two hour TV special that goes to every home in China!
Back to racing. We were keen to make our mark early and we had another good start. As the wind picked up we switched sails whilst others persevered with the big Yankee 1. Unfortunately it backfired on us and we had to change back which cost us both time and speed. However, we do seem to excel with upwind sailing and as I write this first blog of race 6, we have sailed through the night and are chasing down the leaders, Spirit of Australia. We are currently closing the gap of two miles or so and hope to take them before dawn.
We still have light winds and balmy nights - padding around deck in T shirts and bare feet. We need to make the most of these conditions while we can!
NB As at 0600 GMT Team Finland were leading the race.
Posted by , 6:05 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Clipper fleet arrive in Singapore
The rhythm of drums welcomed the Clipper fleet on their arrival at Keppel Bay Marina, Singapore. Pennants were presented to the first three finishers and all crew members received a small trophy. All nine of the Clipper yachts flew an Irish flag to show their support for Cork’s crew.
Posted by , 11:03 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Clipper fleet arrive in Singapore
The rhythm of drums welcomed the Clipper fleet on their arrival at Keppel Bay Marina, Singapore. Pennants were presented to the first three finishers and all crew members received a small trophy. All nine of the Clipper yachts flew an Irish flag to show their support for Cork’s crew.
Posted by , 11:03 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Team Finland arrive in Batam
After an eventful race Team Finland arrived at Batam, Indonesia, this morning. On board they had seven members of the Cork crew who joined them after their boat ran aground on a submerged reef. There were emotional scenes as the Cork team were reunited.
Posted by , 3:02 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Team Finland arrive in Batam
After an eventful race Team Finland arrived at Batam, Indonesia, this morning. On board they had seven members of the Cork crew who joined them after their boat ran aground on a submerged reef. There were emotional scenes as the Cork team were reunited.
Posted by , 3:02 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Back to sailing
We are making our way slowly to Singapore - still technically in race mode but the winds are wrong for us so we have to tack our way there. Life at 40 degrees again then. Add to that the ongoing humidity and the high temperatures and you have very difficult conditions below. If it’s not in a dry bag it is saturated - including the mattresses. Of course we have 8 extra people on board so you are not guaranteed to have your own bunk available when you come off watch. Losing your own personal space has an amazing impact - more than you would think. But in fairness to our friends on Cork, you would not begrudge them that after what they have lost. What you do notice is the smell. 26 bodies instead of 18, not much ventilation and the 'recovered' possessions smelling of diesel and sea water. We did have a discussion about at what point the air actually becomes poisonous but I'm sure we are a way off that.
We expect to arrive in Batam within the next 24/36 hours and will clean the boat up before we move all 9 boats across to Keppel Bay.
Posted by , 7:23 PM, Permalink Comment (1)
Hang in there Andy - Not long until the rescue mission is complete and all 26 of you are safe on shore. Rest assured there are many people beyond your boat that the efforts of you and Team Finland have touched in the past days. A remarkable set of events that could have been quite different had you not been there. You doing fantastic - keep sailing - not far to the finish line now. Posted by Jacob, 1:22 hour later
Back to sailing
We are making our way slowly to Singapore - still technically in race mode but the winds are wrong for us so we have to tack our way there. Life at 40 degrees again then. Add to that the ongoing humidity and the high temperatures and you have very difficult conditions below. If it’s not in a dry bag it is saturated - including the mattresses. Of course we have 8 extra people on board so you are not guaranteed to have your own bunk available when you come off watch. Losing your own personal space has an amazing impact - more than you would think. But in fairness to our friends on Cork, you would not begrudge them that after what they have lost. What you do notice is the smell. 26 bodies instead of 18, not much ventilation and the 'recovered' possessions smelling of diesel and sea water. We did have a discussion about at what point the air actually becomes poisonous but I'm sure we are a way off that.
We expect to arrive in Batam within the next 24/36 hours and will clean the boat up before we move all 9 boats across to Keppel Bay.
Posted by , 7:23 PM, Permalink Comment (1)
Hang in there Andy - Not long until the rescue mission is complete and all 26 of you are safe on shore. Rest assured there are many people beyond your boat that the efforts of you and Team Finland have touched in the past days. A remarkable set of events that could have been quite different had you not been there. You doing fantastic - keep sailing - not far to the finish line now. Posted by Jacob, 1:22 hour later
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Cork update - Friday
Three boats have remained on scene these last 24 hours plus one curious fishing boat no doubt assessing the salvage potential! The boat has listed from 30 degrees to about 60 degrees. There are 3 metre swells and last night the winds touched 40 knots so the damage to the vessel is inevitably getting worse. We have a Marine Architect on board Qingdao and he has been over with the skipper to assess the damage and report back. The skipper also went back to try and recover some more valuable items. There is a limit on what can be carried on the small inflatable dinghies we have at our disposal.
I don't think it is feasible for us to attempt salvage but at least one boat will remain in a sort of policing role until a proper salvage vessel gets here. It’s very boring and very uncomfortable but in all honesty that – and the race - are immaterial. We are just so pleased to get all the crew safe. As I said yesterday, a humbling experience; some went to get their valuables before leaving the ship only to see their dry bags drifting off through the hole into the sea! I-pods, laptops, money, cameras, etc.
It seems the race will continue - a timed run to Batam but to be honest, although we will give it our best shot, it means very little at this stage whatever position we finish. We have to regroup in Singapore and focus on the next race. Sailing safe and fast to China - hopefully with our friends from Cork though that seems unlikely at the present time.
Posted by , 10:37 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Cork update - Friday
Three boats have remained on scene these last 24 hours plus one curious fishing boat no doubt assessing the salvage potential! The boat has listed from 30 degrees to about 60 degrees. There are 3 metre swells and last night the winds touched 40 knots so the damage to the vessel is inevitably getting worse. We have a Marine Architect on board Qingdao and he has been over with the skipper to assess the damage and report back. The skipper also went back to try and recover some more valuable items. There is a limit on what can be carried on the small inflatable dinghies we have at our disposal.
I don't think it is feasible for us to attempt salvage but at least one boat will remain in a sort of policing role until a proper salvage vessel gets here. It’s very boring and very uncomfortable but in all honesty that – and the race - are immaterial. We are just so pleased to get all the crew safe. As I said yesterday, a humbling experience; some went to get their valuables before leaving the ship only to see their dry bags drifting off through the hole into the sea! I-pods, laptops, money, cameras, etc.
It seems the race will continue - a timed run to Batam but to be honest, although we will give it our best shot, it means very little at this stage whatever position we finish. We have to regroup in Singapore and focus on the next race. Sailing safe and fast to China - hopefully with our friends from Cork though that seems unlikely at the present time.
Posted by , 10:37 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Team Finland to the Rescue
Our progress the night before last had been good. In fifth place, we sensed a real opportunity to close in on Cork ahead and then maybe push Jamaica for that third podium place. As squalls passed overhead we saw the air clear and were convinced that every light ahead was Cork and that drove us on. We had one person constantly on watch at the shrouds for unlit fishing vessels, unlit islands, squalls and debris floating in the water – these are indeed hazardous seas.
Around 4am (8pm GMT), we noticed Cork moving erratically around a small sand bank just a few miles ahead. We monitored the position with some concern and had almost concluded that something was wrong when the call for help came through. Cork had run aground, was taking in water and was without power. Racing became immaterial. We immediately dropped all our sails and went to her assistance. It proved too dangerous to approach so we kept a holding position in deeper waters. The sea was very lumpy and the stricken vessel was being pounded by waves.
We went into crisis mode and, as first boat on the scene, our skipper took the role of leading the rescue and liaising with Race Office and Falmouth Coastguard. I took on the role of scribe, co-ordinating and documenting all information as it came in and emailing race HQ every 15 minutes or whenever key events were reached.
By dawn, the decision had been taken to abandon ship and we had 16 crew to rescue. We later heard from crew members that the hull had been breached from the main cabin to the skipper’s cabin. Three lifeboats were deployed, one of which suffered a puncture as it landed on the adjacent beach. The crew reassembled in the remaining two boats before launching again to rendezvous with us and California who had now joined us in the rescue. It was not easy in the lumpy seas and we had to deploy scramble nets over the side to help hoist the tired and anxious crew aboard.
The life boats cast adrift, Rob (skipper) then went back to the stricken vessel to recover a few valuable items. It was clear that a tow or attempted recovery of the vessel was not possible without putting lives at risk. We have spent the last day looking after the crew on board Team Finland. It has been a particularly humbling experience – some losing everything, others with nothing apart from the clothes they were standing up in.
The three leading boats continued racing as they were too far away to assist. All other boats stayed to help as they caught us up but we are now just circling around waiting to see what the next plan of action is. In all honesty it was a stressful day but a textbook rescue that saw all crew recovered. Only two minor injuries. Almost every time we went out in the English Channel during our training we rehearsed such rescues, practising the manoeuvres required to transfer crew and to ensure sea survival. You hope to God that it never happens but when it does, it is nice to know the training paid off.
Posted by , 6:49 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Team Finland to the Rescue
Our progress the night before last had been good. In fifth place, we sensed a real opportunity to close in on Cork ahead and then maybe push Jamaica for that third podium place. As squalls passed overhead we saw the air clear and were convinced that every light ahead was Cork and that drove us on. We had one person constantly on watch at the shrouds for unlit fishing vessels, unlit islands, squalls and debris floating in the water – these are indeed hazardous seas.
Around 4am (8pm GMT), we noticed Cork moving erratically around a small sand bank just a few miles ahead. We monitored the position with some concern and had almost concluded that something was wrong when the call for help came through. Cork had run aground, was taking in water and was without power. Racing became immaterial. We immediately dropped all our sails and went to her assistance. It proved too dangerous to approach so we kept a holding position in deeper waters. The sea was very lumpy and the stricken vessel was being pounded by waves.
We went into crisis mode and, as first boat on the scene, our skipper took the role of leading the rescue and liaising with Race Office and Falmouth Coastguard. I took on the role of scribe, co-ordinating and documenting all information as it came in and emailing race HQ every 15 minutes or whenever key events were reached.
