PRESS RELEASE: 13.00 HRS, FRIDAY 9^th JANUARY 2009

 

 YORKSHIRE & HUMBER REGION IN THE WORLD SPOTLIGHT

AT LONDON INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW:

 ...COUNTDOWN TO START OF GLOBAL YACHT RACE BEGINS

 

The countdown to the start of the only global yacht race for non-professional sailors began today (1pm Friday 9^th January) on the first day of the prestigious London International Boat Show 2009. The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race was initiated by legendary yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who became the first person to sail solo, non-stop, around the world forty years ago; he is now chairman of the race organisers Clipper Ventures plc.

A special countdown clock started to tick away the 247 days to the beginning of the seventh edition of the race from the Humber on 13^th September 2009. Clipper 09-10 will be the first time a global yacht race has started from a UK east-coast port.

The countdown clock was started by Terry Hodgkinson, the chair of Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency that has secured the event for the region as part of its sponsorship of an entry in the race for a second time.  The ceremony was conducted by Clipper 09-10 Race Director Jonathan Bailey who will be in command of the race start in the Humber.

In Clipper 07-08 the yacht Hull & Humber achieved second place just a few points behind the overall winner New York in the 35,000 miles race which takes around ten months to circumnavigate the globe.

Ten internationally sponsored yachts will be berthed in the Humber region prior to the race start and they will be welcomed back to the Humber just under ten moths later in July 2010. Participants in Clipper 07-08 included entries from South Africa, Australia, Singapore, China, Jamaica, United States, Canada, England and Scotland.

The 68-foot ocean-going racing yachts each carry a crew of 18, including a professional skipper. Around 400 crew successfully apply to take part in the race, the most challenging of its type for non-professional sailors.

“I am looking forward to bringing the race to the Humber for the first time,” said Mr Bailey. “We had the pleasure of visiting the area during a training race before Clipper 07-08; the facilities and hospitality are first class.”

Terry Hodgkinson said: “We had a very positive experience in the Clipper 07-08 Race, not only performing well on the water, but also boosting business with trade missions to relevant ports of call and bringing local economic benefit through hosting the fleet. I am confident we can build on this success even further during Clipper 09-10.

“I am looking forward to personally welcoming the race, its participants and visitors to the Humber for the race start and finish. We have superb venues and plan to put on a spectacular events programme when Clipper 09-10 sails into our region.”

In a message of support Sir Robin Knox-Johnston said: “I’m confident that our international sponsors and their crews will enjoy a warm ‘Hull & Humber’ welcome. I’m really pleased that Yorkshire Forward has recognised and experienced the potential for the Clipper Race to benefit the region in so many ways.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is exhibiting on stand N36L at the London International Boat Show 2009 where visitors can get more details about crew places on the Clipper 09-10 Race. Plus there’s a free week-long big boat sailing course to be won every day with Clipper Training. Visitors to the show have to guess how many teabags the crew of the ten-strong fleet drink their way through during the 35,000 miles circumnavigation: 25,200; 80,500; or 121,600.

Anyone interested in more information about crew places can contact the Clipper Race organisers by telephone: 02392 526000, by email to: oceanracer@ClipperRoundTheWorld.com  or visit the web site: www.ClipperRoundTheWorld.com

 

Yorkshire Forward
•       Yorkshire Forward is the Regional Development Agency behind the economic regeneration of Yorkshire and Humber. It aims to make a positive difference by investing in jobs, improving towns and cities, and in supporting businesses throughout the region. 
•       Over the past year, Yorkshire Forward has created and safeguarded more than 27,000 new jobs; helped create and attract more than 1,100 new businesses, provided nearly 66,000 learning opportunities and attracted more than £333 million private sector finance - achieving or exceeding all of the targets it was set.
•       Yorkshire Forward’s investment across the region is maximised by attracting European Regional Development Funding from the Objective One and Two programmes.

Hull & Humber takes third place in Race 13 of Clipper 07-08

 

Podium position guaranteed in global race – pole position still a possibility

  

Hull & Humber has claimed another podium place in their Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race campaign, finishing in third place in Race 13 from Nova Scotia to Cork, Ireland. Fellow title contenders New York scored their fifth victory in the 14-race series to stretch their lead over the British team to three and a half points.

