For the Irish entry it has been 24 hours of mixed fortunes as the team finds the weather going from one extreme to the other.

Itís been 24 hours of tricky navigation and careful helming in thick fogas the Clipper 68s continue to pursue Cork across the Atlantic to herhome port on the Emerald Isle. Not only that but fast downwindconditions have taken their toll on spinnakers and there have beenseveral reports of kite damage across the fleet. 
Corkís skipper Hannah Jenner says, ìAfter a wild night last night withwinds gusting to 34 knots, we eventually dropped the heavyweight kite asthe sea state had built to a point that made the ride a little too onedge. We spent the rest of the night maintaining great speeds and verymuch enjoying the sailing and were ecstatic to see that we had actuallymade some gains on the fleet. 
ìUnfortunately the GRIB files told a little porky (lie) today and thecentre of a low passing over us was further south so we went on a goslow. Still, not ones to be easily disheartened we took thedisappointing sched news in our stride and celebrated the fact that sixof the round the world crew members on Cork have become the first in thefleet to cross all lines of longitude and therefore technically havecircumnavigated the globe.î
Skipper Chris Stanmore-Major says, ìToday has been a curious journeythrough an eerie half-light world out here on Newfoundlandís GrandBanks. The heavy fog which descended over the entire fleet last nightpersisted throughout the day, focussing the Qingdao helmís concentrationfurther than possibly ever before. With no defining marks to aim for,only the feel of the wheel in their hands and the information from theshipís systems to guide them they have taken their kite driving to newheights.
ìBelow Qingdaoís decks the sail loft has been hard at work repairing atear to the medium weight kite which happened a few days ago. We haveBarbara Grant and Becky Block to thank once more for heading a team whohave repeatedly performed miracles with a suit of sails that are nowover 30,000 nautical miles old and feeling a little tired.î
The Chinese teamís Asian competitors have also suffered kite damage,both to their mid-weight and lightweight spinnakers and this coupledwith light winds has led to Uniquely Singapore slipping into tenthplace.
ìItís frustrating being at the back and itís a position we havenít beenused to for a few races,î reports skipper Jim Dobie. ìHowever the windgods are with us and with the forecast predicting stronger winds withthe approach of a low pressure system we should be able to put ourheavyweight kite to good use. We now look to reclaiming the miles lostand working up the fleet and, as ever, we have that ëcan doí Keppelspirit motivating us.î
Also flying their heavyweight spinnaker due to the demise of theirmedium weight is the team on board Edinburgh Inspiring Capital, as theScottish entry clears the thick fog and heads out into open ocean.  ìThe Grand Banks are always foggy and they havenít disappointed,î saysskipper Matt Pike. ìA stiff breeze, flat sea, visibility down to threeor four boat lengths and a spinnaker up! Unfortunately not the mediumweight as that decided to end its days in spectacular style. So we areflying the heavyweight and playing trim to maximise our speed. 
ìThe fleet has been sailing in a line straighter than we can manage in aLe Mans start. Now as the fog clears, we are spreading out again and oneby one disappearing off the AIS (Automatic Identification System) soplotting positions every six hours becomes vital to see which course isproving to be the best.î
Just ahead of Edinburgh Inspiring Capital and trying to make gains onthe boats further north is Cape Breton Island, a task that isnít provingto be that easy, especially as the team has also suffered sail damage.Like Chris on board Qingdao, skipper Jan Ridd was also full of praisefor his chief sail repairer in his report to the race office. 
ìHere on the Big Blue Canoe we have been working very hard to try andmove to the front of the fleet but with all the crews now so evenlymatched it is really hard to make any significant gains. Unfortunatelywe had a setback yesterday as we noticed a two foot split in ourmainsail. We can think of no reason this happened except for the sailjust wearing out after the extreme use it has been put through over thepast nine months. Whilst still sailing under spinnaker we struggled tolower and detach the mainsail and flake it on the deck to allowKatharine, who is in charge of our sail repairs and has worked miraclesall the way round world, to set to work. In the cold and damp of the fogshe worked tirelessly for four hours all the way through her off watchwhilst various crew members assisted her. 