By dawn, the decision had been taken to abandon ship and we had 16 crew to rescue. We later heard from crew members that the hull had been breached from the main cabin to the skipper’s cabin. Three lifeboats were deployed, one of which suffered a puncture as it landed on the adjacent beach. The crew reassembled in the remaining two boats before launching again to rendezvous with us and California who had now joined us in the rescue. It was not easy in the lumpy seas and we had to deploy scramble nets over the side to help hoist the tired and anxious crew aboard.
The life boats cast adrift, Rob (skipper) then went back to the stricken vessel to recover a few valuable items. It was clear that a tow or attempted recovery of the vessel was not possible without putting lives at risk. We have spent the last day looking after the crew on board Team Finland. It has been a particularly humbling experience – some losing everything, others with nothing apart from the clothes they were standing up in.
The three leading boats continued racing as they were too far away to assist. All other boats stayed to help as they caught us up but we are now just circling around waiting to see what the next plan of action is. In all honesty it was a stressful day but a textbook rescue that saw all crew recovered. Only two minor injuries. Almost every time we went out in the English Channel during our training we rehearsed such rescues, practising the manoeuvres required to transfer crew and to ensure sea survival. You hope to God that it never happens but when it does, it is nice to know the training paid off.
Posted by , 6:49 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Wednesday January 13th 2010
Into the Java Sea
We have finally left the Indian Ocean and passed through the Sunda straits into the Java Sea. Tactically, things had been going quite well to that point. We catapulted ourselves into 1st place and that should have been the platform for even greater things. We planned to take advantage of light winds over the rest of the fleet and use local tidal streams to propel us through the strait and our timing appeared to be spot on. But in the tropics you have these localised squalls that drop torrential rain and turn local conditions upside down. Unfortunately we fell victim to one and whilst we stalled under the centre of it - our opponents got a free lift on the edge!!
So we were back in fifth. We missed our tidal gate and only saw Krakatoa at night which was not as spectacular as we had hoped. These squalls are a real pain - you never know what you should be wearing. Air and water temperatures are really high but the wind can be fresh and it has certainly picked up since we entered the Java Sea. We're now heading upwind and getting very wet with some quite tough sail changes thrown in. The choice of clothes in the morning seems to be the slightly wet clothes from the last watch or the very wet clothes from the watch before. Either choice leaves me smelling like a springer spaniel that just got back from a wet walk!
We have 500 miles to go now. 2/3rd of that is a straight run on a beam reach so we can only reduce the gap on the leaders - currently 33 miles – by a couple of miles. After that, it is a tacking race to the finish – which traditionally we have fared well at so here's hoping we can pull another podium finish out of the bag. Big ask maybe but we are definitely up for the fight.
Posted by , 7:31 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Into the Java Sea
We have finally left the Indian Ocean and passed through the Sunda straits into the Java Sea. Tactically, things had been going quite well to that point. We catapulted ourselves into 1st place and that should have been the platform for even greater things. We planned to take advantage of light winds over the rest of the fleet and use local tidal streams to propel us through the strait and our timing appeared to be spot on. But in the tropics you have these localised squalls that drop torrential rain and turn local conditions upside down. Unfortunately we fell victim to one and whilst we stalled under the centre of it - our opponents got a free lift on the edge!!
So we were back in fifth. We missed our tidal gate and only saw Krakatoa at night which was not as spectacular as we had hoped. These squalls are a real pain - you never know what you should be wearing. Air and water temperatures are really high but the wind can be fresh and it has certainly picked up since we entered the Java Sea. We're now heading upwind and getting very wet with some quite tough sail changes thrown in. The choice of clothes in the morning seems to be the slightly wet clothes from the last watch or the very wet clothes from the watch before. Either choice leaves me smelling like a springer spaniel that just got back from a wet walk!
We have 500 miles to go now. 2/3rd of that is a straight run on a beam reach so we can only reduce the gap on the leaders - currently 33 miles – by a couple of miles. After that, it is a tacking race to the finish – which traditionally we have fared well at so here's hoping we can pull another podium finish out of the bag. Big ask maybe but we are definitely up for the fight.
Posted by , 7:31 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Back in the tropics
It seems a long time ago since we were last sailing in the tropics from La Rochelle to Rio. Now we find ourselves in similar conditions heading up to Singapore. It is hot, humid and occasionally there is torrential rain. All this makes sailing hard work as we are constantly changing sails to keep us moving fast - sometimes just to keep us moving at all. We took a westerly route in search of wind, forfeiting any chance of extra points at the scoring gate. A podium finish is more important to us.
It's a bit like living in a saucer of water at the minute. Every morning we get up and see 3 miles of sea in every direction it could be exactly the same morning. There is very little wildlife (a few birds and dolphins) and no other vessels at all. Were it not for the changing stars at night and our GPS we would have no evidence of going anywhere! It makes you wonder in awe at the early sailors and how brave they were.
We have plenty of time to ponder the wonders of it all as we watch the birds majestically circle the boat - fearless of humans and more interested in landing in search of food. We've tried unsuccessfully to figure out what the albatross feed on - they never seem to dive into the water. Since sea water is too salty to drink we have debated how and what they drink to keep themselves hydrated. Maybe some of the schools following the race could enlighten me.
Soon we will passing the Sunda Strait into the Java Sea whilst most of the rest of the fleet recover from their more easterly route that (in some cases) secured them bonus gate points. There's a long way to go yet!
Posted by , 2:38 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Back in the tropics
It seems a long time ago since we were last sailing in the tropics from La Rochelle to Rio. Now we find ourselves in similar conditions heading up to Singapore. It is hot, humid and occasionally there is torrential rain. All this makes sailing hard work as we are constantly changing sails to keep us moving fast - sometimes just to keep us moving at all. We took a westerly route in search of wind, forfeiting any chance of extra points at the scoring gate. A podium finish is more important to us.
It's a bit like living in a saucer of water at the minute. Every morning we get up and see 3 miles of sea in every direction it could be exactly the same morning. There is very little wildlife (a few birds and dolphins) and no other vessels at all. Were it not for the changing stars at night and our GPS we would have no evidence of going anywhere! It makes you wonder in awe at the early sailors and how brave they were.
We have plenty of time to ponder the wonders of it all as we watch the birds majestically circle the boat - fearless of humans and more interested in landing in search of food. We've tried unsuccessfully to figure out what the albatross feed on - they never seem to dive into the water. Since sea water is too salty to drink we have debated how and what they drink to keep themselves hydrated. Maybe some of the schools following the race could enlighten me.
Soon we will passing the Sunda Strait into the Java Sea whilst most of the rest of the fleet recover from their more easterly route that (in some cases) secured them bonus gate points. There's a long way to go yet!
Posted by , 2:38 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Friday, January 8, 2010
Testing times
After a promising start we had a bit of a nightmare first night. The seas were difficult and we hoisted our heavyweight spinnaker. To cut a long story short, a freak wave knocked us over and with the boom in the water we lost the kite which was badly torn by the time we recovered it. We also lost a block (pulley) which is quite expensive so it may tip us into the realms of penalty points for the first time.
Scary for the helm at the time but fortunately it was one of our best helms so it tells you how bad the wave was. Everyone is pulling together to get us up the fleet. Hull and Humber were overtaken before we lost the spinny, Qingdao also had a wrap so we moved past them too.
Morale is good and despite many crew changes we are settling well under the new skipper’s leadership. It takes a lot of concentration to absorb the new ideas and we wonder if that has been at the expense of speed. We will see. It is still a very open race and we hope the new ideas will mould us into an even better team.
We are making good progress now and you will have seen how we and Jamaica have gone west to get a better angle on the channel between the Indonesian Islands. Time will tell if it was a good choice but we are quite upbeat at the minute!
I guess I'm not going to get too much sympathy from the UK if I tell you how hot and humid it is here!
Posted by , 5:08 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Testing times
After a promising start we had a bit of a nightmare first night. The seas were difficult and we hoisted our heavyweight spinnaker. To cut a long story short, a freak wave knocked us over and with the boom in the water we lost the kite which was badly torn by the time we recovered it. We also lost a block (pulley) which is quite expensive so it may tip us into the realms of penalty points for the first time.
Scary for the helm at the time but fortunately it was one of our best helms so it tells you how bad the wave was. Everyone is pulling together to get us up the fleet. Hull and Humber were overtaken before we lost the spinny, Qingdao also had a wrap so we moved past them too.
Morale is good and despite many crew changes we are settling well under the new skipper’s leadership. It takes a lot of concentration to absorb the new ideas and we wonder if that has been at the expense of speed. We will see. It is still a very open race and we hope the new ideas will mould us into an even better team.
We are making good progress now and you will have seen how we and Jamaica have gone west to get a better angle on the channel between the Indonesian Islands. Time will tell if it was a good choice but we are quite upbeat at the minute!
I guess I'm not going to get too much sympathy from the UK if I tell you how hot and humid it is here!
Posted by , 5:08 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Two more awards for Team Finland
Today has been a hive of activity in the Batavia Marina in Geraldton. The ten teams were all busy with last minute jobs on the boats. Checks on engines, generators and water makers, last minute laundry, filling water and diesel tanks and, of course, storing the perishable fruit and vegetables that will keep us going to Singapore.
As is customary the day before the race start, all crews attended a race briefing from the organisers. In addition to the usual advice about staying safe and avoiding collisions, we have also been alerted to other hazards on this race - typhoons, oil rigs, volcanoes, pirates. Should be an interesting trip - especially as temperatures are likely to average 40 degrees on deck.
Team Finland were also announced as the winners of both the video and stills competion for Race 4 - the winning photo (above) being taken by Andy Phillips whilst he was working on the shrouds.
Posted by , 1:30 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Two more awards for Team Finland
Today has been a hive of activity in the Batavia Marina in Geraldton. The ten teams were all busy with last minute jobs on the boats. Checks on engines, generators and water makers, last minute laundry, filling water and diesel tanks and, of course, storing the perishable fruit and vegetables that will keep us going to Singapore.
As is customary the day before the race start, all crews attended a race briefing from the organisers. In addition to the usual advice about staying safe and avoiding collisions, we have also been alerted to other hazards on this race - typhoons, oil rigs, volcanoes, pirates. Should be an interesting trip - especially as temperatures are likely to average 40 degrees on deck.
Team Finland were also announced as the winners of both the video and stills competion for Race 4 - the winning photo (above) being taken by Andy Phillips whilst he was working on the shrouds.