 

Hull & Humber skipper Danny Watson said, “We have to beat them by a few places now, I guess. That whole thing was just a great race. We had some close quarters stuff in the fog at the beginning then heavy winds, some downwind sailing which was great, then back into heavy winds and then some downwind close quarters sailing again at the end. It was close with Qingdao at the end but we had eight days alongside Jamaica which just shows that the whole fleet is fairly evenly matched and it’s only small differences which mean you can get away. There was only one day that we weren’t alongside another Clipper. It’s like match racing across an ocean, which is fabulous, that’s what it’s all about.”

 

However, Danny admitted that they had fallen short of their target of pole position: the team went all out for a win. “It’s always a balance of trying to make the boat go fast without breaking it. That’s the challenge of trying to get a boat around the world. We raced hard as usual. We had good fun, we’re still very upbeat and enjoying it and we said it’s very important that we enjoy it. We want to run a safe, fast, fun Hull & Humber and I think we did all of that.”

 

New York skipper, Duggie Gillespie said that his team had pushed their boat harder than they ever had before. Reflecting on his team’s win, he said, “We were aware of the situation between us and Hull & Humber at the start and it’s all part of a plan. The guys have focused, worked really hard out there, shown lots of teamwork and executed well. The team produced the goods. They’re all really happy.”

 

Joff Bailey, Race Director, said, “Both Hull & Humber and New York have demonstrated once again that they deserve their positions in the overall table. It’s not over yet for either of them; the result here sets up a very exciting finale to Clipper 07-08 when the final positions will be decided.”

 

Hull & Humber is now guaranteed a podium position in the overall race, but they will need to beat New York by four places to overcome the three and a half point lead now enjoyed by the US entry. However, this is not an impossible task, particularly in a short 200 miles ‘sprint’ across the Irish Sea in challenging conditions when every boat will be looking for a podium into Liverpool.

 

New York round the world crew member Nate Thompson, 19, from Palm Beach, Florida, reflected on how fickle the positions can be despite the great form shown by both yachts: “The feeling on the boat is general excitement, we’re just really proud about this last race. Qingdao’s finished second, Hull & Humber’s finished third but the difference is just three and a half points and one race to go. I mean we finished first and they were eighth on the leg to New York, we finished sixth and (Hull & Humber) fourth on the leg to Halifax, so anything could happen. It’s going to come down to the wire and everybody knows that.”

 

Following the 13-day race from Nova Scotia, during which the yachts faced a variety of conditions including fog, light winds and gales, the crews will enjoy some time to relax in Crosshaven and the wider environs of County Cork. The Royal Cork Yacht Club, the oldest yacht club in the world, welcomed the crews with burgers and kegs of Heineken, which will also be flowing freely at the official welcome party and prize giving ceremony on Tuesday 1 July.

 

The Hull & Humber yacht has been entered in this mammoth global challenge by regional development agency Yorkshire Forward to promote the Hull & Humber ports region, the UK’s largest, on a world stage. The yacht’s incredible performance on its maiden outing in the 35,000 miles race has brought worldwide media exposure and local companies have done big business in trade missions to key ports of call in South Africa, Singapore, China and New York. Officials say they are delighted at the outcome and are already looking at how they can build on this success in the next global race in 2009-10 when the start and finish comes to the Humber.

 

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is the leading event of its type for non-professional sailors. It was conceived by the legendary round-the-world yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail solo, non-stop, around the world 40 years ago. He is now chairman of race organisers Clipper Ventures.

 

www.HullHumberClipper.com

 

Wilberforce ceremony precedes start of final Atlantic crossing

 

A moving signing ceremony of the Wilberforce Petition preceded the restart of the final Atlantic crossing of the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race

 

The ceremony opened with an ‘honour song’ from members of the Membertou First Nation and Eskason First Nation native tribes (Their participation was very significant following the recent apology by the Canadian Government for their treatment in the past).

 

The people who signed the petition were: John Morgan, Mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Archbishop Vincent Waterman, Chief Terry Paul of the Membertou First Nation, and Chief Charlie Dennis of the Eskason First Nation.

