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Displaying items by tag: Sir Robin KnoxJohnson

#RouteDuRhum - Sir Robin Knox-Johnson has surprised even himself by claiming a podium place in the Route du Rhum transatlantic offshore solo sailing challenge.

The 75-year-old sailing legend completed the more than 3,500-mile course from St Malo in Brittany to Guadeloupe in the Caribbean in less under 20 days and eight hours, taking third place in a fleet filled with world-class solo sailors.

"I didn't expect to get on the podium when I started the race," said the Clipper Round the World Race founder, as reported by the Independent.

But as he found himself towards the front of the pack, in spite of his older and heavier boat, he "got competitive and that was tiring. It came down to boat speed.

"She's a fast boat I've got," he added, referring to his 60-foot yacht with the charmingly self-deprecating name Grey Power.

The Independent has more on the story HERE.

#ClipperRace - The harassment case against Clipper Round The World Race organiser Sir Robin Knox-Johnson has been dismissed by an employment tribunal.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the offshore sailing legend was sued along with fellow organisers by lawyer-turned-sailor Ruth Harvey over victimisation and harassment she allegedly experienced while crewing the yacht Jamaica Get All Right in the most recent edition of the Clipper Race.

Harvey, a specialist in employment law, argued that she should have been classified as an employee because she had been a full crew member despite dropping out of the race after two legs, according to the Daily Telegraph.

But a tribunal judge this week rejected her case on a number of legal points, including whether Harvey could indeed be classed as an employee, and whether Sir Robin, as founder of the race company, should have been named a defendant.

The news will come as some relief to the 75-year-old Sir Robin, who continues to climb the rankings in the solo transatlantic Route du Rhum.

The Telegraph has more on the story HERE.

Published in Clipper Race

About Match Racing

A match race is a race between two competitors, going head-to-head.

In yacht racing, it is differentiated from a fleet race, which almost always involves three or more competitors competing against each other, and team racing where teams consisting of 2, 3 or 4 boats compete together in a team race, with their results being combined.

A match race consists of two identical boats racing against each other. With effective boat handling and clever use of wind and currents, a trailing boat can escape the grasp of the leader and pass. The leader uses blocking techniques to hold the other boat back. This one-on-one duel is a game of strategy and tactics.

About the World Match Racing Tour

Founded in 2000, the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) promotes the sport of match racing around the world and is the longest running global professional series in the sport of sailing. The WMRT is awarded ‘Special Event’ status by the sport’s world governing body – World Sailing – and the winner of the WMRT each year is crowned World Sailing Match Racing World Champion. Previous champions include Sir Ben Ainslie (GBR), Taylor Canfield (USA), Peter Gilmour (AUS), Magnus Holmberg (SWE), Peter Holmberg (ISV), Adam Minoprio (NZL), Torvar Mirsky (AUS), Bertrand Pace (FRA), Jesper Radich (DEN), Phil Robertson (NZL) and Ian Williams (GBR). Since 2000, the World Match Racing Tour and its events have awarded over USD23million in prize money to sailors which has helped to contribute to the career pathway of many of today’s professional sailors