Posted by , 1:30 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Balancing Work and Rest
This has been a fantastic stopover in so many ways. Top of that list is seeing Val again for the first time in four months (and the last time in six!). But we must not forget the warm welcome we have received from City of Geraldton and Greenough. Everywhere we have been we have been well received and the yacht club have been the most fantastic hosts. It all goes to justify Geraldton's selection for this year's stopover.
My time has been nicely balanced between working on the boat and building my strength and fitness up for the tough leg ahead of us. In addition, I have been keen to continue my sponsorship work with numerous articles being written. I also took the opportunity of meeting up with the Mayor of Geraldaton and Greenough, Cllr Ian Carpenter and presented him with a DVD of Eastleigh which, amongst other things, helps promote the Riverside regeneration site as a worldwide opportunity for business development. This 130 hectare site of the former Alston Railway works could create over 6,000 jobs locally when development is complete.
Tomorrow we are scheduled for a training sail with our new skipper, Rob McInally and our new crew including Tony Allen, Cristel Townley, Chris Carnell, Caroline Slootweg and Dirk Van Daele.
Just time for a last minute swim this evening.
Posted by , 7:32 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Balancing Work and Rest
This has been a fantastic stopover in so many ways. Top of that list is seeing Val again for the first time in four months (and the last time in six!). But we must not forget the warm welcome we have received from City of Geraldton and Greenough. Everywhere we have been we have been well received and the yacht club have been the most fantastic hosts. It all goes to justify Geraldton's selection for this year's stopover.
My time has been nicely balanced between working on the boat and building my strength and fitness up for the tough leg ahead of us. In addition, I have been keen to continue my sponsorship work with numerous articles being written. I also took the opportunity of meeting up with the Mayor of Geraldaton and Greenough, Cllr Ian Carpenter and presented him with a DVD of Eastleigh which, amongst other things, helps promote the Riverside regeneration site as a worldwide opportunity for business development. This 130 hectare site of the former Alston Railway works could create over 6,000 jobs locally when development is complete.
Tomorrow we are scheduled for a training sail with our new skipper, Rob McInally and our new crew including Tony Allen, Cristel Townley, Chris Carnell, Caroline Slootweg and Dirk Van Daele.
Just time for a last minute swim this evening.
Posted by , 7:32 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Friday, December 18, 2009
Race 5 has already started!
After arriving in Geraldton around lunchtime, there was the briefest of breaks to reunite with friends and family before Team Finland went hard to work on race 5 prearations. By 3pm we had started our deep clean of the boat and we worked right through to the early evening. The next day, all the sails came off for inspection and, where necessary, repair and the boat was lifted ot of the water under the supervision of new skipper Rob McInally. This is so that anti fouling paint can be applied to the hull. My own role on winch maintenance will have to wait until Saturday when the weather is due to improve and prevents the cleaning being defeated by the sand blasting that comes with high winds. Still, it is a warm wind and perhaps a little more comfortable than the freezing temperatures that we hear are sweeping the UK at present!
Merry Christmas everyone!!
Posted by , 2:11 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Race 5 has already started!
After arriving in Geraldton around lunchtime, there was the briefest of breaks to reunite with friends and family before Team Finland went hard to work on race 5 prearations. By 3pm we had started our deep clean of the boat and we worked right through to the early evening. The next day, all the sails came off for inspection and, where necessary, repair and the boat was lifted ot of the water under the supervision of new skipper Rob McInally. This is so that anti fouling paint can be applied to the hull. My own role on winch maintenance will have to wait until Saturday when the weather is due to improve and prevents the cleaning being defeated by the sand blasting that comes with high winds. Still, it is a warm wind and perhaps a little more comfortable than the freezing temperatures that we hear are sweeping the UK at present!
Merry Christmas everyone!!
Posted by , 2:11 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Team Finland Win!
At just after midday local time Team Finland sailed into Geraldton half an hour ahead of their nearest rivals Spirit of Australia. It was another fine win for the crew in a really close fought race. The leading 8 boats are all expected to arrive within 8 hours of each other.
Posted by , 5:41 PM, Permalink Comment (5)
Fantastic news. Well done Team Finland! Enjoy your time together Val and Andy. Posted by Jude, 56 minutes later
We are so proud of you & Team Finland. Enjoy your well earned break in Australia. Posted by Jackie, 13:55 hours later
Congrats Andy and love to you both. Have a great Christmas together!! xx Posted by Kate, 18:01 hours later
Congrats on getting to Australia Andy and another first place finish at that!! I hope you and Val have a wonderful Christmas. Posted by Jacob, 1 day later
Whats that? Another win for Team Finland. Well done to you all. Have a lovely Christmas Andy and Val. How long was it before Andy let go? Thats looks like some hug! Posted by Sara and John, 2 days later
Team Finland Win!
At just after midday local time Team Finland sailed into Geraldton half an hour ahead of their nearest rivals Spirit of Australia. It was another fine win for the crew in a really close fought race. The leading 8 boats are all expected to arrive within 8 hours of each other.
Posted by , 5:41 PM, Permalink Comment (5)
Fantastic news. Well done Team Finland! Enjoy your time together Val and Andy. Posted by Jude, 56 minutes later
We are so proud of you & Team Finland. Enjoy your well earned break in Australia. Posted by Jackie, 13:55 hours later
Congrats Andy and love to you both. Have a great Christmas together!! xx Posted by Kate, 18:01 hours later
Congrats on getting to Australia Andy and another first place finish at that!! I hope you and Val have a wonderful Christmas. Posted by Jacob, 1 day later
Whats that? Another win for Team Finland. Well done to you all. Have a lovely Christmas Andy and Val. How long was it before Andy let go? Thats looks like some hug! Posted by Sara and John, 2 days later
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Geraldton Awaits
Clipper shore crew are busy preparing for an influx of boats and crew. Normally towards the end of a race they are able to predict the order in which most of the boats but this race is too close to call. The first of the Clipper fleet is due in at around 2.00 pm local time Wednesday 16 December. Due to the unpredictable weather it is still an open race but we are hoping that Team Finland can hold off the challenge from Spirit of Australia. With winds varying so much there could be a final twist. Having flown halfway around the world, bought the beers and the bubbly we are anxious to put them to good use!
Posted by , 5:30 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Geraldton Awaits
Clipper shore crew are busy preparing for an influx of boats and crew. Normally towards the end of a race they are able to predict the order in which most of the boats but this race is too close to call. The first of the Clipper fleet is due in at around 2.00 pm local time Wednesday 16 December. Due to the unpredictable weather it is still an open race but we are hoping that Team Finland can hold off the challenge from Spirit of Australia. With winds varying so much there could be a final twist. Having flown halfway around the world, bought the beers and the bubbly we are anxious to put them to good use!
Posted by , 5:30 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Friday, December 11, 2009
The Final Push
With Val leaving for Australia tomorrow this is the last chance of a blog before the end of race 4. We have been making good ground the last few days with smooth seas and average speeds of 10-11 knots. We have built up a lead on Skippy of around 33 miles and with us all following roughly the same route to Geraldton it really is now a sprint for the finish even though it is over 800 miles to go! We have started to turn north of our easterly route and we have some great sailing with the wind on the beam and some smooth seas. The temperatures are starting to rise too.
There are two high pressure systems to worry about as they both carry the threat of light winds which could hamper our progress. The bigger one in front is showing signs of stabilising just to the east of our intended route so we are hoping for some luck there. The one behind is smaller and is chasing us though not quite on the same course; we can actually see the front to the stern of our vessel. The hope is that we can stay ahead long enough for it to pass us by but ideally not too fast as there is an even stronger chance that it will catch Skippy and Singapore full on (which will help us enormously).
It’s been another great race with the rapidly improving Singapore and the consistently competitive Spirit of Australia. Brendon Hall is the skipper of Australia - a really nice guy - and I know he will be so determined to bring his boat home first to a hero's welcome. It’s going to be a great last few days! May the best boat win!!
Posted by , 6:53 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Keeping ahead
Having gained the lead from the Aussies, we wanted to capitalise but it was clear a high pressure system lay in our path ahead. It seemed too far out of our way to go north or south in the hope of avoiding it so we decided to take our chance and go straight through believing our nearest rivals would do the same.
We knew this would benefit the rest of the fleet but its starting to look like a 3 horse race. In the event, we did keep the boat going and even increased our lead to 16 miles. Now the wind has picked up again and we have good speeds. We are now starting think about swinging north as we approach Western Australia (still over 1000 miles to go though!) where we should arrive in a week or so.
Posted by , 6:06 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Chasing Skippy
A really exciting 24 hours. After making good speed downwind we reduced Skippy's lead from 40 miles to 27, 11, 7, 5.. ... and then yesterday evening they appeared on our starboard bow slightly ahead of us. The battle cry went up as the wind turned on the nose.
Both night watches were extremely busy in some of the most difficult conditions we have faced so far. Over 30 knots of wind on the nose, lightening, driving rain, icy wind and literally tons of water being thrown across the decks.
We had to change sails twice, put in and later shake out 2 reefs and then pole out the head sail as the wind backed to the west again.
By dawn, we still had Spirit of Australia in our sights but this time they were well and truly off our stern. We don't mind hard work when those are the rewards. Now we must capitalise on it!
- As at 1500 Team Finland were 3 nm ahead of Spirit of Australia
Posted by , 5:16 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Friday, December 4, 2009
Close encounter
Many of you will have read about our coming together with a whale. The incident was nearly serious but those awake were not too concerned. The most impressive sight was the tail fin kicking up about ten metres behind the boat. However, we were a little concerned that there may have been some damage to our rudder so when we encountered light winds a short time later we took the opportunity to take a good look at it.
To carry out this check I put my dive suit on and went into the ocean with a harness attaching me to the back of the boat. Snorkelling in the Southern Ocean was not something I had really anticipated - I thought the dive suit I brought along was for in port! The boat was moving only at about 2 knots so it seemed a fairly easy task. However, I had to swim quite hard to keep up (the line would have pulled me in anyway). There's something quite surreal about seeing your boat moving 10 feet in front of you with 3 miles of ocean below you and several thousand miles of ocean between you and the nearest land mass. It concentrates the mind somewhat!!
