The UK's City of Culture 2013, Derry, has today announced it is to become part of the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race with an official city boat in the race. In addition the city will be an official host port, welcoming the ten-strong fleet in July 2012 with a showcase festival at the end of the final transatlantic stage of the 40,000-mile race en route to the race finish.

It will be the first time that Northern Ireland has been represented in the race which attracts a global audience of more than 460 million people.

The potential for the 11-12 entry was developed by Derry City Council with the support of Londonderry Port and Ocean Event Management. It will form an integral part of the campaign to market the city's culture, business and education offerings in a number of the cities on the Clipper 11-12 route. The development of the tourism and international potential for the race and festival has been supported by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.

The yacht will be one of ten identical 68-foot ocean racing yachts, each of which is sponsored by a city, region or country to carry their name around the world. Joining the Derry entry will be Uniquely Singapore and the Chinese entry, Qingdao, for whom hosting the Clipper Race was a key step in securing the rights to host the sailing events of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Both sponsors have discovered that the Clipper Race provides a unique platform for delivering global market exposure at local market values.

Derry has a long and illustrious maritime history and a key factor in the city's participation in the race will be to generate cultural and socially inclusive legacy projects for the future.

Mayor Councillor Colum Eastwood, speaking at the launch, said, "We've partnered with Clipper as we believe it provides a world class opportunity to showcase the city internationally while supporting business, education and cultural links ahead of the UK City of Culture 2013. It's an important building block in developing the city's reputation as a location for international events and brings fully into the use the full urban quayside of the River Foyle. This is the catalyst project that will bring together public, private, education, sports and community interests to build a legacy for the maritime, tourism, business and cultural interests of the city."

On board the yacht will be a team of people from all walks of life, many of whom who have never sailed before, who are taking on the challenge of a lifetime. Among them will be crew from a number of other countries but it is hoped that the men and women of Derry  will also be inspired to get on board and represent their city on a global stage.

In addition to those people with a thirst for adventure who will race around the world representing the city there are opportunities for local businesses to be part of the event. Teams in previous Clipper Races have helped galvanise the community spirit in their sponsoring city, generating a huge sense of ownership and pride in their achievement.

The Clipper Race was set up by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail solo, non-stop around the world, in order to give ordinary people the chance to do something truly extraordinary.

Sir Robin says, "We are delighted to welcome on board the UK's first City of Culture, Derry, as a yacht sponsor and host port for the Clipper 11-12 Race. The race offers a unique platform to showcase the city around the world, both for business and tourism. We hope that, as other cities and countries have discovered, participation in the race will enable you to build a unique legacy for the city that will last for years to come.

"We hope people from Derry~Londonderry and across Northern Ireland will sign up to take part in the race and that everyone in the city and, indeed, across the country will get behind the team and support them all the way around the world."

Berths are available for people from Derry~Londonderry to compete in the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race and there will be public presentations in the city on 20 and 21 September at City Hotel, Derry. 

When Cork, just four nautical miles from the finish line in Ijmuiden, Netherlands, crosses the line, it will allow race organisers officially crown Spirit of Australia as the winning crew, with one short leg to Hull remaining.

The crew, who have been focussed on victory since the start of the race in September 2009, will take to the stage to lift the crystal trophy when the fleet returns to the port this Saturday 17 July.The team’s elated skipper, Brendan Hall, from Brisbane, Queensland, was full of praise for his crew. “Words can’t describe right now,” he said.

“It is amazing! We raced so hard, again our result was not our best but to win a round the world yacht race, how many people can say they’ve done that?“This crew have just worked so well. This has been an amazing leg, just reminiscing about the things we’ve had to do and the times we’ve been through together. It’s been such an experience and these guys are absolute legends. I’ve got the best team, I couldn’t ask for a better one and we’ve done it! The hard work, the sacrifice, the bravery, it’s been extraordinary and I hope credit is heaped on these guys because they deserve it, they really do.