ìWith repaired mainsail re-hoisted we are now sailing in what I termgood English sailing weather - cold and wet!î 
The English sailing weather should be suiting English entry Hull &Humber as the team finds themselves in a neck and neck drag race withthree others. 
Skipper, Justin Taylor, says, ìThere are four of us line abreast racingas hard as we dare. Seven miles to the north of us is Spirit ofAustralia and just to the south is California and Qingdao. At dusk webroke through the dense fog as we came off the Grand Banks and intodeeper water and like Cork we were treated to the sight of humpbackwhales swimming slowly in the other direction.
ìI think itís going to be a long night as the weather has turned squallyand we are ready to reduce sails as soon as the wind starts toincrease.î
Alongside Hull & Humber, the team on board California is enjoying theintensity of racing in such close proximity. 
ìIt has been exhilarating reaching under the heavyweight spinnaker allday, with everyone totally focussed in the limited visibility,î saysskipper Pete Rollason. ìWe have just sighted our first Clipper yacht,Qingdao, off our starboard quarter and we know the rest of the fleet isalso pretty close by. This looks like it will be a close one all the wayacross to Cork and talking of Cork we are closing down the miles to thehare in this race. 
For the Irish entry it has been 24 hours of mixed fortunes as the teamfinds the weather going from one extreme to the other.
Corkís skipper Hannah Jenner says, ìAfter a wild night last night withwinds gusting to 34 knots, we eventually dropped the heavyweight kite asthe sea state had built to a point that made the ride a little too onedge. We spent the rest of the night maintaining great speeds and verymuch enjoying the sailing and were ecstatic to see that we had actuallymade some gains on the fleet. 
ìUnfortunately the GRIB files told a little porky (lie) today and thecentre of a low passing over us was further south so we went on a goslow. Still, not ones to be easily disheartened we took thedisappointing sched news in our stride and celebrated the fact that sixof the round the world crew members on Cork have become the first in thefleet to cross all lines of longitude and therefore technically havecircumnavigated the globe.î
The next crew which look set to celebrate this occasion are round theworlders on board Jamaica Lighting Bolt as the team moves to the frontof the chasing pack. 
ìThe fleet has spread out fan like across this small section of theNorth Atlantic with more than 60 miles separating Jamaica Lightning Boltfrom the most northerly yachts,î reports the skipper of the Caribbeanentry, Pete Stirling. ìDespite this we are all still very close to eachother in terms of distance to finish. 
ìAccording to the weather GRIB files we should be getting stronger windsby Thursday as a depression passes north of us. This is forecast todeliver winds from behind of 30 knots plus and since the GRIBs tend tounderestimate wind strength we could get quite a bit more.î
Having been at the front of the chasing pack yesterday, Spirit ofAustralia is pushing hard to re-establish themselves as the frontrunners but are also being careful not to push too hard. 
ìWe are cautioned by hearing other boats stories of blown and damagedspinnakers,î says skipper Brendan Hall. ìSo we are being veryconservative with our own and not pushing them past their limits.
ìNow weíre all just looking forward to finding the warm Gulf Streamcurrent and hopefully seeing some whales of our own!î
Although the boats to the north have escaped the fog, Team Finland stillfinds themselves with limited visibility much to the frustration ofskipper Rob McInally who is looking forward to sailing in sunnier climesonce more.  
ìThe Grand Banks of Newfoundland are now behind us, the Flemish Cap isunder us and still the fog surrounds us,î bemoans Rob. ìSoon we will beinto the more exposed North Atlantic, hopefully free of this fog, andinto the path of the continuous low pressure systems which are set toblow us across to Ireland. Our positioning in relation to these systemswill ultimately decide how much wind and for how long we will be withinthem. Already you can see the split in the fleet as the tactics for thelow pressure systems effects their course to steer.î
Positions at 0900 UTC, Tuesday 22 June