Anyway I went under twice inspecting the port and starboard sides of the rudder for damage and made sure the prop was properly folded back. As far as I could tell all looked OK but we have the boat out of the water in Australia so can carry out a more thorough check there.
Whale watchers among you have been asking what type of whale it was – we have identified it as BIG! The customary graceful wave it gave us suggests that it was not hurt by the encounter.
Posted by , 8:08 AM, Permalink Comment (2)
Concentrates the mind you say Andy? I can imagine it concentrating a few other things as well!! Great posting! :) Posted by Jacob Baker, 16:53 hours later
OMG!!!! Posted by Jude, 1 day later
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Southern Ocean Sailing
We're getting away very lightly so far in southern oceans although it is still the most challenging leg to date. After the rough start we half expected seas to get really huge, which they have not - yet. We also expected downwind sailing but instead we have spent most of our time heading into the wind which has made life extremely uncomfortable downstairs. Dressing can often be difficult but even undressing is a challenge now! The rest of the fleet went south in search of stronger winds and we took a more northerly course. We were convinced we were right but a wind hole caused us to slip from 1st to 4th. We are fighting back though and regaining lost ground. We are about 3 days away from the scoring gate and just 30 miles behind leaders, Australia.
I have to say this has not been the most enjoyable leg to date - lots of sitting around doing nothing but getting cold and wet. It will improve soon as the wind veers to the west and we return to spinnaker sailing. Still having problems with gloves. Have not yet found a pair to keep me warm and dry :(
Posted by , 11:50 AM, Permalink Comment (1)
Hi Andy.2 gate points for Team Finland!Great stuff!
At the time of writing this Southampton are out of the relegation zone!You can start clapping your hands to warm them up!Good luck for the rest of Leg 3.Any updates from the boat always welcome.
Cheers,
John B. Posted by guest, 3 days later
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Guest Blog - Becs Marks - 24 November
Well the Clipper diet started off with a bang! I can no longer claim I don't get sea sick!! I've managed to stop feeding the fish for now and am hoping to stay that way all the way to Qingdao! Had to schedule throwing up time into the time it took me to get kitted up for being on watch!! I'm still feeling a bit spaced out though from the drugs that have helped me to so far keep down some water, a hot choc, a few mouthfuls of 2 minute noodles with a weird selection of veggie and some tinned corned beef and smash! Ahhhh fine dining at it’s best!!
We had great wind and got off to a fantastic start. Although our thoughts go out to Cork and Hull & Humber back in the marina at CapeTown after being involved in a collision on the start line, our excitement at being first around the last mark out of Cape Town was forgotten as we looked back at the rest of the fleet counting only 7 boats and realized what had happened.
It was initiation by fire for the 5 of us new leggers who joined in Cape Town as we managed to work our way through almost our whole sail wardrobe in the first few hours! Even getting our lightweight spinnaker out while we were in the wind shadow of Table Mountain. It wasn't long before it had to come down and the wind kept climbing! In the middle of the night with the wind gusting over 35 knots we were over powered and with 5 of us up on the foredeck we fought hard to bring the yankee 3 down (During the nice little window of time you get of feeling fantastic after throwing up!!).
A lot of people were suffering from sea sickness and with the boat bouncing hard through the waves on crazy angles life on board was initially a matter of just getting through it. Very little sleep was had and numerous reports came back of off watches spent gripping onto the edges of bunks and lockers to stop being bounced out! Last off watch I finally had a great sleep however woke up realizing just how sore my body was, yet to become accustomed to life at sea. I'm sure I’m covered in a ridiculous number of bruises that I’ll never get a chance to even see! Today however the wind and sea have settled, we're averaging about 10 knots speed over ground off about 17-18 knots true wind and the sun and smiles are out.
I'm losing track of the days already, but there are A LOT to go!! We are in our own wee world with our own boat time. No longer South African time but a long way off being on Australian time yet too. Not that the time matters other than to know when your watch starts and finishes. Its 1430hrs boat time, I've just come off the helm at the end of our 6hr day time watch. We saw a turtle (actually I just about hit it!!) and the others saw a whale behind us but such is life on the helm I couldn't turn and look while I was driving (dedication or what!!) Lunch is tinned sausages and smash (just add water instant mashed potato.) Then its bed time for me until I'm woken at 2000hrs for the first of our 4 hour night watches. I've also changed my socks, cleaned my teeth and had a baby wipe 'shower' - doesn't get much better than that! Life on board Team Finland is all good!
Night Night
xx
Posted by , 3:04 PM, Permalink Comment (1)
Great blog Becs!As Christel said in a previous comment its great to get an insight into the day to day running of the boat for a newbie.Good luck with the rest of Leg 3 and i hope the sea sickness wears off.2 gate points!Brilliant! Posted by guest, 3 days later
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
On our way to Australia
Whilst the stopover in Cape Town was really great, it has taken most of us a few days to settle back into the routine of life on board Team Finland. For a start there is no doubt that we miss the leggers that left. Despite that the new crew settled into their role very well and we had our best start since leaving Hull in September.
As we finally left the Atlantic Ocean and entered the Indian Ocean, the winds picked up and we had a rough old 36 hours with gusts up to 40 knots on the nose. Conditions down below were the worst we have experienced and despite people flying out of their bunks, there have been no serious injuries. There has been a fair amount of water on board though. As the weather subsided we emptied 40 buckets of water from the bilges – and that was just the rope locker!! I found that constant dripping and condensation had well and truly soaked my sleeping bag so it’s all a bit uncomfortable. This morning saw a glorious sunshine promising a fine day but fog and lightening soon dampened our hopes.
Of course, we all continue to enjoy the experience despite all this. This really is the challenge of a lifetime and if it were easy we would not get anywhere near the same satisfaction. So bring it on. We’re ready for the Southern Oceans. In the back of our minds though we are also ready for Christmas with family and friends; if that is not the motivation for another podium position (and an early finish) what is?
Posted by , 11:31 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Guest Blog: Michael Yeomans
Life is tough for the new boy on Team Finland. Its 4:41 in the morning & I've been sent below to write a blog!! I've been on watch since 2am; we are ever so slowly slipping by Singapore (off to the north of us); the night sky is filled with stars; the sea state is gentle and the pressure good; there is talk of an arrival in Cape Town within the next 48 hours; in short all is well with the world. And then I am sent below to write a blog ("and be quick about it 'cause it’s your turn to make breakfast"). I don't do blogs! My kids do blogs. People I read about in the papers do blogs. But I don't do blogs. My tormenter is 16 stone of "fuur & bluubber" (his words not mine; would I dare otherwise); he races in shorts & a tee-shirt while the rest of us pull on those bloody red smocks (was the designer at Henri Lloyd told that they would be worn with a life jacket over & if so how was he expecting me to get my gloves out of the kangaroo pouch up front?).
'Stand by to gybe'! I race up to help; I'm usually allowed to labour at the grinder while the others get to play with the different coloured bits of string & stuff. Not this time they have put someone else in my place. "Blog" shouts Fur & Blubber to the confusion of all in the evolution, except of course me. I know what he means. So below I go with my tail(rather lifeline) between my legs,
Where is the word counter on this notepad? Have I got to do every thing!! They will be shouting for their breakfast soon. 11 words on the first line & 16 lines. Where is the calculator? 176 words (half way there).
Now they are shouting for breakfast. Have I woken the next watch? No I haven't. I've been writing this bloody blog. How long to make porridge? 15 minutes. "You've got 10." Its Fuur & Bluuber again.
The kitchen (sorry galley) is chaotic. The sinks (we have two, about the only luxury on this boat) are full of cups from last night's on deck tea party. I wasn't invited but I know there has been a tea party because the floor of the cockpit is covered in chocolate sauce. I hope Fuur & Bluubber tears their arses.
Kettle & porridge pot are on the stove but where are the oats? 8 minutes to go. At the back of the locker & why because the T++++ (woops they are not a sponsor) ware container is all but empty! So too is the powdered milk container. Can't make porridge without milk! The lovely Polly is on hand to find refills. 6 minutes to go. On a roll now (literally - I wouldn't let any of these so called drivers near the BM - if there is a pot hole in the road they find it); oats in the pot; stir; a pinch of salt; stir; thickening nicely; stir; (3 minutes to go); kettle boiling; turn off the gas; now add the milk; porridge is looking good (1 minute to go).
Here is the next watch. All bright and cheerful. Good morning! How are you? How am I? I'm a wreck. I've got this blog to write & I don't do blogs. What's for breakfast? Porridge & Frank's bread (and what fantastic bread). Goes down well but there is
still that bloody blog to finish after Hans & I have restored order to the galley.
Michael Yeomans
Legger (Leg 2 Rio to Cape Town)
Posted by , 2:31 PM, Permalink Comment (2)
For someone who doesn't blog, Michael's post was cracking me up! A fantastic insight into life on board as a newbie, I'd better be on my best behaviour when I get onboard on Oz!
Loving your posts on here Andy, any nugget of info about how you guys are getting on is great. See you after Xmas, good luck on leg 3.
Christel. Posted by Christel, 37 minutes later
Great to read Michael, we catch up later with more of the detail Regards Jon Posted by guest Jonathan Smith, 56 days later
Friday, November 13, 2009
Hello CapeTown
Team Finland made it 3 podium appearances in a row when they took second place in the race to Cape Town. The race was won by Cork but there was a nailbiting finish for second place with Finland managing to stay ahead of Uniquely Singapore who came in third.
Posted by , 12:14 AM, Permalink Comment (1)
Well done Andy,it must have been something to do with the Camp Stew. Will Team Finland be celabrating with the world famous Milner Flapjacks ? Posted by guest Wendy Tuppenney, 9:54 hours later
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Goodbye Simone
Signing off guest blog from Simone who leaves us this week:
It is day 17 of our trip from Rio to Cape Town and with less than 100 n miles to go to the finish line, the last one on Team Finland for me. I signed up for leg 1 + 2 thinking that 1 month of training and 2 months of racing would be a long enough time to take out of 'real life' but as it always happens, time has gone so quickly that 3 months now feel like 3 weeks (probably very different for friends and family back home).