”Last August round the world crew member, Michael Hanssen, from Perth, Western Australia, said as the fleet sailed from Clipper HQ for the race start port of Hull in the north east of England, “Nothing but a win will do.” But for him and some of his team mates, the reality of the victory hasn’t yet sunk in.“It’s a bit surreal at the moment because it’s not the end of the race,” he explains. “The other watch leader and I have been talking about it – we still don’t feel like we’ve won until we step off in Hull. And I think that’s the key for us; we don’t really want to go out and celebrate too much here but deep down inside you know it’s secure. There’s no better feeling than knowing that you’ve already won and you can still go out and compete the next day and have a damn good race and still want to try to take first place. We almost had it here, ran into a bit of trouble and managed to salvage fourth place out of it which was still pretty good for us.”

Team Finland has taken line honours in Race 13, crossing the finish line at Ijmuiden, Netherlands at 2139 local time (1939 UTC). Hull & Humber finished second and Cape Breton Island third, the final, nail-biting run under heavyweight spinnaker going down to the wire as neither team was willing to give any quarter to their opponents.

The big orange boat beat the eagle of Cape Breton to the line by less than two minutes. Both teams could still make the podium in Hull. Spirit of Australia finished a little under five minutes later, followed in quick-fire succession by California, Uniquely Singapore, Qingdao, Jamaica Lightning Bolt and Edinburgh Inspiring Capital. Once again the competition was a tight one with the ten yachts racing close to each other as they hoisted their spinnakers to blast along the south coast of England towards their goal at Ijmuiden, Netherlands.

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 today. Team Finland’s skipper Rob McInally, said, “We’re thrilled. That was a fantastic race; it had everything in it. We were very pleased to win the ocean crossing but this one was a great race and to get another first and to stay a little bit ahead of Cape Breton Island and Jamaica Lightning Bolt is lining us up quite nicely for our podium finish for the overall race.”

Three of Team Finland’s Dutch crew members, Hans Sleutjes, Minke Docter and Frank Gerritsen, were thrilled to win the race to their ‘home’ port – some consolation for the disappointment at Sunday’s World Cup Final result.Working out the mathematical permutations that put Hull & Humber within striking distance of the podium with one race left – Jamaica Lightning Bolt and Cape Breton Island stand in their way – the skipper of the English entry, Justin Taylor, said, “We need them to have a very bad result and we need to win!

We’re almost home, I know it’s a little pit stop here but it does feel very close to home now and I think we’re just warming up for our home port win.”The Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race will finish on Saturday 17 July when all ten yachts will race up the Humber for the homecoming and prize-giving ceremony in Hull Marina. The course of the final race will take them past Bridlington on Friday 16 July and a programme of live entertainment will feature between 4pm and 10pm at the key viewing points of Flamborough Head and Bridlington Spa.

 