 

Mayor Morgan said: “I particularly want to thank the crew of Hull & Humber and the leaders of their community. In the world today we still have millions of people subject to slavery and slave like conditions. There’s never been a time in the history of the world when we have such enormous disparity between the very richest and very poorest across the globe...over a billion people live on less than a dollar a day...I want to say thank you to the Hull & Humber and to all of you for coming here today to support this cause to free people from slavery in all its forms across the planet. This is truly an important effort... I wish you all God’s Speed on your voyages.”

 

The crew of Hull & Humber has also been celebrating its win of a short individual competition race in Nova Scotia from Halifax to Sydney. The Democracy 250 race was organised by Nova Scotia, as part of the Clipper Fleet’s stopover in the province, to mark the current celebrations of 250 years of democracy which are being used to engage young people in the democratic process by getting them  to value their right to have a vote and free speech. The race does not count towards the points for the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race.

 

Hull & Humber came in just 47 seconds ahead of the Western Australia entry after more than 200 miles of fast Atlantic ocean racing. The trophy was a specially commissioned cut glass globe and was presented by Russell MacLellan and Dr John Hamm co chairmen of Democracy 250 and former Premiers of Nova Scotia.

 

On receiving the trophy on behalf of the crew, Hull & Humber skipper Danny Watson said: “We took part in the Democracy 250 with real pride...On Hull & Humber we’ve got an initiative taking the Wilberforce petition around the world to commemorate the abolition of slavery 200 years ago by William Wilberforce and to highlight the fact that there are still 27 million people enslaved today. I think taking both of these initiatives into consideration, we should be thankful for our freedom, our freedom of speech and the fact we have the freedom to vote.”

 

Penultimate stage of global race gets underway Monday

 

Hull & Humber does not have time to bask in the glory of this latest victory. On Monday (16 June) the penultimate stage of the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race gets underway with the final crossing of the Atlantic from Canada to Cork in Ireland.

 

With Hull and Humber just one and a half points behind New York, it is going to be vital to try to get ahead of the US entry and increase the lead over Glasgow: Scotland with Style, which is four points behind Hull & Humber. There is a maximum of ten points up for grabs with full points going to the winner down to just one point for the yacht in tenth place.

 

New York (83.5 points), Hull & Humber (82 points) and Glasgow: Scotland with Style (78 points) are all far enough ahead of the rest of the field (Fourth is Durban with 64 points) to virtually guarantee podium positions. However, there is one short final stage from Cork to Liverpool 3-5 July 2008 and the final positions within the top three may well be decided by this race which also offers up to ten points.

 

 

Hull & Humber has wind taken out of sails!

Now in second place overall as yacht becalmed for latest stage early finish

Launch of new abolitionist movement to engage business in fight against modern day slavery

 

The latest stage of the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race has brought mixed blessings for the English flag entry.

Hull & Humber represents the UK’s largest ports complex, located on the east coast of Yorkshire, at the heart of Britain. The team had been celebrating wining the last two stages putting the ‘big orange boat’ (BOB) 3.5 points ahead of New York.

However, the tables have turned after the fleet lost the wind just over 500 miles from New York. The team made valiant efforts after leading in the early stages, but subsequently finished in eighth place when the race drew to an early end at midnight GMT this morning.

However, Hull & Humber has only slipped one place in the overall race and is now just 3.5 points behind New York. Glasgow however remain 6 points behind Hull & Humber and then the gap widens to Liverpool in 4^th place overall 14.5 points behind Hull & Humber (Based on provisional places on stage 11 from Jamaica to New York)

Many of the yachts were making less than 20 miles in 12 hours compared to 120 miles a couple of days earlier. Race officials said it would have taken two weeks to complete the race at those speeds.  As a result Clipper created an earlier finish time and took positions and ‘distance to finish’ at midnight GMT. Although eighth, Hull & Humber was just 14 miles behind New York, which is very narrow after 1000 miles of racing.

Race Director, Joff Bailey, said: “Overall this must have been the closest fought ocean race of Clipper 07-08 as at any time six or seven of the leading boats were fighting for the podium positions and there were lots of place changes right up to the last minute.