Most people on board are busy planning their stopover in Cape Town. The 'what will I eat & drink first?' is always a big one. Me, I am looking forward to a 10-day holiday with my boyfriend - partly to 'recover' from the race and partly to adjust back to normal life (i.e. having a shower every day and sleeping for more than 3-4hrs at a time in a bed that does not move!). I am also finding myself reflecting on this 'adventure of a lifetime' which is drawing to an end so quickly: WAS IT WHAT I EXPECTED? - Yes and no. For most parts it was much more...but how can anyone imagine what it is like to race across the Atlantic on a 68ft outstripped racing yacht with 18 'strangers' without actually being there? HAS IT CHANGED ME? - No, I don't think it has but it has changed the way I see and evaluate things. And it has reminded me that I have to keep challenging myself -in every aspect of life. WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? -Absolutely! The experience of crossing an ocean under sail (twice) and finishing on the podium both times is something that I will never forget and that cannot be measured in terms of money or time spent. And last but not least, I feel privileged having met so many interesting people from all walks of life through the Clipper race. Some have become close friends and I hope we will manage to stay in touch even after we all get back to our busy 'real' life.
In the meantime, I will continue to follow Team Finland on my laptop at home. Not quite the same as being there but then I get to sleep when I want, eat what I want and I don't have to wear a Henri Lloyd smock that clearly was not designed for women!
Simone Gross
Posted by , 6:34 PM, Permalink Comment (1)
Cheers Simone. Great sailing with you. At least you can now have corn beef hash whenever you want.... :) Posted by Andy, 4 days later
Stealthy!
We are having good fun with Uniquely Singapore. We both went into stealth mode to avoid each other and then they appeared on our horizon so we knew exactly where they were! I think we saw them before they saw us because it was clear our poled out head sail gave us a speed advantage and we were catching them. Eventually they matched us in terms of sail set up and we proceeded side by side for a while though bit by bit we edged past them into second place.
It is bizarre to see the fleet spread out of sight as you leave Rio only to come across them again several thousand miles later. Morale is pretty high at the moment and whilst 1st place is probably out of reach (but it’s not over yet...) the prospect of a podium finish given our dodgy start to this race is arguably more of an achievement than the previous two wins. It feels that way anyway.
We are on schedule to arrive in Cape Town on Friday or Saturday and I'm looking forward to my first hotel and proper bath in goodness knows how long. Winds are predicted to get lighter and we are hoping it gets to the stage where the middleweight spinnaker is the best sail to use - simply because Cork do not have one and that will give us quite an advantage. They've just gone into stealth mode so are clearly still concerned by the progress we are making.
Posted by , 8:02 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Camp stew
OK you doubters. I finally served up camp stew yesterday and it went down really well. So well we had to go into stealth mode to protect the recipe...
We're flying now and on a straight run to Cape Town.
The bad news is that the beard is back. Whether to approach my neck with a sharp blade in these conditions was probably one of the easier decisions I have had to make :)
Posted by , 7:53 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Monday, November 9, 2009
It’s getting rough - and cold
My light weight coastal jacket has been consigned to the locker for a couple of days now as the thermals and ocean weather foulies come out. We have seen temperatures drop dramatically and have had our first taste of the southern ocean weather. We are at 35 degrees south and on a straight run for Cape Town. The seas have been in the range of 30ft swells and we have hit icy winds of up to 38 knots. It’s what we came to see but after 72 hours it ceases to be pleasant - especially since nothing ever dries! There's not much to do on deck so you just sit through your shift. Conversation with the person next to you is difficult because of the wind noise and the noise of the rigging. We sit like penguins snuggled together with the forward penguin taking the brunt of the wind before we rotate and give them shelter at the back.
When there is an evolution to do we grasp the task willingly but changing a head sail in these conditions draws on enormous reserves of strength and stamina. Although we still limit the time without sail to just a few minutes the whole process of getting the sail on deck, packing the old one and tidying up can take well over an hour - by which time you are exhausted.
The good news is that my injuries - trapped nerve in leg, bruised ribs and twisted knee are all starting to get back to normal (whatever that is) so I'm starting to fire on all cylinders again. Unfortunately injuries don’t give you light duties. You just have to get on with it and hope you don't aggravate it more.
Posted by , 7:32 AM, Permalink Comment (3)
Hi Andy,
I hadn't been aware of your injuries but I trust that they were sustained during some activity more heroic than Clog Dancing !
Keeping track of Team Finland's progress is turning me into a bit of an anorak and my finger nails may be bitten down to the elbow but I'm cheering you on (from the comfort of my armchair).
Wendy T
Posted by guest Wendy Tuppenney, 3:51 hours later
Hey Andy - Great to hear you're on the road to recovery from those injuries - it can't be easy!! I've been following you all the way but now that you've slipped under the cover of stealth mode again I'll have to be content with suspense for a while. All the best and think WARM!
- Jacob Posted by Jacob Baker, 14:16 hours later
Go Team Finland - just seen you've sneaked into first place!!!! Posted by Clare, 2 days later
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Tales of the unexpected
We never expected the race start from sunny Rio to be in rain and high winds. We never expected to be beating into the wind as we headed south. Nor did we expect so many people to suffer sea sickness.
Today our journey on race 3 continues with surprises. Team Finland appears to have been through a number of wind holes as we head down to the 40 degree latitudes in search of high winds and our progress has suffered as a result. We currently lie in 6th place although the distance to finish numbers don't mean too much at this stage. Amazingly, others are faring even worse than us it seems, so we are making some ground on the rest of the fleet. Our head sails were finally replaced last night with spinnakers and sailing is much more settled even if the sail changes continue to test us! Over the last 24 hours it seemed every time we were about to go off watch we decided to switch spinnakers which kept us away from our bunks for another hour or so. Not that we are complaining - we can bank sleep and rarely begrudge what is, after all, a once in a lifetime experience of racing around the world. That aside, we are using the time well to tidy up the boat and clean up and we have never stopped eating well.
We also saw our first albatross today. A brown one so we figure it must have been a maturing youngster - but it still had a wing span in excess of 10 feet. The thing that strikes you most about this bird when you see it is that it seems to possess - unlike any other bird - a face. Really weird looking creatures but quite beautiful.
Posted by , 7:13 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
SISU
Some of you who saw us off from Hull heard us chanting SISU and have asked for a translation. In Finnish it means give 100% and don't stop until you've finished. It is also our Team Acronym... Safety, Integrity, Strength and Unity.
We are now on our way to Cape Town, a trip that should last around 3 weeks.
Posted by , 6:56 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Monday, October 19, 2009
Team Finland cross the line - Eventually!
A very frustrating 36 hours was concluded just seconds after 1800 UTC when Team Finland crossed the finish line to claim 1st place in race 2 of the 09-10 race. Frustrating because it seems to have taken us as long to sail this last 150 miles as it did to sail the previous 4,000!
We knew the wind holes existed around Rio but never realised they would affect us so much. A 150 mile lead was whittled down to under 70 by a talented and competitive crew aboard Spirit of Australia led by skipper Brendon Hall. We have been coached well by our own skipper coming down to Rio. We sailed safe and we sailed fast. Frustrations threatened a little bit as the calm airs stalled our progress but we hung on to win. A win that feels thoroughly deserved. Compared to the La Rochelle sprint this was a real marathon. It did not have the challenge of high seas (even in the Bay of Biscay) but the heat and light wind sailing stretched us to the limit.
Rumour has it there is a beer waiting in Rio where we should arrive under spinnaker in about 7 hours time.
Posted by , 10:30 PM, Permalink Comment (3)
Massive congrats Andy and Team Findland! Enjoy your well-deserved beer(s)! xx Posted by Clare, Linz and Sam, 1 day later
Andy, Our super-sinbad! Well done to you all on Finland. Two in a row, you absolute stars! CFH will seem like a breeze after all this. I don't suppose you'll get close enough but, send us a penguin pic if you take a wrong tack and clobber the Ross Ice Shelf! Loving hearing about your adventures and we're incredibly proud of you back at the coalface/grindstone/workhouse/Council - choose your own! Safe journey, and God Bless. Lizzie Posted by Liz - Eastleigh, 2 days later
PS - Where you 'parked' the boat in La Rochelle was almost opposite where I had lunch one day last year!!! Posted by Liz Farnell, 2 days later
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Guest blog - Day 24
If we didn't have a white board in our salon ('living room') that is updated every morning, we would all struggle to remember what date it was and how long it has been since we left La Rochelle at the start of race 2.
After such a long time at sea it is sometimes easy to forget that a world outside of the Clipper fleet exists. In 'real life' (life before/after the race) I would watch world news every morning. None of this matters here – in the middle of the Atlantic. Instead, conversations on board are mostly about the last 650 nautical miles that lie between us and the finish line and the challenge that awaits us just before Rio: The weather information we have indicates mini doldrums for the last day or two. We are also contemplating whether we have put enough distance between us and the boats behind (especially Australia, Jamaica and Cape Breton Island) as they continue to chase us and have started to make up some ground due to more favourable winds. And when we don't talk about race position updates, strategy, weather forecasts etc, we go into full planning mode for our stopover in Rio – mainly related to food (fresh food!), drinks (ice cold and alcoholic!!) and sleep (more than 4 hrs at a time and at a temperature below 35 degrees Celsius!!!). Despite the heat, we have all gotten used to not showering for days and to not be able to change into fresh clothes daily (seems somehow excessive now). We have learned how precious water is and realised that even though it feels great 'to be clean' it never lasts for long...well, only as long as the next sail change, spinnaker packing or cooking duties. When we started this race we were bracing ourselves for the challenge of a life time. So far, we have not had the strong winds and big waves that are seen on many of the photos on the website but that doesn't mean that this race has not been challenging: Almost 4 weeks in the scorching sun, times of no wind, continuous problems with our generator and water maker and extreme heat below deck even at night can take just as much out of a team as a Force 9. Despite all this, I have had a great time and I can't wait for leg 2 to start (Rio to Cape Town) - after a few relaxing days and cold beers ashore that is!
Simone Gross
Posted by , 4:42 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Team Finland Blog
Things are looking pretty good for Team Finland at the moment. Our daily meetings where the skipper raises issues to be improved upon (ironically called 'happy hour') are getting shorter and there is less shouting on deck - so we must be doing something right! As we beat into the wind at 30 degrees, we finally figured that cooking and washing in the galley can only be achieved by sticking one foot in a spare locker and jamming our midriff against the sink; movement through the main cabin is best as a sideways motion and, trust me, you really don't want to know about tactics in the heads.