Light winds and a strong tide have forced Cork to anchor in order to avoid being swept backwards, away from the Dutch finish line of the Clipper Round the World Race. Inspite of the set back there are claculations made that Cork, whose crew are racing the shorter, heavier, Challenge 67 as opposed to the Clipper 68s raced by the other nine teams, are in contention for a place on the podium on corrected handicap time.
Wind and tide are a powerful combination and both have played their part in slowing the Clipper 09-10 fleet in their race for the penultimate finish line in their 35,000-mile campaign. Nevertheless another significant milestone has been passed and one that is cause for great celebration as the round the world crew members crossed their outbound track and 'tied the knot' almost ten months since leaving the Humber.
Edinburgh Inspiring Capital's skipper, Matt Pike, describes waiting for the moment on board, saying, "It's hard to think of a more pleasant way of spending a summer Sunday than racing up the Channel under a ballooning spinnaker. That's what we had, back in shorts with a real buzz on deck as to when we would actually cross our outbound track. Tantalisingly close and with a bottle of Benromach 10-year-old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky to mark the occasion, we watched the plotter. Six am was a little early so no problem running a little north parallel to the mark; by lunchtime we were more than ready but still running on a reciprocal course barely half a mile north of the thin red line. California was close and gave us a great reason to raise our game, both boats enjoying such a close sail after so many miles. It finally happened just off Dungeness. We had done it - sailed around the world and opened the Benromach 10-year old to celebrate the moment."
The last 24 hours have demonstrated clearly the forces of nature at work as the Clipper 09-10 fleet races through the English Channel and into the North Sea towards Ijmuiden in The Netherlands.
"Within an hour we were not feeling the benefit of choosing the inshore route as the wind eased away and we were left to the mercy of the tide," continues Matt. "There was a feeling of disappointment in the air as we watched the rest of the fleet sail on past Dover, but in true Edinburgh Inspiring Capital spirit morale stayed high and we reflected on our ten-month odyssey whilst trying to keep California behind us; not easy as they were equally determined to wriggle their way out and around the Dover Straits.
"Well the wind did fill in first from the east, then from the west, followed by a bit of a blow from the south (it's currently northerly) so a busy morning on deck as the wind veers and backs, ranging from three to 43 knots. There is constant activity on deck but even the slickest watch would be hard pushed to keep up with the constant sail changes needed. They do their best and they're good but it is a reminder that the sea is the boss and, in the words of Sir Robin, 'We're not home yet'."
With fewer than 100 miles to the finish of Race 13, never has a statement been so true. The teams are in an extremely busy shipping area at the northerly end of the Dover Traffic Separation Scheme - the equivalent of a six-lane highway where cargo ships, tankers and bulk carriers, some so vast their length shows on AIS in fractions of a mile, plough at great into and out of the English Channel.
Combined with the close racing and the vagaries of the weather, it means there's not much rest for those on board. Justin Taylor, skipper of Hull & Humber is sparing with his words in his 0600 report to the Race Office.
"Been having a real ding dong with several yachts. Ran out of wind off Dover. Electrical storm right now. No sleep yet. Lots of traffic. Zero visibility. But other than that it's all good in the right direction now."
The Hull & Humber team will be hoping orange is a luckier colour for them than it was for the Dutch football team in South Africa last night. A good result on this race will keep them in contention for a place on the final podium when they return home in five days' time.
Despite blowing their medium weight spinnaker yesterday Team Finland is currently leading the race to Ijmuiden and there are three disappointed Dutch crew members on board. Consolation for them will be a home port victory of sorts, if they can maintain their lead and take line honours in the race to Ijmuiden.
The final positions will not be known until all ten boats have completed the race and the IRC handicap rating is applied to the finishing times. Cork, whose crew are racing the shorter, heavier, Challenge 67 as opposed to the Clipper 68s raced by the other nine teams, are in contention for a place on the podium on corrected time. However the current light winds they are experiencing, combined with an adverse tide, have forced the Irish boat to anchor near the Thanet wind farm in order to avoid being swept backwards, away from the finish line.
Such occurrences are rare, the last example was on departure from Qingdao in the Clipper 07-08 race when the entire ten-boat fleet had to anchor overnight in zero wind and a tide that was threatening to sweep them back to the Olympic Sailing Centre they had left just hours earlier.
Wind holes were a feature of the last night, Cape Breton Island's skipper Jan Ridd reporting around 2100 GMT that he and his team were in extremely light and fluky winds which had slowed their charge for the line to a snail's pace.
Pete Rollason, California's skipper, says it's a similar situation on board the American boat, although they are moving again this morning.
"What a race, after a light wind night where the fleet was really being pushed around by the tides and going nowhere fast, the wind has filled in and we are now involved in a tacking battle with the first six boats with only about four miles separating us all. The rain has passed and it looks like it is back to summer. Hopefully if this wind continues we can make Ijmuiden by early evening."
Spirit of Australia's crew are likely to secure overall victory on this race and are edging closer to it all the time. They need just one point to take the title but are still pushing to add another pennant to their already overflowing forestay, although, says skipper Brendan Hall, it's a fine balancing act.
"Close fleet racing is an exciting but nerve wracking time. Fortunes change with every sched. Six hours ago we were in the lead, now we are in sixth. It is very good to know that our overall position does not hinge on the outcome of one of these short races, where nine months of hard work can be undone with one breakage, unlucky decision or wrong sail choice," he says.
The wind is due to fill in a little later today and the first yachts are expected in the Ijmuiden Seaport Marina tonight.

