California Dismasted in Clipper Race

22nd April 2010

California, one of ten entries competing in the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race, has been dismasted in the latest storm to hit the fleet as the teams race across the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco. All the crew are reported to be safe and four of California’s competitors, along with a merchant vessel in the vicinity, have diverted to rendezvous with US entry and offer assistance if required.

At around 1600 GMT on Sunday 22 March, Falmouth coastguard contacted Clipper Race office to advise that California’s EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) had been activated. The race team made immediate attempts to contact the boat through all the options open to them, but were unsuccessful. The on board tracking system indicated that the yacht had spent a couple of hours of very slow progress before picking up speed and then travelling at an average of seven knots towards San Francisco.

The knowledge that the area in which the yacht was sailing had been hit by a significant storm with winds in excess of 50 knots and associated heavy seas made it essential to establish why the EPIRB had been activated. Falmouth Coastguard handed over the incident to the US Coastguard who promptly sent a C130 aircraft towards the transmitting emergency beacon.

The crew of the aircraft successfully located the yacht and communicated with skipper Pete Rollason using VHF radio. The aircraft also made contact with fellow race entry, Jamaica Lightning Bolt, whose skipper, Pete Stirling, was able to relay the first brief detail back to the Clipper Race office.

The California skipper confirmed that the yacht has lost her mast at the first spreader but that her hull is undamaged and that they are currently motoring towards San Francisco. Jamaica Lightning Bolt, Uniquely Singapore, Spirit of Australia and Hull & Humber have all been asked to make for the yacht and the Jamaica sponsored boat is expected to be on station by around 1400 GMT. A merchant ship in the vicitinty has also been directed to the yacht by the US Coastguard and is due to arrive early this evening.

Pete Rollason confirms that one crew member has sustained a cut to the head but is lucid and otherwise apparently fine. No other injuries have been reported and next of kin of all on board have been informed.

An update will be issued once Jamaica Lightning Bolt is on the scene and able to relay further details of how the incident occurred.

The Clipper 09-10 Race started from the Humber on the north east coast of England on 13 September 2009 and will return to there on 17 July 2010. It is the only event in the world where people from all walks of life can take on the challenge of a lifetime and race around the globe on stripped down 68-foot ocean racing yachts.

Published in Clipper Race

About The Author

Afloat.ie Team

Email The Author

Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.

Have you got a story for our reporters? Email us here.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven’t put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full–time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

About the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is undoubtedly one of the greatest ocean adventures on the planet, also regarded as one of its toughest endurance challenges. Taking almost a year to complete, it consists of eleven teams competing against each other on the world’s largest matched fleet of 70-foot ocean racing yachts.

The Clipper Race was established in 1996 by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo, non-stop, around the world in 1968-69. His aim was to allow anyone, regardless of previous sailing experience, the chance to embrace the thrill of ocean racing; it is the only event of its kind for amateur sailors. Around 40 per cent of crew are novices and have never sailed before starting a comprehensive training programme ahead of their adventure.

This unique challenge brings together everyone from chief executives to train drivers, nurses and firefighters, farmers, airline pilots and students, from age 18 upwards, to take on Mother Nature’s toughest and most remote conditions. There is no upper age limit, the oldest competitor to date is 76.

Now in its twelfth edition, the Clipper 2019-20 Race started from London, UK, on 02 September 2019.