Generally we are pleased with our race strategy even though our initial decision to keep east out of La Rochelle cost us. Those short term losses, which pushed us down to 4th place, were later recouped and we were able to pick a good route through the doldrums under 'stealth' mode. Since then we have built up an impressive lead in the company of flying fish, dolphins, turtles and whales. Recently we have been joined by sea birds such as gannets and boobies.
You would think we would be getting excited about Rio in 5 days time (and clearly we are looking forward to a good clean up) but actually, it almost seems a shame to break up the good rhythm we have developed. The other reason we are not too excited is that we are all feeling it a bit for California who are now over 900 miles behind us. California has a great crew and many of us have good friends on board. We are really rooting for them to do well in future races (up to 2nd place of course!) and rest assured we will not be really happy in Rio until they have arrived to share the drinks with us. Best wishes to Shana, Elaine, Guido, Emma, Melissa and the rest of the crew for a safe and fast journey!
Posted by , 3:17 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Guest blog
Day 9 of our trip to Rio was an exciting one on board team Finland – despite very light winds and calm seas. First of all, we found out that we made good ground over the previous 12 hours and moved up to 1st place!! In addition, both on and off watches were kept busy all day with visits from dolphins and 2 sightings of whales (or rather a whale's blow and a fin disappearing in the far distance).
While the whales kept us guessing as to what species they were, we managed to identify the dolphins as Atlantic spotted dolphins and will keep track of these sightings for the WDCS (Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society) throughout the race.
We have had a few visits from dolphins before but never three in one day and never for such an extended period of time. Surprisingly, they didn't seem to mind our moderate boat speed of 5-6 knots. In fact, they looked like they were having a lot of fun circling our bow in formation, partly upside down. Too bad we couldn't join them for a swim!
I don't think I will ever get bored of watching dolphins, even though the excitement of seeing another group will probably not quite be the same in a couple of weeks...
Now that the sun has set and the dolphins are gone, we are preparing for our night watches and the biggest questions mark is again what to wear?? I thought I would be getting better at choosing the right 'layering system' but I still find myself changing in and out of jumpers and jackets a couple of times each night.
A big hello to everyone in Germany, London, New Zealand and Malaysia. Keepfollowing our journey - it has only just started...
Simone Gross
Team Finland
Posted by , 8:47 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Monday, October 5, 2009
Day 11 Race 2
Much of our race so far has featured downwind sailing - which is what these boats are built for. So I thought I would give you an insight into how that feels for a novice sailor like me.
Let me start by describing the sea conditions we are facing. We are currently in force 4/5 winds (around 20-25 knots) which is enough to get a few smaller craft heading for shore. The waves are about 15 foot with white horses (breaking waves) on the top. We are sailing south with the wind coming over my left shoulder - the same direction the waves are coming in.
The problem is that the boat wants to turn into the wind and the waves want to take you in the opposite direction. When I'm on the helm I try to turn away from the wind to 'surf' the wave. This can increase your boat speed from around 10 knots to maybe even 15 and is a pretty cool feeling. All the time the skipper (or someone else) is telling me to try and alter course so we keep going towards Rio!!).
The trouble is that as you steer left and right against the natural tendency of right and left, the spinnaker swings in the opposite direction. You need a very light touch because if you over compensate the boats starts to roll alarmingly and eventually, if you do not control it, will leave the boat flat on its side with the consequent risk of damage.
Whilst all this is going on at the helm two other crew members are trimming the spinnaker. One holds the working line (sheet) and eases out until the edge of the sail flaps. When it does, a second person on the coffee grinder, hauls the sheet back in again. Their job is only effective when the helm keeps in a straight line so a three way communication is essential.
What we have found is that inches count (anyone seen that famous speech by Al Pacino in 'Any Given Sunday'?). If you can keep 1 degree closer to your intended course (rather than just going for the fast speeds) then over the 5,000 mile race we could arrive in Rio a day early. If we can squeeze an extra 2 knots of speed from the boat by trimming that can give us an extra 350 miles over a week. We believe that it is this attention to detail that has helped propel us to the front of the fleet with a decent lead over our nearest competitor. However one day drifting in The Doldrums could destroy all that so we are not resting on our laurels until we are safely in Rio.
Posted by , 7:43 AM, Permalink Comment (1)
Hi Andy - Great posting!! I continue to follow you and Team Finland every step of the way. It's amazing how the "slow-motion" stream of updates can still hold all the excitement of the race. I hang on the 3 hour Race Viewer refresh and check for postings regularly. :) All the best from North Carolina - GO TEAM FINLAND!!! Posted by Jacob, 6:21 hours later
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
It's all about strategy
Below is text sent from Team Finland a couple of days ago. Their current position shows that their chosen strategy paid off.
"We have now left European waters and are passing the west coast of Africa. All our wind now comes from the Sahara so it is getting increasingly warm -shorts and T shirt has become the night choice too. Really nice sailing conditions and we are making the most of it as it will get very hot soon.
Hull and Humber have built up an impressive lead by goimg west whilst we stuck closer to the coast. They are now heading slowly back towards us so
they will end up covering more miles - time will tell to see if we can eat into their lead. Our strategy has always been to take the shortest possible route and be conservative about sail choices. It has served us
quite well and we have had no real damage this race other than a few busted ropes! Over the next few days we will face a number of key decisions which you can follow on the race viewer. First is the Canary Islands which we must decide to leave port (danger of wind shadow) or starboard. The third choice would be to go between the islands which could accelerate us through the fleet (acts as wind funnel) although in the last race boats became becalmed here for several days. The next choice will be to decide whether we go for the scoring gate further south. The first 3 boats score and we are currently in 4th place. If
we miss the gate and go straight for the finish line in Rio we could collect a podium finish.
The final choice will involve crossing the doldrums which drift north and south regularly. We want to catch it as the band of 'no wind' moves north and we head south (minimising impact) - we also need to find where the belt is at its narrowest.
The whole ranking could change dramatically between here and Rio and with 3800 miles to go the differnece between all the boats is pretty
meaningless. Our confidence is really high and the boat is performing well. Our generator and water maker are now starting to perform well!
We have seen several groups of Dolphins who like to play by the bow - mainly at night and over the next few days we are bracing ourselves to be inundated by flying fish."
Posted by , 11:06 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Day 2 Race 2
The Bay of Biscay has not lived up to its famous reputation. We took over 3 hours from La Rochelle before we picked up any wind but even by then we had managed to build up a bit of a lead. Hull and Humber took an interesting early tack for better winds and it paid off. As we head for Finisterre we can see Hull leading in front of us. We head the next group which includes Australia and Cork. It's been good spinnaker sailing although one or two at the helm have mentioned how much more difficult it is to hold a course in light winds. Trimming is also an arduous task requiring the head to pivot vertically to watch the top of the spinnaker so we tend to rotate that role every half hour or so.
The family that is Team Finland continues to grow and learn together and we are all having the time of our lives even though we miss everyone back home!
Posted by , 7:04 PM, Permalink Comment (1)
Hi!
Glad to hear all is well! Be pleased for the gentle weather - I'm sure you'll get plenty of rough stuff to test you all later on!
Val spoke to us all at the EGM today to let us know how you were and the children did a short pageant to show the tides and storms etc around the globe.
We're all thinking of you. Posted by guest Helen Somerset How - Rainbow, 3 days later
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Team Finland Win Race 1
Team Finland was first across the line at 15:26 local time in Race 1 of Clipper 09-10. Cork crossed the line second at 15:46 local time (13:46 GMT) Hull & Humber came in third just 40 seconds ahead of Spirit of Australia.
The results of the race are provisional as there have been objections against Hull & Humber and Cork. Both boats are alleged to have entered the separation zone of the Dover TSS in contravention of the sailing instructions for Race 1 of Clipper 09-10.
Congratulations to all the crew - the standard has been set!
Posted by , 4:56 PM, Permalink Comment (2)
Brilliant! Well done to all aboard Team Finland. Posted by Steve, 2:51 hours later
Fantastic race Andy!! Team Finland has indeed set an early benchmark - Kudos to all! Posted by Jacob, 7:25 hours later
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
It's very close!
As at 1800 today Team Finland were still leading the pack in the race to La Rochelle but only 28 nautical miles was separating the whole fleet. Since Hull there has been fast downwind sailing and there is a strong possibility that, the Bay of Biscay permitting, arrival will be ahead of schedule.
Posted by , 8:24 PM, Permalink Comment (1)
Can't do better than first place Andy - brilliant! We followed you every inch of the way - hope you enjoyed it. We look forward to following you through the next leg.
John Posted by John, 18:50 hours later
Monday, September 14, 2009
Team Finland take the lead
In the first race after leaving Hull as at 6.00 this morning the Team Finland boat was in the lead followed by Hull and Humber in second place and Cork in third place. You can follow the race by clicking on the "Clipper" link on main Meridian 360 page - this will take you to the race viewer.
Posted by , 7:20 AM, Permalink Comment (1)
Great job Team Finland. Early days , but U.S. fan club is real proud. we'll be following faithfully.
You guys ROCK!! Posted by Mike M, 18:41 hours later
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Goodbye Hull!
After spending nearly a week in Hull the city gave a fantastic send-off to the Clipper Fleet at the start of the 2009/10 round the world race. The teams were introduced to the crowd of around 100,000 - an emotional time for them and the friends and family who had assembled to wave them off. As is customary their team song was played and Team Finland Skipper, Eero, proved that he is quite a nifty mover!
Whilst the crews were making last minute preparations on board their boats the crowd were treated to a fantastic display by the Red Arrows. Once the cannon was fired the crews jostled for position with Edinburgh crossing the start line in first place. By the second marker Team Finland had moved up from their starting position of sixth to second place where they stayed until the Cleethorpes marker.
Posted by , 9:59 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Victory for Team Finland
After a tense wait it was confirmed that Team Finland triumphed in The Pilgrim Cup. Although the team thought they had done well it is the nature of time trials that participants can't be certain of their place until all the times have been collated. The Mayor of North East Lincolnshire presented skipper Eero Lehtinen with the trophy at a dinner being held to celebrate the arrival of the fleet in Grimsby. Home crew Hull and Humber were placed second.