 

With just 550-miles in which to prove themselves in the short sprintrace to Ijmuiden in The Netherlands, Race 13 promises to be an exciting edge of the seat battle between the ten Clipper teams. The Cork team is now back into the old routine of trying their best to keep their heavier Challenge 67 in touch with the rest of the fleet. Still in with achance of getting an overall podium position as they arrive back intheir home port on 17 July, Hull & Humber has taken one step closer totheir goal by managing to take an early lead. In his report to the race office this morning, the team's skipper, Justin Taylor, explains why hebelieves they have managed to edge ahead.

"We were going to be early for the start so I luffed the boat up head towind to slow right down and, although we managed to hold it for quiteawhile, we inadvertently tacked the yacht and had to start on port tack- heading straight for the rocks at Weaver's Point. Once at full speedwe tacked the yacht on to starboard and crossed the line, not too farbehind the first three yachts.  However, we did end up as the windwardyacht with all the advantages this brings and we soon found ourselves in the lead.
"After an early headsail change down to the Yankee 2, we reached thefirst mark of the course in fourth but there was only the width of acigarette paper between us all. All the other yachts were flying theirbig Yankee 1s and our smaller sail plan seemed to pay off as we pulledaway from the fleet. An early reef to the main only seemed to increaseour speed and pointing ability. The crew have been great at adding smallgains to small gains and we now find ourselves approximately three milesahead of the nearest yacht. 
"Unfortunately, we will be rounding Land's End on a foul tide and how wenegotiate that will either see our lead increase or diminish."  
Although the Irish coastline has now disappeared over the horizon, fondmemories of their recent stopover in Kinsale and Cork will remain with all the teams, none more so than with the crew of the local entry. 
"What an amazing reception we received in both Kinsale and the City of Cork, a huge thank you to all for making us feel so welcome andextending us such enjoyable hospitality," says Cork's skipper HannahJenner. "The crew are now getting back into life aboard - life at anangle, which is not something we have experienced in a while, at leastnot sober anyway!  We are making good speeds towards Lands End at themoment which we hope to round in the morning and back into the tacticalwaters of the English Channel."
Having enjoyed the pursuit race format across the Atlantic, the Cork team is now back into the old routine of trying their best to keep their heavier Challenge 67 in touch with the rest of the fleet. "Let's hopethe forecast for light winds along the south coast of the UK is wrong!"says Hannah, knowing full well from their recent Atlantic leg that Cork performs best in stronger conditions. 
The short race course through the English Channel means that all thecrews will have to keep on their toes - there will be no time to recoverfrom mistakes and sail damage is something they can ill afford. With somany boats in close proximity and the competition fierce it's easy tosee how mistakes could be made. 
California's skipper, Pete Rollason, says, "Since our departureyesterday evening, the racing has been very tight, as you would expect,and as we approach the Scilly Isles we have eight other boats in sightof us. The crew have been working incredibly hard in some lively weatherconditions to pull us up to third or fourth place which will set us upnicely for the entrance to the English Channel and hopefully a nicesunshine filled run down these familiar waters."
With Clipper's UK training base located in Gosport on the south coast,the waters of the English Channel are well-known to all the teams and itwon't be long before the familiar coastline comes into sight as theyround the southern tip of Cornwall.
"As dawn breaks now we find ourselves back in UK waters with theexciting prospect of glimpsing the green and pleasant land soon afterbreakfast," says Qingdao's skipper, Chris Stanmore-Major. "It is odd tobe back in an area that is so familiar to many of us after circling theglobe these past ten months - I could barely believe my ears when Iheard Falmouth Coastguard providing the weather update. Land's End andthe turn into the English Channel is our immediate goal and we feel wellplaced to make a good showing in this race. Can we beat our short racecurse?  I assure you there are 16 people out here trying very hard to."
Meanwhile, on board Uniquely Singapore there is also a crew tryingequally hard - especially as there are only two points separating theteam from their Asian rivals on the overall leaderboard. 
Skipper, Jim Dobie, says, "Straight into it and what a night with asteady Force 6 or so - good boat speed but a little unusual as its beena while since we have sailed upwind. It was with very sad hearts as weleft Cork and Kinsale as the crew had had such a fantastic time with thegreat food, the hospitality and of course the partying. But we are nowfirmly focussed on the rest of the race and gain as many points as wecan. We're currently in sixth place with Qingdao just behind us and Hull& Humber still beatable - it makes these last two races as important asever."

