Cork in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race Catches the Headlines

7th May 2010

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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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.