Posted by , 5:08 PM, Permalink Comment (6)
Well done Team Finland! Great start.
So pleased we could help out with the spinakker last week; one of the few weeks we didn't have the children working so we had the space to offer.
We'll keep watching and our fingers crossed. Good luck and stay safe Posted by guest Helen Somerset How, 4:14 hours later
I mean spinnaker of course! Posted by guest Helen Somerset How, 4:17 hours later
First victory in the bag....here's to many more!! Good work Team Finland! Posted by Clare, 5:04 hours later
Well done Team Finland. That is a great start. Also well done VM, web site looking good! Posted by guest Jude Reed, 1 day later
really pleased Team Finland! lets hope it is the start of many firsts. I was very proud and priviledged to watch you sail from Gosport last week and will be keeping a track on your progress, as will lots of children from The Rainbow Centre. We talked today about them making their own boat and sails in the classroom, so who knows, clipper crew of the future. xxx Posted by guest Julie Woodward, 3 days later
Well done team Finland.
May this be the first of many wins for you.
Take care. Posted by Pat & Mike Beale, 5 days later
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Go team Finland!
Team Finland finished strongly in the Pilgrim Cup. This was the warm up race and part of the preparation for "the big one". This race took the form of a time trial with the start gate near Ramsgate and the finish gate near the entrance to the Humber. It is a very tactical race as it is up to the skipper to decide on his boat's start time. Starting ahead of the field paid off for team Finland and after a very rough Wednesday night at sea where they encountered gale force winds they arrived in Grimsby well ahead of the rest of the fleet. Timings are still to be announced but the team are hopeful of victory.
Posted by , 7:50 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Grimsby here we come
After we left Gosport we had some fine downwind sailing through the night towards Lowestoft. There were lots of sail changes and I was given the opportunity to helm throughout the night. On Tuesday we arrived in Lowestoft and have taken the opportunity to rest before setting off for Grimsby.
Posted by , 8:26 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Monday, August 31, 2009
Goodbye Gosport
Today saw the town of Gosport give a big send off to the Clipper crews that were setting off on their journey up to Hull. This was the rehearsal for the race start which will take place on 13 September. Friends and familes turned out in force to see the skippers and their crews introduced to the crowds that had gathered at Clarence Marina. The boats slipped their lines to their boat song and formed up in Fareham Creek before parading past the assembled crowds before starting thie race to Grimsby. For those of you that were not there perhaps the picture needs some explanation..our song is The Blues Brothers Everybody Needs Somebody!
Posted by , 7:59 PM, Permalink Comment (1)
Great day at Gosport to see you off Andy and to see the other crews and all the boats.
Take care and enjoy Posted by Pat & Mike, 12:24 hours later
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Final Preparations
It's been a really busy week at the Clarence Marina and today was no exception. After an early start, there were numerous jobs around the boat but most of the attention was on food. Our victualling team have been working hard all week to put together a menu that would keep us well fed right through to Rio. Having scouted numerous supermarkets, the canned food had all been bought and was today being prepared into day bags. This way we can grab one bag each morning and to be sure that inside we have all the necessary ingredients for breakfast, dinner and tea as well as a few snacks!
Meanwhile, my second engineering course saw me getting an introduction to the Oman generator and the Perkins Sabre engine which we will need to regularly service as we go around the world. Actually it's not quite as bad as it sounds since engineering is shared between a number of crew members and they are not particularly complicated pieces of equipment. Famous last words, I am sure and I have no doubt they will present numerous challenges on the race although race rules prohibit the engine being used during the race itself.
Posted by , 9:47 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Rainbow to the rescue!
The crew of CV5 would like to say a huge "Thank you" to Helen, Sue and Alison at The Rainbow Centre. Today dawned wet and windy and we needed to sort out our spinnaker. After a few phone calls we were invited to use the space in The Rainbow Centre. We were made really welcome and were able to carry out our work in the dry.
Thank you all.
Posted by , 7:33 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Engineer Milner!
Sailing round the world was always about stepping out of my comfort zone. Those of you that know me will appreciate that engineering has not been my forte - until now that is! For the past couple of weeks I have been servicing winches and today saw me complete an engineering course. We learned all aspects of engineering on the boat apart from the engine and generator. Not bad for a desk jockey!
Posted by , 7:10 PM, Permalink Comment (2)
Monday, August 24, 2009
Licenced to operate!
Today it has been back to school for me. Just a short walk from Clarence Marina is St Vincent's College where my VHF Short Range Operators course took place. After a day of lectures followed by an exam I now hold the VHF operators licence.
This week will see me complete the final courses required before the round the world race.
Posted by , 7:43 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
The Final Countdown
This week has seen us carrying out more maintenance and preparation for the big race. There has been very little wind so the sailing has been limited but hopefully things will pick up. Today we are off out into the Solent to try and find some wind and practice race starts so we are prepared for the race from Gosport to Grimsby.
Posted by , 8:47 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Radio Solent Interview
The interview with Julian Clegg on BBC Radio Solent last week can be heard on the iplayer until 9am next Wednesday morning (19th) by following this link.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p003z8h9/Julian_Clegg_12_08_2009/
Listen from about 18 minutes 20 seconds into the broadcast...
Posted by , 3:09 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Friday, August 14, 2009
Final Fundraiser
This week has been a succession of goodbyes in various forms and in between I've been trying to pack all my kit for the race into a 100 litre dry bag. Today was our final pre race fund raiser for the Rainbow Centre - a Formula 1 endurance simulation at the Chandler's Ford Race Centre. In the end we somehow managed to secure ten full teams and had a great evening raising over £200 for the Rainbow cause. Thanks to all those who supported the event even though the best team (Rainbow Warriors) did finish 7th! Congratulations to the winners though. Guys so big they make the huge trophies look quite small...
Posted by , 11:44 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Boat Maintenance
We had a cracking day on the boat again today and all the winches have now been serviced, reassembled AND no spare parts left over!!
The boats are all being prepared for Part B courses this week and many of the crew will be staying on the boats for Part C which starts on 17 August.
For me though, this week is a series of goodbyes with various trips, golf matches and lunches with people I will not see again for 12 months. Crikey me it's getting close!
Posted by , 4:47 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Friday, August 7, 2009
Last Day at Work
OK, I am coming back next Friday for a lunchtime leaving do but today is officially my last day at work. It's a very strange feeling because the last few months have seen a significant increase in workloads as I try to get projects in a good state for handover AND commit myself to Clipper whenever spare time permits.
Now, I'm car-less and (in a way) job-less with a week off for packing and getting focused on the race ahead.
Eastleigh, it has to be said, have been brilliant. They've allowed me to take a full year off; Jon (who is covering for me) has slotted into the role so effectively I have been practically redundant this last week, and staff generally have shown tremendous generosity by supporting our fund raising events and donating over £200 in loose change to the cause of the Rainbow Centre.
The next 10 months will probably be the most challenging of my life so far and I aim to enjoy and savour every minute. but there is no doubt that the butterflies are very active in the pit of my stomach...!
Posted by , 10:31 AM, Permalink Comment (1)
Go for it Andy.
See you in Hull....and then in Fremantle, Qingdao and California!! Posted by Owen Morris, 4:51 hours later
Friday, June 26, 2009
The first race
Thursday saw us leaving Gosport for my first ever yacht race. We were headed towards Selsey Bill and I was at the helm so there was no pressure! The start went well – I am not sure if, left alone, I would have held my nerve but with advice being shouted by Eero I kept on course. We crossed the line in about fourth place. Soon after we were delighted to find ourselves in the lead followed closely by Hull and Humber.
Our joy was short lived - it soon became apparent that there was a problem with the rudder so, reluctantly, we had to withdraw from the race and limp back to Gosport. The ups and downs of yacht racing both experienced in a short space of time!
Posted by , 8:49 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The story so far...
The week started well with a really successful school visit. Children from Sherborne House School in Chandler’s Ford had great fun when they were shown round CV5. There were winching competitions and various other games which they entered into very enthusiastically.
By Tuesday the fun was over and the hard work began. The whole Clipper Fleet is on Part C training albeit without full crews. All around the Solent evolutions, sail flaking and man overboard drills were taking place. Cries of “not fast enough – do it again” were heard from our skipper. The mantra is “faster, faster, faster”. Two days of such intensive work is paying off – we are getting better (I think). Eero then took a step back making us take decisions with regard to sail changes etc. Was there a wry smile on his face at some of our attempts?
Having practiced basic sailing we now need to learn how to race – the next few days will see us taking part in two races with other Clipper crews. We are heading off to Lands End and beyond to get a feel for the real ocean.
Posted by , 12:06 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Another great week on Clipper Durban
Our last couple of days of this training week involved slowly improving weather but still that biting icy wind kept us all wrapped up on deck. We spent most of this time in and around the Solent practicing downwind sailing, man overboard drills (MOB) and pole work. Confidence throughout the team was high with everyone seeing the pieces of the big jigsaw that is Clipper sailing slowly falling into place so we could see and understand the bigger picture.
Saturday, in particular, was used to give everyone a chance to helm on a MOB where you use the wind to assist the final approach to the casualty. Then one last spinnaker run before returning to Gosport.
Landers in Gosport was the location for our farewell party with good food and wine rounding off the week perfectly.
Posted by , 4:49 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Friday, January 23, 2009
Return to Gosport
On our return trip to Gosport we experienced high seas with winds of force 7 to 8. The downwind helming was excellent but we did encounter a slight problem. The skipper suggested that a reef should be put in the mainsail but, unfortunately, the sliders jammed and whilst we held the boat in the wind (leaving the foresail flogging) the skipper climbed the mast with great skill to free them. This took a little longer than we thought and all the flogging finally finished the yankee sail which pulled free of the forestay and plunged into the water. It took us quite a while to recover that, address the main sail and get us back sailing. In a race situation this would have resulted in a repair having to be made to the sail - a long, painstaking job.
Posted by , 9:00 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Thursday, January 22, 2009
It's cold, it's wet and it's windy...
...and I am having a great time! Having left Gosport we sailed to East Cowes where we spent the night. Our days have been filled with good sailing in strong winds accompanied by icy rain. We have trained hard carrying out various exercises and man overboard drills. Today I was that man! Scary but its good to know that with all the practice we do if the real thing happens it will come as second nature to the crew. This evening we tied up at Poole for an early night - no doubt we will pay for this tomorrow!