The penultimate race of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race is underway. At 1700 local time (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. Uniquely Singapore was first to cross the start line, closely followed by Spirit of Australia, whose crew has vowed to race hard for another podium finish, despite needing just one more point to clinch overall victory. Cape Breton Island was just a couple of boat lengths behind them, as Hull & Humber, Jamaica Lightning Bolt, California, Team Finland, Edinburgh Inspiring Capital, Qingdao and Cork began the long beat towards the Land's End and the Scilly Isles, where they will turn into the familiar waters of the English Channel.

Earlier thousands of people turned out in Cork to bid farewell to the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race fleet.

Cork sails away from home tonight on the penulitmate leg of its round the world journey

The departure ceremony got underway with a rousing performance by the Band of the 1st Southern Command on the main stage before the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Michael O'Connell officially said goodbye on behalf of the city.

"The rain has never dampened the spirit of Cork people before and it certainly won't dampen us today. We're all absolutely delighted that the race and the boats have brought so much happiness to the people of Cork over the last days. If you saw them in their full sail as they came up the river the other day it was absolutely outstanding. I'm sure that the people of Cork will wish them well on their journey to Holland and to the finish next week in Hull. It has been an absolutely tremendous time here in the city.

"We would like to say thanks to our Cork boat and skipper Hannah Jenner – they have given us enormous pride since they arrived here and over the last couple of months as well. We wish them very well now on their voyage over to Holland over the next couple of days.

"And I want to thank everybody for coming down here today for giving such a massive send off."

On stage Cork skipper Hannah Jenner recalled the welcome the team received arriving in Kinsale 12 days ago. "It has been one of the best moments of my sailing career to get such support from everybody and it has continued here into Cork City, so let's hope we can get a good result in the next two races. We have had a brilliant time and I know that all of us and our friends and families who came to visit will be back in our own time in the future to continue to enjoy such a great city."

Spirit of Australia is likely to secure the Clipper 09-10 title on this race and Brendan Hall, skipper of the Australian entry, says they're going to be racing as hard as ever.

"We've got our eye on the major prize in Hull. I've talked with the team and we've decided these last two races we're not strictly racing for points because we don't need a huge number of them anymore but we're doing it for pride. We're doing it because we want to finish this race in the style we started it and we're going to be putting it all in so we can look at ourselves in the mirror at the end and say we couldn't have done anything more."

The Cork Clipper project is funded by Fáilte Ireland, Cork City Council and Cork County Council with the principal objective of promoting Cork as a tourism and business destination around the world.

45,000 people attended the festival in Kinsale last weekend and tens of thousands more have visited the Cork Clipper Festival over the last three, enjoying the food and culture of Ireland's gourmet capital and the craic of the city named by Lonely Planet as one of the top ten in the world to visit.

As he prepared to leave the dockside, Brendan said, "I loved Kinsale, it was a really friendly, warm welcome and Cork has been an amazing party as well – it's a shame we didn't have a little longer here but Holland calls."

The race to Ijmuiden is expected to take three to four days and the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race will finish on the Humber on Saturday 17 July.

In this week's podcast, you could win one of two spaces on one of the Clipper Yachts for the sail from Kinsale to Cork this Wednesday. Plus we talk to the young guns from Schull Community College and the Pride of Wicklow about their victories in recent days. 