“This has been a great race with many of the teams being within sight of each other since the start of the race in Jamaica. The closeness of the racing is a testament to how well all of the crews are performing and how much they have developed as sailors since the start of the race last September.”

The boats will now be able to motor sail to New York. Estimates put arrival late Sunday to the early hours of Monday June 2. Progress over the next 24 hours will give a better indication of speed achieved in the prevailing conditions. With the boats leaving on Wednesday for a sprint race to Halifax Nova Scotia, Clipper wanted to ensure the fleet was available for two intense days of city-sponsor activity.

For Hull & Humber that activity starts 10am Monday with the raising of an historic canvass sail proclaiming the start of a new abolitionist movement to eliminate modern day forms of slavery and emancipation. The campaign will engage the support of big business to establish robust policies and practices to ensure they obtain products, components, raw materials and services from ‘ethical’ labour sources and supply chains.

A forum led by the University of Hull’s Wilberforce Institute for the study of Slavery and Emancipation (WISE) will bring together business leaders, government officials, academics and abolitionists to identify how the objective of ending contemporary forms of slavery can become a reality.

Participants will acknowledge this challenge by signing the ‘Wilberforce Petition’ being taken around the world on the Hull & Humber yacht by a ‘tag team’ of young people supported by the ONE HULL partnership. The new Lord Mayor of Hull and Admiral of the Humber, Councillor Elaine Garland, will be present in New York to witness this symbolic support for the petition at the heart of New York’s financial district close to Wall Street.

Regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, which has sponsored the Hull & Humber entry in order to promote the region on a world stage, will be represented by its Business Director Simon Hill and Head of Hull & Humber Sarah Pearson.

A more detailed release on this event will follow over the weekend. Pictures and video will be filed overnight Monday June 2. Tuesday will see guests from New York join officials aboard Hull & Humber for a sail past the Statue of Liberty.

Just over a week ago Hull & Humber was celebrating a double victory with Clipper announcing that the next race in 2009-10 will start and finish in the Humber and the yacht had finished first on the leg into Jamaica, maintaining its pole position in the race overall.

LONDON 22nd MAY 2008: Hull & Humber to host global yacht race in 2009-10

 

The world’s leading global yacht race for non-professional sailors is to start and finish from the Humber in 2009-10. The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, which was created by legendary yachtsman and record-breaking circumnavigator Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, is the most prestigious event of its type in the yachting calendar; its move to Hull & Humber will be the first time a UK east coast port has hosted such an event.

Yorkshire Forward, the region’s development agency, is sponsoring a yacht in the race in 2007-08 and 2009-10 to help promote the region on a world stage. In the current race other international city-region sponsored yachts include entries representing New York, Durban, Singapore, Qingdao, Nova Scotia, Western Australia and Jamaica. “This is excellent news for Hull & Humber and the Yorkshire region,” said Terry Hodgkinson, chairman of Yorkshire Forward, responding to the announcement by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston at Trinity House today.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to build on the success of the 2007/08 Clipper Race and promote our region even further to the global audience by making it the focal point of the start and finish of this major event.  I am also delighted that we are linking Hull and Humber’s economic opportunities with its maritime history – which is such an important part of our region.  I am delighted that the Clipper 09-10 race organisers have such confidence in our ability to host the world’s leading yacht race of its type and look forward to seeing the magnificent Clipper yachts return to our region.”

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston said that the race organisers, Clipper Ventures plc, had been impressed by Yorkshire Forward’s enthusiasm and commitment in taking full advantage of the opportunities the current race has presented, both at events on the Humber last year and in key ports of call around the world:

“Hull & Humber hosted the full fleet last summer for a warm-up race from Rotterdam to Hull for the Wilberforce Challenge Cup. It was a marvellous weekend and the combination of facilities and hospitality was first class.

“During the current race, Clipper 07-08, Yorkshire Forward has really shown the world how to make their entry work to their advantage. They’ve organised trade missions, conferences and a wide range of events in ports of call to promote the region and their businesses. They have achieved significant media exposure, getting their message in front of hundreds of millions of people. The value of this alone must be providing a healthy return on their investment. Well done.”