 

1 Cork 1282nm 2 Jamaica Lightning Bolt 1436nm 154nm 3 Spirit of Australia 1440nm 158nm 4 California 1441nm 159nm 5 Hull & Humber 1441nm 159nm 6 Qingdao 1443nm 161nm 7 Cape Breton Island 1445nm 163nm 8 Team Finland 1449nm 167nm 9 Edinburgh Inspiring Capital 1450nm 168nm 10 Uniquely Singapore 1470nm 188nm

 

At 1615 local time (1915 GMT) Cork, Ireland, crossed the start line at Royal Cape Breton Yacht Club to begin the 2,075 mile race to Kinsale. The team, led by Hannah Jenner, has 48 hours to build the biggest possible lead before the fleet of nine Clipper 68s starts to hunt them down. For the first time in the Clipper round the world yacht  Race’s history this will be a pursuit race after the original Clipper 68 was lost when Cork hit a submerged reef in the Java Sea last January.

 

Race start for Cork followed the usual procedure and crews from the nine remaining boats lined the rails of their yachts to cheer their friends out to sea. A team from the Fortress of Louisbourg primed their 8lb replica cannon and, after the ten and four and one-minute preparation signals, fired it to unleash the yacht towards the waiting ocean.

 

The Challenge 67 that the team is now sailing is slightly shorter and also heavier, so the fleet is racing under IRC handicap rules. For Race 12 that handicap is being applied up front, hence their departure from Cape Breton Island today, rather than with the rest of the fleet on Saturday afternoon.

 

Cork’s crew almost immediately changed up from their yankee headsails to a mid-weight spinnaker to take full advantage of the ten knots of breeze. 

 

Irish crew member Kevin Austen shared his thoughts prior to the boat departing, saying, “This Atlantic crossing is a nice big carrot at the end of the stick and we are looking forward to pushing her hard and bringing her home. The concept of the pursuit race is really interesting; the next 48 hours will be pedal to the metal, keep her moving to get as much space between us and the pursuers. The weather gods have not been on our side in the last couple of races but we have already shown that we can be competitive. We are hoping to show that properly now and push fast and hard across the last great ocean crossing of this race.”

 

The others are really looking forward to the moment the team makes landfall on the other side of the Atlantic, including County Kerry resident, Jacqui Browne. 

 

“When I see Ireland for the first time, you will probably never see such a big smile, ever, on a person’s face,” she says. “I’ll have the biggest grin I have ever worn! Even this morning, seeing the routing chart and seeing the straight line across the Atlantic, it makes home feel very close.”

 

Before they slipped their mooring lines, the team was invited to a send-off reception at which Burton MacIntyre, a local step dance teacher who will be coming to the stopover in Kinsale and Cork with the Cape Breton Island delegation, put the crew through their paces. For many of the team arriving in Ireland will mark their return home after almost a year away and a quick brush up on their dancing skills in readiness for a huge party in Kinsale was deemed essential. Burton promised to be on the quay side to greet the team when they arrive after the final major ocean crossing of the Clipper 09-10 Race. 

 

He won’t be alone – the Cork crew members already have big plans for celebrating their homecoming and supporters will be there in large numbers. 

 

Kevin says, “My mother has a few plans for Cork but it’s easier getting a line up for a music festival early on as it is to get the plans out of my Mum! I have heard talk of a big barbecue. They will all be in Kinsale; my friends – the two Tims, Luke and Neil and all of my mates will be down. They’ve rented a house in Kinsale and it should be a massive big party.”

 

Jacqui will also have a sizeable group of supporters waiting to cheer her in as she arrives home. “It will be really emotional but for now it’s excitement at the anticipation of seeing friends and family that I know will be waiting at the quayside and I’m really looking forward to seeing them and hearing them screaming and roaring out my name. I would expect at least 50 to 60 people that I know will be there – people from Cork and Kerry plus many of the Cork crew who have sailed on previous legs. It’s going to be one big happy party.