At times during the last nine months the crew of Cork might have thought this moment would never arrive but on Sunday evening at 1947 local time (1847 GMT) they crossed the finish line at Kinsale; an emotional moment as they led the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race fleet into their home port at the end of the final transatlantic crossing of the 35,000-mile contest.

Cork’s original yacht ran aground on a submerged reef in the Java Sea in January, Clipper’s first loss of a boat in 14 years and more than 2,000,000 miles of racing. The crew of Cork were dispersed among the other nine teams to continue their challenge and came together again in Panama when they took delivery of their replacement yacht, a steel-hulled Challenge 67. 

After three tough races getting to grips with their new steed, the Cork crew certainly found their groove in the north Atlantic and proved once again that they are a force to be reckoned with on the water. They completed the 2,000-mile course from Cape Breton Island in a little over eight days, their corrected time from the timing gate, eight days, 30 minutes and 50 seconds. The rest of the fleet must now finish before approximately 1000 GMT in order to beat them. 

A flotilla of around 40 boats greeted Cork as she rounded the headland, medium weight spinnaker flying, while around 2,500 people lined banks of the harbour to watch the team arrive home. 

Arriving at Kinsale Yacht Club, where the team received a standing ovation from the members, and which will host the crews until 7 June, skipper, Hannah Jenner, said, “We made a pact that we would make sure we arrived in Cork being able to honestly say that we couldn’t have done any more – and we couldn’t. We’re here! 

“I don’t think anybody out of the skippers or crew in Cape Breton would have believed that we were going to have held them off. We weren’t achieving the same high speeds as they were but whereas we were reading in the daily reports that they were on two reefs and a poled out yankee 3, we were full main and poled out yankee 2 and staysail and were disappointed when we put a reef in for about six hours while it was blowing 40 knots! I can’t believe we’ve made it across the Atlantic having only had a reef in for six hours and having downwind sailing the whole way.”

Paying tribute to her team, Hannah said, “The crew work has been immense. This boat is not easy to sail and they did a really good job.”

As Michael Lewis steered Cork across the finish line, fellow round the world crew member, Kevin Austen perched at the end of the spinnaker pole. He said, “It was something else – I was up there for quite a while, but luckily Michael just managed to keep her down so there was no heeling over and tipping me off! To see that many people come out – and we weren’t even expected in today – was magic. I’ve played a lot of rugby and a bit of football and today is by far and away the best sporting day of my life. By a mile. I’m trying to stop myself crying, to be honest!”

There weren’t many dry eyes on board as the crew were moved by the warmth of the reception in Kinsale. 

Michael Lewis was at the helm as the team crossed the finish line and said, “It was fantastic – it was one of the toughest races we’ve done, physically and mentally. We really pushed the boat the entire way but fantastic fun and it’s great to be in here and what a welcome!

 

“We saw a few boats coming out and I was concentrating on helming. When I looked up, turned around and they were everywhere, it was just fabulous.” 

 

Jacqui Browne, who was aboard the original Cork when she ran aground and later helped prepare the replacement yacht and deliver her to the rest of the crew in Panama, was ecstatic at the welcome. 

 

“I had told the crew they’d get a great homecoming but they’ve exceeded 110 percent my own expectations!

 

“The race was awesome, just fantastic. Everyone really worked hard together. It didn’t matter whether you were on or off watch, people were just so willing and wanted to drive this boat. We really got what we could out of her and we’ve no sails torn, no spinnaker damage, so we’re thrilled! She’s a very physically demanding boat – there’s a lot of sore muscles and aches and pains. Someone said earlier today, the smell of Deep Heat coming out of this boat – it’s like a rugby locker room!”

 

The Cork Clipper project is funded by Fáilte Ireland, Cork City Council and Cork County Council with the principal objective of promoting Cork as a tourism and business destination around the world. 

 

Cork is the first of the ten yachts competing in Clipper 09-10 to arrive in Kinsale for the Cork Clipper Festival, a packed programme of food, arts and music events. The yachts will remain in Kinsale until 7 July when they will sail to the centre of Cork city where they will be berthed on the new city marina at Custom House Quay. For more information on the full festival programme, visit www.corkclipperfestival.com.