Posted by , 10:17 PM, Permalink Comment (1)
I'd save you if you went overboard!!!
Keep up the good work. I cannot wait to start my training this April. It seems so far away. I, too, have been lucky enough to have been gifted several Icebreaker and Smartwool layers. I will have to test out the "no stink" promise on the Icebreaker box!!!
I hope to see you at Crew Allocation.
Shana (USA) Posted by Shana Bagley, 8:33 hours later
Monday, January 19, 2009
Training update
Today has been a busy day with us practising sail evolutions, sail changes, tacks and man overboard drills. Team spirit is good despite the icy conditions.
Posted by , 7:41 PM, Permalink Comment (1)
Brrrrrrrrr! If I'd seen the weather forecast for this week I'd have lent you my Owls hat to keep you warm! Hope you're having lots of fun! xx Posted by Clare, 21:06 hours later
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Strong Winds are Good!!
As I finish my packing for another week training on Clipper Durban, the long range weather forecast once again predicts that the South Coast will be battered by gale force winds. All this is good from a training point of view of course although the sub zero temperatures on a boat without any real form of heating adds to the test somewhat!
Fortunately my ice breaker clothing arrived yesterday so hopefully it will live up to its name and I have a new sleeping back to try out as well!
Posted by , 1:58 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Always have a plan B...
Our departure from Gosport had been delayed until quite late on the Monday so in the end we only encountered Force 9 winds (around 42 knots true wind speed) before heading for Weymouth to recover from widespread sea sickness. Crew Members described the scene below decks akin to that of a war movie with bodies lying all over the place, unable to move.
Plan A had been to head for Lands End but if the head winds became too strong plan B would see us turn south and head for the Channel Islands. Sea sickness meant plan C would take us to Weymouth but after that the weather improved quite dramatically.
On Wednesday we were racing back to the Isle of Wight at speeds approaching 14 /15 knots under first a poled out head sail and then a spinnaker. On Thursday, after mooring in Osborne Bay we underwent spinnaker pole and mast climbing skills before a simulated race around the island.
Friday and Saturday gave us very light winds and glorious sunshine which was frustrating from a sailing point of view but good practice since races will be won and lost under such conditions.
All in all it has been a fantastic week with a top class crew. The next time I report for training in 2009 crew allocation will have been finalised and I will be sailing with the same boat, skipper and crew that I will race around the world with.
Posted by , 5:14 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Now I understand!
Until yesterday I didn't quite understand what people meant when relaying tales of seasickness. I now understand what it means "not to be able to lift your head up". True to form we have had dreadful weather since leaving Gosport yesterday - we were heading into force 10 winds. Weather conditions meant that a lot of tacking was required resulting in around half of the crew suffering from seasickness. As a reslut of this today we put into Weymouth to regain our land legs and (hopefully) take in some food! Tomorrow we will be heading back up the Solent to do some spinnaker work.
Posted by , 5:53 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Part B Training
Sunday August 17 - Part B training begins. On arrival at Gosport I found that I was once again on Durban Clipper with Skipper Ricky Chalmers and First Mate Gordon Reid. The briefing revealed that we will be heading down to Dartmouth with the focus on spinnaker work.
Posted by , 8:24 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Friday, July 11, 2008
Don't mention the 'R' word
With the 07-08 race over I joined Clipper Durban on Sunday last to help crew the delivery back to Gosport.
It rained on our departure and also during the first night, second day and second night. Oh yes, and the third day too! I'm told by my 07-08 crew mates that I'm really fortunate to experience these conditions as it is not always plain sailing during the race. Of course Part A was in force 8 and this delivery trip is marginally better at around force 7.
Our third night was spent in Weymouth and Thursday morning saw us leave in bright sunshine (mixed with a bit of rain, of course) and the excitement of flying a spinnaker up the Solent so it was a a fantastic end to a great trip - despite the rain!
Posted by , 12:47 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Liverpool welcomes home 07 - 08 Clipper Fleet
Huge crowds turned out at Liverpool's Albert Dock to welcome home the 10 yachts that had circumnavigated the globe in the 07-08 Clipper Race. Thousands braved wind, rain, thunder and lightening as well as sunshine to cheer home all those who had taken part. The final result for the 10 month race was: 1st New York, 2nd Hull and Humber and 3rd Glasgow: Scotland with Style. Emotional scenes took place as crew members said their "goodbyes" and then moved on to say their "hellos" to families and friends.
Posted by , 9:42 PM, Permalink Comment (0)
Friday, July 4, 2008
At Last
It does not seem that long ago since Val and I went to Liverpool to wave off the boats for the 07-08 race. This weekend the boats return at the end of their 35,000 mile race and we will be there to greet them. Tonight there is a welcome party for 09-10 crew members and tomorrow the focus will very much be on the returning 07-08 crews. On Sunday I report to Clipper Durban as a crew member for the return trip to Gosport.
I have to say I have mixed feelings. I'm still a novice sailor and whilst I really need the experience of this trip, I know it is going to be a hard learning curve. But I'm very excited to be back at sea with the added bonus of my first voyage on one of the actual race yachts.
At the end of the day, these last few months have been more about gym training and there is only so much pleasure you can get out of extra weight and personal best times! This is, after all, what I have been training for.
Posted by , 10:51 AM, Permalink Comment (0)
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Extended Sea Training
Wednesday saw the Ariel and her Crew head west toward Lands End for an extended stay at sea. The two previous days had seen us experience the basics of sailing around the Solent and up to Southampton Water. We had worked on sail changes, trimming, man overboard skills and different points of sailing. Now was the time to put all we had learned to the test.
We headed out into the English Channel with the Isle of Wight on our starboard side and once again the boat quickly heeled at about 35 degrees as we beat into the wind. It is strange how life at this angle seems almost more natural than sailing on the level - although moving about below decks can be particularly challenging. By night fall we were well on our way to Portland Bill and passed there around midnight. The two watches alternated at three hourly intervals through the night and we were amazed at how much sleep we were able to secure during the off watch.
The weather forecast for the end of the week was pretty dire so the plan was to tack into the wind as far West as we could get. This would give all the crew good experience on the helm and enable us to practice evolutions (sail changes). As the wind increased, the tasks became harder but everyone was relishing the challenge and dug deep. Those on mother watch - cooking for the whole crew - found things particularly challenging in the galley! If we were getting tired the adrenalin was certainly compensating. By late Thursday we arrived at Dartmouth and moored at the town quay for the night. The local yacht club allowed us to use their showers for a welcome clean up, a change into dry clothes and a taste of the local beer.
The plan was that with the weather rapidly deteriorating a dash back to Gosport would at least give us the wind behind us. We could anchor overnight on the way back and still make Gosport in good time for Saturday with the boat on an even keel. But like all good plans, there was a flaw. As soon as we left Dartmouth we hit really huge seas with 20 foot waves (that somehow became 25 foot when we reviewed the trip in the pub on Saturday night!). Yes we did have the wind behind us but the rolling waves that passed us left the boat crashing down and causing sheer havoc in the galley (which is where I spent most of the day with fellow mother Paul).
Once again we all got a chance to helm and having gained a good deal of confidence in the first few days, I soon found out that I still have a huge amount to learn. Helming downwind demands an immense amount of concentration but in the end I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and judging by the smiles at dinner, so did everyone else.
We anchored in Studland Bay on Friday night and each crew member undertook a 90 minute 'Anchor Watch'; taking bearings on three landmarks to ensure we were not drifting. All that left us with a short run into Gosport for Saturday lunchtime.
The rest of Saturday involved a deep clean of the boat ready for the next crew, training on spinnaker poles and assessments of our performance over the week. The whole week was polished off in style with a pretty good steak and chips in the Fox and Hounds, ensuring a sound sleep for all on board before we left on Sunday morning.
Thanks to all my fellow crew members April, Gerry, Neil, Paul, Peter and Sarah who helped to make the whole week so friendly and memorable. A special thanks to Skipper Ali and First Mate Gordon who taught us so much and made sure we enjoyed every minute.
Posted by , 6:57 PM, Permalink Comment (1)
Comments:
Sounds amazing!! Glad you made it back safely - looking forward to the pics! Posted by Clare, 19:01 hours later
Monday, February 25, 2008
Part A Training
Regular blogs from my first week's sea training will be posted here. Part A introduces me to big boat sailing and incorporates an extended period at sea working a watch system through the day and night.
Monday, 24 March 2008
Last night I arrived at Gosport to join the Ariel for my first week's training. I was welcomed aboard by Skipper Ally Llewellyn and 1st mate Gordon. As the trainee living closest to Gosport I was the last to arrive - this meant the pick of the bunks had gone! My original choice of those left was a top bunk of three. The best way of describing access to this is that it is like climbing into a drawer. After a chat with Ally who advised me that was probably the worst place to be I relocated to a vacant bottom bunk. A tour of the boat was first on the agenda - that didn't take long! The training boat is 8 foot shorter than the actual race yachts and seems very compact - not sure it is also bijou! Following this we had our safety briefing after which dinner was served by Gordon, this over we retired to the pub.Sleep was fitful it was like sleeping under your desk with all your clothes around you. It was very cold - I really noticed the loss of heat from the top of my head so ended up sleeping in a woolly hat - comfort has overtaken style even before we leave shore.Today I am on mother watch so had to be up first to prepare breakfast and will be responsible for lunch and dinner. This morning is orientation then this afternoon we actually go sailing. Watch this space for further details.
Tuesday, 25 March
Another busy day learning the routines required to handle a racing yacht - also the bit I had been really dreading - climbing the mast. I did it!! The actual event wasn't as bad as I had been imagining so that is one fear conquered - guess there will be plenty more in the next couple of years.Sailing has been good and I think I am getting the hang of helming. Yesterday and today we have just been up and down the Solent but tomorrow we head off towards Lands End for a few days at sea (weather permitting) so I will be "off air" for a while.
Posted by , 7:51 PM, Permalink Comment (1)
Comments:
Its Starting
So good to hear that you are at last on the boat. We all know how much you have been wanting to get on board. All your hard work now has rewards.
Keep your hat on. Even of other dont, they may have something you dont. Hair!
Enjoy!!!! Posted by John, 27 days later