 

“I am particularly proud of this boat because I went out to Antigua to collect her and work on her and now I’m bringing her home to Cork. That has always been our huge ambition, as the Cork team, to bring her in to Cork – hopefully in first place.”

 

Skipper Hannah Jenner knows she has the team that can do that, and that starting ahead of the rest of the pack could give them a slight psychological edge. 

 

“It really depends on what happens with the weather because the first 24 hours are going to be quite difficult,” she explains. “It looks like potentially there’s going to be light winds from a lot of different directions so it’ll either be good for us going out there, getting into reasonable wind and knowing we’re getting ahead or its going to be a really stressful night as we go slowly and nervously look at the clock as it counts down to the time when the others start. So, fingers crossed for the good wind and good boat speed and we’ve just got to keep it. 

 

“The boat’s fine in heavy airs and we’re competitive under the handicap in heavy airs but if the wind drops under 15 knots it becomes a nervous time for us. So we’re hoping for that breeze that keeps us ahead and that we can get far enough ahead and into new breeze that’s due to fill in around the time the rest of the guys start so that we can keep moving when they’re moving.”

 

The other nine yachts of the Clipper fleet will leave Sydney, Cape Breton Island, on Saturday 19 June and they and Cork are due to arrive in Kinsale between 1 and 4 July for an eight day festival there and in Cork City. For more information on the festival programme, visit www.corkclipperfestival.com.

 

Aerial footage of Cork Harbour below.

With strong winds forecasted for the next couple of days, a confident Cork crew departed New York for the start of Race 11 of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race – an 800-mile sprint to Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.

Speaking ahead of the race start Cork’s skipper Hannah Jenner, said, “I’ve just been checking out the forecast and it looks like we’re going to have some stronger winds on this race. We’re looking at up to 30 knots downwind which means we’re going to have to build some serious arm muscles because the boat’s quite heavy, but it’s definitely looking more favourable than before.

“The race is a short one and so far we’ve kept in touch with the fleet for the first 48 hours, so if we can extend that a little bit on this one we should get a good result. Every time we go out we learn a little bit more about the boat and with our IRC handicap applied we stand every chance of doing well.”

The Clipper fleet treated New Yorkers to a parade of sail past the Statue of Liberty before heading out of the Hudson to the site of Ambrose Lighthouse where Race 11 got underway at 1645 local time (2045GMT) with a Le Mans start.

With winds touching the 30 knot mark, most crews opted for a Yankee 2 and reefed mainsail combination with Cape Breton Island andCalifornia first out of the blocks after the Le Mans start. Overall race leaders Spirit of Australia were in hot pursuit though and followed Cape Breton Island's lead in shaking out their reef shortly after the start with the rest of the fleet soon following suit.

Despite their poorest result of the ten month series on the latest leg of the race, Spirit of Australia is still holding a comfortable lead at the top of the overall leaderboard. But with four races still to go and the performance amongst their competitors improving all the time, the Australian team cannot afford to rest on their laurels.

Competition is exceptionally close amongst the teams currently lying in the three places below Spirit of Australia, with just two points separating Cape Breton Island, Team Finland and Jamaica Lightning Bolt, who hold second, third and fourth place respectively. Hull & Humber are also not out of contention for an overall podium and with their first podium place result in Race 8 they will be hungry for another. Further down the order there is Asian rivalry between Uniquely Singapore, who scored their first victory in Race 10, and Qingdao who despite four third place results have yet to make it to the top of the podium. The team on board Cork will be hoping to show what their Challenge 67 is capable of and with stronger weather forecasted for this race than the last, they will be fully in contention. Keen also to prove their worth are California and Edinburgh Inspiring Capital who have yet to get a podium place result – so the final four races of Clipper 09-10 promise to be fiercely contested.