Sir Robin added: “The fact that Hull & Humber is currently in a leading position is an added bonus. But I know the skipper and the crew can feel all this support and are responding accordingly.”

It was revealed that the Clipper fleet of ten 68ft ocean racing yachts will be berthed in Hull Marina for up to ten days before the race start in the Humber on Sunday 13^th September 2009 at 13.00 BST. The race will return to the Humber to finish ten months later, provisionally on Saturday 3^rd July 2010.

Hosting the race will benefit Hull & Humber through increased trade and tourism, enhanced international media exposure, boosting image and community pride. It is anticipated that a rich and varied calendar of activities can be encouraged to take place throughout the area, creating an international festival atmosphere with the Clipper 09-10 entries from around the world.

Yorkshire Forward Strategy

Yorkshire Forward is supporting the Hull and Humber clipper as part of its drive to raise the international profile and economic activity of the Yorkshire and Humber region through the attraction of major cultural and sporting events.

Both in the run up to the 2012 London Olympic Games and in an increasingly competitive global marketplace, the region’s association with internationally renowned events allows it to raise its cultural profile and showcase its economic and investment opportunities to a vast audience. 

The region has already successfully hosted Royal Ascot at York, the 2007 IIFA Film Awards, the Snooker World Championships in Sheffield and an array of International Cricket fixtures at the renowned Headingley Stadium.

In the summer of 2007 the entire Clipper fleet participated in a race from Rotterdam to the Humber across the North Sea for the Wilberforce Challenge Cup. That event lasted just one weekend and provided a helpful insight into the potential of hosting the start and finish of Clipper 09-10.

Congratulations from Dame Ellen MacArthur

Endorsements for the pre-eminent status of the Clipper Round the World Race and its move to Hull & Humber have been received from well known names in the yachting World: Dame Ellen MacArthur commented: “This is fantastic news for Hull & Humber. Not only have they been showing great form in their debut performance in Clipper 07-08, but to host the start and finish in 2009-10 is great for the area.

“I was based in Hull for over a year teaching at a nautical school which was a great experience and I spent many hours just watching all the comings and goings on the Humber. ..The Ellen MacArthur Trust recognises that the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is now the leading global event for non-professional sailors.” 

 

The Hull & Humber entry in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race transited the Panama Canal late yesterday

 

Over half the fleet are now through the Canal and it is hoped the remaining four will be able to get slots today (Sunday) so that the next stage of the race to Jamaica can get underway tomorrow (Monday)

 

Meanwhile the prizegiving ceremony took place before the yachts started transitting the Canal. It was attended by HM Ambassador to Panama, Richard Austen, who presented the much-coveted pennants to the crew of Hull & Humber, whose win takes them into the overall lead, two and a half points ahead of New York.

 

He also met two of the members of the ONE HULL Tag Team, James Douglas and Brendan DeCordova and signed the Wilberforce Petition, the scroll the Tag Team is carrying with them on the race around the world, calling for an end to modern day slavery. His Excellency added his signature to those of dignitaries from the other countries the Clipper fleet has visited.

 

(See new album above with prizegiving and Panama Canal pics)

 

 

 

PREMIER POSITION IN PANAMA

 

The triumphant Hull and Humber slipped into Panama late yesterday as the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race fleet gathered in preparation for their transit of the Panama Canal in the next few days.

 

Hull & Humber not only won this latest stage, but are now back on top of the leader board for the overall race, two and a half points clear of nearest rivals New York. The crew were definitely ready for dry land, wet (cold) beer and hot showers.

 

It’s been a tough stage from Santa Cruz in California. The pressure was on from the start as the fleet was still behind schedule following the repairs and rigging replacements in Hawaii. Then the wind disappeared. So Gate Angel became the finish line...1200 miles from the finish. The plan to motor sail to make up time for the rendezvous with the Canal. But adverse winds and currents even put the pressure on that and the need for the pit-stop in Banana Bay, Costa Rica for more fuel – frustrating for the crews as they couldn’t get off and stretch their legs (or wander a few yards up the road to the bar).

 

So now in Panama the crews will be making the most of the next day or two as Clipper race officials work frantically to get a slot allocated to pass through the canal which currently has a backlog.