 

Waiting on the pontoon to welcome the crew of Cork to Kinsale was the Mayor, Cllr Michael Frawley, who said, “I am delighted to welcome the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race to Kinsale. We have been working to prepare a fantastic free festival over the next ten days and we look forward to offering all the visitors to Kinsale a true cead mile failte.”

 

All of the Cork crew have friends and family among the thousands expected to descend on Kinsale and Cork over the next 12 days. 

 

Round the world crew member, Orla Mellett, said, “If I believe everything I have been told, between the Lewis, Mellett, Osborne and Austen families (the four Irish round the world crew members) they seem to be taking over about half of Kinsale!” 

 

Because of the differences between Cork and the lighter and longer Clipper 68s, the Clipper 09-10 fleet is racing under IRC ratings and Cork must wait until all ten teams cross the finish line to see whether their Herculean efforts have been rewarded with a podium place at the prize giving ceremony on Wednesday 7 July in Cork City.

 

The yachts will be open to the public between 3pm and 5pm on Sunday 4 July in Kinsale and in Cork City between 11am until 1pm on Thursday 8 July. There will also be two presentations for those interested in taking part in the next edition of the Clipper Race, which starts in August 2011. The presentations will take place at Kinsale Yacht Club at 6pm on Sunday 4 July and in the Pegasus Suite at the Clarion Hotel, Cork, on Thursday 8 July.

 

The yachts will leave the centre of Cork at 1300 local (1200 GMT) on Friday 9 July for the start of Race 13, the penultimate stage of the 14-race series, to Ijmuiden, Netherlands. Clipper 09-10 will finish in Hull, UK, on Saturday 17 July 2010. 

The strong winds of a low pressure system tracking its way across the north Atlantic are helping to speed the fleet towards Kinsale.

Cork's crew are hoping that that they will win the coveted yellow pennant for first place in this race. With 850 miles to go they need to hold off the other nine teams if they are to step on the podium.Hannah Jenner, Cork's skipper, says, "We've had a lively day fast reaching under full main, staysail and number 1 yankee.

We are now waiting for the stronger winds of the low to arrive and hoping that the rest of the fleet, who will get the new wind first, do not make too many miles on us.  It is funny how at the beginning of the race, having 1,000 miles to go seemed like an eternity for the crews and yet now that Cork has sailed within the 1,000 mile mark we all feel as if the finish line is just around the corner.

Still we are the fox and the hounds are chasing hard, there will be a lot of hard work involved in these final 1,000 miles if we are to keep them at bay."The unknown quantity at this stage is Spirit of Australia. "Well, we have cashed in what will be our last Stealth Mode token of Clipper 09-10 round the world yacht race," reports Brendan Hall. Will we emerge from Stealth having made a bold and inspired tactical move or emerge exactly where you would expect us to be? Avid race viewer fans can probably guess the answer, but check back at 1200 GMT to see if you are right."Whether there are many tactical options open to Brendan and his crew is a matter for debate.

The bottom of the low pressure system is running along the rhumb line and all ten yachts are taking advantage of it."We are achieving some great speeds with lots of surfing," says Hull & Humber's skipper, Justin Taylor. "Despite the weather this is turning out to be a fitting swan song for many of the crew. One final downwind blast for the final ocean crossing as we have latched onto the bottom of a depression and hopefully will carry these strong winds right to Ireland. Unfortunately this will make it difficult to catch Cork Clipper but we are slowly eating into their lead."Due to the excellent progress the fleet has made, if the current conditions persist the first yachts are expected to arrive earlier than first estimated.

The majority of the fleet is now anticipated to reach Kinsale on Tuesday 29 June, with the possibility of earliest arrivals on Monday 28 June.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. The main stage will host musical acts daily including John Spillane, Fred, The Walls and Crystal Swing.The Cork Clipper project is funded by Fáilte Ireland, Cork City Council and Cork County Council with the principal objective of promoting Cork as a tourism and business destination around the world.

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