In addition to the closely fought points for the individual legs there is an extra dimension to the 800-mile race from New York to Cape Breton Island. Designated the ‘Eagle Spirit Race’ by Cape Breton Island’s sponsors, with the inspiration coming from the magnificent eagle that emblazons the side of their yacht, the team’s will be competing for the Eagle Spirit Trophy. There are three magnificent trophies up for grabs, each depicting a soaring eagle, which will be awarded to the podium placed yachts at the Race 11 prize giving ceremony on June 14 in Sydney.

There is a centuries old tradition of welcoming visitors to Nova Scotia which continues to be extended by the people of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia today. Their famous warm welcome and hand of friendship will be awaiting all the crews of Clipper 09-10 when the race arrives in Sydney between 11 and 13 June

Race 10 is already over for Cork. Concerned that they would not reach New York in time to be ready for the next race to Cape Breton Island, yesterday evening the Race Committee offered the Irish team tenth place. Skipper Hannah Jenner and her crew have accepted it and are now motoring towards North Cove Marina on Manhattan Island.

 

"Spirits are as high as they can be and that is testament to a bloody good team.  I think if we all had the choice we would turn right now and head straight for Cork," she says.

Cork, a steel-hulled Challenge 67, is a much heavier boat than the Clipper 68s and will do well in tougher, upwind conditions as we saw on the race to Jamaica where, on corrected time under the IRC rating system, the team finished in a creditable eighth place in their first

race back together on their new boat.

However, the very light conditions the crew has been experiencing over the last few days have pinned them frustratingly just to the north of the Bahamas, much as California was held prisoner in the Doldrums during Race 2. The Race Committee made their offer in order to allow Cork's resilient crew to reach New York in time to prepare themselves for Race 11.

Hannah says, "I think all of us are gonna need quite a few beers when we get in! I am very lucky to have a crew with such a good attitude or this would be a very difficult situation."

Meanwhile, the race goes on for the team that knows only too well from the early stages of Clipper 09-10 round the world yacht race what if feels like to be frustrated at every turn by the lightest of airs.

California, along with Jamaica Lightning Bolt and Team Finland, is now making good speed towards the Big Apple and skipper Pete Rollason says, "The crew on board California have realised for some while that we are battling for the minor places in Race 10 but battle we will.

Congratulations to Cape Breton Island, Uniquely Singapore and Edinburgh Inspiring Capital for getting the Scoring Gate points. It has been a great race to watch from our position as the leaders fight it out in some very close racing so I am sure everyone watching the race viewer on the website will be on the edge of their seats with chewed nails wondering who will take the honours into New York.

The Clipper Round the World yacht Race will arrive in Kinsale and Cork City for an 8 day festival from 02-09 July 2010. 

In Kinsale, an exciting array of entertainment is planned including local and national circus acts and musicians, food and craft markets and live music at Kinsale Square which will feature Aaron Dillon and Band, Ian Whitty and The Exchange and a Cork and Cape Breton outdoor Ceili! 

On Wednesday 07 July the fleet will make its way in a parade of sail to Cork City. To celebrate the Cork Clipper’s homecoming in style Albert Quay beside the Custom House will be transformed into a Race Village for three days from 10am to 10pm daily with food, drinks and crafts stalls and a large stage for musical acts such as Cork favourites John Spillane and Fred.

 

Preparations are in full swing for the arrival of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race for its first stopover in Europe since it departed the UK last September. The project is sponsored by Cork City Council, Cork County Council and Fáilte Ireland with the principle objective of building Cork brand awareness internationally.

Kinsale has developed a very exciting programme which highlights what Kinsale does best – arts, cultural, cuisine and good craic. The yachts are expected to arrive sometime over 02/03 July but the festival will kick off on 02 July to ensure that there will be a warm welcome for the 180 crew when they arrive. An artisan food and craft fair will run for the whole weekend and Kinsale Arts Week will run STOPOVER an exhibition of an artwork from each of the regions participating in the Clipper Race in the Mill which has been renovated by Cork County Council and Kinsale Town Council and will be a lasting legacy from the event as it will provide long term exhibition space in the town.

Other activities that Kinsale will host include national and international performers and music acts, Adventures of the Seven Seas Parade on Sunday and a unique Clipper book project which will be held in Kinsale Town Library whereby everyone who visits can make an entry in the book.

Speaking at today’s launch Cork County Mayor, Cllr Derry Canty stated: ‘When I participated in the start of the Clipper Race in Hull last September, I was amazed at the courage of the crew taking on this challenge and now we are looking forward to welcoming them back safely to Kinsale after an incredible 10 month journey. They have been fantastic ambassadors for the Cork region and we will ensure that we will have a true Cead Míle Fáilte for all the crews and sponsors when they arrive in July’

On Wednesday 07 July the fleet will make its way in a parade of sail to Cork City. To celebrate the Cork Clipper’s homecoming in style Albert Quay beside the Custom House will be transformed into a Race Village for three days from 10am to 10pm daily with food, drinks and crafts stalls and a large stage for musical acts such as Cork favourites John Spillane and Fred. Each day there will be street entertainment and a vintage carousel and amusements for all the family.

The Clipper fleet will be moored at the new Cork City pontoons at the Custom House which have been installed by the Port of Cork with assistance from the City Council.

‘The Cork Clipper Festival will be a fun event for all the family celebrating our participation in this wonderful Round the World Race. The festival adds to the packed summer programme in Cork including the Midsummer Festival, Live at the Marquee with its world class acts, the Ocean to City rowing race and The Cork Marathon. Cork is the place to be this summer and I encourage everyone to visit over the summer months to enjoy our wonderful city centre with its vibrant streets and excellent shopping’ stated Deputy Lord Mayor, Cllr Des Cahill.

The festival website www.corkclipperfestival.com has just been launched which details all free events over the 8 day period which will see over 200 performers participate in the two different venues.

‘We are expecting over 3000 people from overseas to travel to the event and many more tens of thousands domestic visitors’ said Fiona Buckley, Head of Operations,  Fáilte Ireland at today’s launch. The national media campaign for the Cork Clipper Festival will run in June in the lead up to the event and as there is an increase in attendance for free festivals  we expect strong numbers and a positive outcome for the tourism trade in the region’ she continued

Cork is the first ever Irish entry in Clipper Round the World Yacht Race however, it hasn’t been all plain sailing for the Cork Clipper crew in this year’s race. In January the ten boat Clipper Race was cut to nine when the original Cork Clipper hit a reef in the Java Sea leaving it unsalvageable forcing the Cork Crew to join other teams.

"However onshore the news has been better according to Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, founder of Clipper Ventures. ‘We sourced a replacement racing yacht at our own cost within days of the incident so that Cork’s participation in the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race could continue. Independent research has recorded a cumulative global audience of more than 360 million people following the race to the end of February, already a significant increase over previous Clipper Races, and delivering an important return on investment to our sponsors."

In conjunction with Tourism Ireland the Cork Clipper has been a valiant promoter of Cork and Ireland in destinations which so far have included Hull, La Rochelle, Rio de Janeiro and South Africa.

An independent economic and media study has been undertaken by students in the UCC MBS Management & Marketing Programme and the project will release full results in Autumn 2010.

Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is the only global event raced by people from all walks of life; from teachers to accountants anyone can take part, no experience necessary. In fact 40% of the crew had never stepped aboard a boat before. The Clipper Race consists of a 10-month-long, 35,000 mile course that has taken the race from England to France before crossing to Brazil, South Africa, Australia, Singapore, China, California, Panama, Jamaica, New York, Cape Breton Island, before arriving into Kinsale and Cork and then to the Netherlands. The Race will make its triumphant return to the Humber on July 17 2010.

Cork finished eighth in their first race back together again in the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race. Sailing across the finish line at dawn with their medium weight spinnaker flying, those watching from the shore line could hear the cheers from on board as the close knit team celebrated a remarkable achievement.

Cork’s corrected time under the IRC rating system puts them ahead of Qingdao and California in this race and eighth in the overall contest.

The race was won by Spirit of Australia, who extend their lead at the top of the table to 19 points. After a fast and furious race up through the Caribbean from Panama to Jamaica, the fleet slowed to a crawl as they rounded the island’s most easterly point and were caught as the wind died away, the last 25-mile stretch of the race taking almost six hours for the leading boats to complete.

Spirit of Australia and Hull & Humber were locked in battle for line honours, with Cape Breton Island and Team Finland nipping at their heels. Line honours were eventually claimed by Spirit of Australia as they crossed the finish line at Port Antonio’s distinctive orange and white lighthouse at 1546 local time (2046 GMT), just three minutes and 50 seconds ahead of Hull & Humber, who score their first podium finish of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race campaign. Cape Breton Island was third to cross the finish line, 12 minutes and 19 seconds behind the leaders.

For Cork resident, Sarah Boyle, crossing the finish line was a bittersweet moment, as it is the last race in which she will compete in Clipper 09-10. “My final little race on Cork – it’s very sad but it’s nice to be in at last. It was a great race, quite tough getting used to a new boat – the bow was very wet, but we had great fun. It was great to be back with everyone.”

Sarah will be on the quayside in Kinsale to welcome the Clipper fleet when the yachts arrive there in July. Next week full details of the Cork Clipper Festival will be unveiled for the eight day stopover in Kinsale and Cork in the first week of July.

This was the first race in charge for Hannah Jenner, Cork’s skipper, who says her crew have been adjusting well to their new boat. “The team are great – the boat’s hard work. Everyone had a lot to learn, but you could see everyone was happy to be back together again and putting a lot of effort into the boat,” she said.

“She’s a lot harder to sail than the 68s that everybody’s used to. It’s a different motion and there was quite a lot of sea sickness but everyone cracked on with it and we finally made it. It’s not something I’m very used to, being last boat in!

“While we’re here we’re going to be trying to make the boat lighter. We’re carrying a lot of extra stuff, so a big clean up, tidy up, taking stuff off and we’ve noticed a lot of little touches that we need to do to make it more liveable when we’re going through rough stuff, so we’re hoping to get that sorted and be ready to rock.”

Jacqui Browne, who has already sailed three legs of the race and was part of the team working on preparing Cork in Antigua and delivering her to Panama, said, “It was great to be back, great to be on board with some upwind sailing. It was absolutely hard work at times, particularly for a day and a half of it. The boat’s very dry in the cockpit and very wet on the bow but good fun; it was a bit hard going on the heel but it was good.

“This race was as much an opportunity for people to get comfortable with the boat and how she operates and what little tricks work best with her on the different tacks and different trims and so on. So we pushed her as hard as we could. We’re carrying an awful lot of extra weight which we’re delighted to be getting rid of here in Jamaica so we reckon that will be nothing but favourable for us.”

With almost 200 crew on board the ten yachts, others who have arrived to take up their places for the last leg back to the UK, which starts in Jamaica, plus friends and families visiting crew, Port Antonio is set for a busy few days. This will be the third time the fleet has visited the Errol Flynn Marina and there was a colourful and noisy reception for all of the boats with drummers and dancers waiting on the pontoon to welcome the teams to Port Antonio.

The race is contested by people from a huge variety of backgrounds and from more than 30 nationalities, who put their everyday lives on hold to compete in the 35,000-mile challenge of a lifetime on board one of the ten stripped down 68-foot ocean racing yachts.  Among the crews are taxi drivers, nurses, housewives, lawyers, chief executives and engineers.

Since leaving the Humber on the northeast coast of the UK in September last year they have raced across the Atlantic twice, the Southern, Indian and Pacific Oceans, faced mountainous waves, vicious storms, days of flat calm in the Doldrums and extremes of heat and cold, so a few days to relax in Port Antonio will be very welcome.

Each Clipper yacht is entered by a city, region or country and sponsors use the event to showcase themselves to the world. On the last running of the Clipper Race, more than 212 million people worldwide followed the adventure through television, print media, radio and online.Jamaica’s involvement in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is another element of the country’s strategy to put Jamaica on the map by using sporting events, their sporting heroes and sporting facilities to show the world that they may be a small island but they are a nation of sporting excellence.

The fleet will leave Port Antonio for the start of Race 10 to New York on Monday 24 May.

There are just ten days remaining for you to get your entry in for the annual Ocean to City race starting in Crosshaven and finishing in Cork City.

The 15-mile race starts at 11.30am at Royal Cork YC on June 12, passing Cobh, Monkstown and Passage West before heading on into Lough Mahon, with the finish at Lapps Quay.

This year's race will feature Atlantic rower Peter Williams and entry is €30 per person, with a €10 entry fee for junior rowers.

More details on the official race website.

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Crosshaven will play host to the annual Crosshaven Traditional Sail event on the weekend of June 18-20, with traditional boat races, currach competitions, and even a 'pirates and wenches' fancy-dress party.

Proceedings kick off on Friday June 18 with an 8pm opening ceremony at the Anchor Inn. Saturday's racing gets underway after a 12pm skippers briefing, with entertainment and food in the village throughout the day and more of the same on Sunday. The festival has, in the past, attracted a wide variety of Gleoiteogs and other traditional craft, and more information is available on www.crosshaventradsail.com

Global media coverage of Cork in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race has reached over €600,000 according to a media evaluation report commissioned by Clipper Ventures and undertaken by SMS (Sports Marketing Surveys). The role of the Cork Clipper, which is sponsored by Cork City Council, Cork County Council and Fáilte Ireland, is to promote Cork as a business and tourism destination at every stopover  in the worldwide race and its presence is certainly paying off.

In conjunction with Tourism Ireland the Cork Clipper has been a valiant promoter of Cork and Ireland in destinations which so far have included Hull, La Rochelle, Rio de Janeiro and South Africa. With more stopovers planned in  the Caribbean, New York and Cape Breton before culminating in a homecoming festival in Cork, global media coverage is expected to exceed €1 million.

However, it hasn’t been all plain sailing for the Cork Clipper crew in this year’s race. There have been several dramatic events that pushed Cork Clipper into the spotlight; In January the ten boat Clipper Race was cut to nine when the original Cork Clipper hit a reef in the Java Sea leaving it unsalvageable forcing the Cork Crew to join other teams. Cork Crew Gavin Kelly and Noreen Osbourne were caught up in treacherous sea conditions on board the California Clipper where she was demasted in rolling seas and some crew members were evacuated with injuries. The marine conditions were briefly overshadowed when the volcanic disruption of air space left Qingdao’s Skipper Chris Stanmore-Major stranded in the UK only to be rescued by new Cork Clipper Skipper Hannah Jenner who stepped in to skipper Qingdao from San Francisco to Panama. Hannah continues to grab attention with her amazing performance battling for 1st place with Spirit of Australia.

The weather conditions were not out of the headlines for long with this morning’s announcement that Race 8 will be cut short due to extremely light and unreliable winds which could affect the fleet's planned transit through the Panama Canal. Joff Bailey, Clipper Race Director explained the importance of cutting the race short,

“A delay in arriving at the lock gates of the Panama Canal means that they run the risk of not being able to transit the isthmus on schedule and as a result would be made to wait for several days.”

The shortened race will come as a welcome surprise to the separated Cork Crew as it means they will be reunited sooner than previously thought. The new Cork Clipper yacht is ready and waiting for its crew to rejoin the race in Panama. After the emotional rollercoaster offered by this year’s Clipper Race, sailing into Cork on the new Clipper Yacht be all the more special. The homecoming festival in Kinsale will be held from the 02 to 07 July and will feature international circus acts, food/ drink and crafts stalls as well as live music in Kinsale Square. The homecoming revelry will continue when the Clipper fleet arrive in Cork City on Wednesday 07 July for a 3 day festival. A free festival will be held at the specially constructed Race Village with live music, street theatre, amusements and food and drink concessions.

 

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