 

News is also filtering through to Hull City fans aboard who are keen to make sure they reach Jamaica in time to watch the team have a pop at the Premiership at Wembley on 24^th May. Hull & Humber is certainly in premier position in the world’s leading yacht race of its class and Hull City fans aboard hope their team will be in similar form come the play-off final.

 

Jonathan 

 

 

The following is more on the passage through the Panama Canal from Clipper’s latest bulletin:

 

Clipper Operations Director, Colin de Mowbray, skippered Chrysolite in the inaugural Clipper Round the World Yacht Race in 1996 and says the sixth Clipper fleet to pass through the Canal will find it another memorable experience.

 

“It’s a real highlight,” he says. “There’s a lot of anticipation because people haven’t done it before. It’s a coming together of the engineering and the significance of it and what man has achieved here. The historical side is fascinating and just to go through and experience it and read about it, it’s one of the great things to do. I remember it vividly and I’m sure all the crew members will as well.”

 

Cut through one of the narrowest saddles of the strip of land joining North and South America, the Canal uses a system of locks which function as water lifts to raise ships from sea level, either the Pacific or the Caribbean, to the level of Gatun Lake, 26 metres above sea level. The ships then sail the channel through the Continental Divide. A US$5.25 billion expansion project is underway to build two new sets of locks to allow much bigger ships to pass through.

 

There have been widespread reports of lengthy delays for yachts passing through the Panama Canal from the Caribbean side to the Pacific, however the Clipper 07-08 fleet will be travelling in the opposite direction, leaving the Pacific behind them, so will not be affected.

 

Operations Vice President at the Autoridad del Canal de Panama (Panama Canal Authority), Manuel Benitez, says, “The ACP is concerned about the situation and is working aggressively to reduce the backlog. We are closely monitoring this situation and we are working to ensure that all feasible measures are being taken to return to normal levels of transit waiting time as soon as possible.”

 

The backlog came about during the second half of February from a surge in arrivals within the waterway’s peak season (February - May) that coincided with maintenance work at the Pedro Miguel and Miraflores Locks. Maintenance work has now been postponed and additional crews assigned to the locks.

Senor Benitez continues, “Weather conditions, the mix in vessels arriving and the impact of peak season have contributed to the creation of the backlog and will also play a role in the successful reduction of the backlog. We have seen a downward trend and expect to see a more pronounced reduction in waiting times for transits in the weeks to come.”

 

Joff Bailey, Clipper 07-08 Race Director, says, “The transit through the Canal is one of the few elements of the Clipper Race that is not totally within our control. We are very much in the hands of the Panama Canal Authority and their schedulers, but we have been working with a local agent here for several years now and they and we have done our utmost to ensure everything is in place for a smooth transit so we can start Race 10 to Jamaica as soon as possible.”

Friends, family and supporters of the Clipper fleet will be able to watch the yachts pass through the locks at both ends of the canal by logging onto the Panama Canal webcams: click here to view them

 

Hull & Humber building clear lead

 

Hull & Humber’s triumphant win  in stage 9 of the 14 stage Clipper Round the World Yacht Race 2007-08 is building a clear lead for the ‘Big Orange Boat’ (BOB) in this 35,000 miles global marathon. The next stage to Jamaica is going to be crucial if we are to consolidate our position. The closest competitor is now New York, just two and a half points behind, but then the nearest yachts are ‘Durban 2010 and Beyond’ and ‘Glasgow: Scotland with Style’ both seven points behind. However, we’ve seen on this last stage how luck can still play a big part with Durban being knocked off pole position coming in last and gaining just one point after falling foul of light airs and wind holes.

 

If the finishing positions stand the overall leader board will look like this (by our unofficial calculations):

 

Yacht                                          Total Points        Difference

 

1  Hull & Humber                                    62           ----

2  New York                                              59.5       -  2.5

3  Durban 2010 and Beyond                55           -  7

4  Glasgow: Scotland with Style          55           -  7

5  Liverpool 08                                        46.5        -15.5

6  Uniquely Singapore                           42           -20

7  Westernaustralia2011.com            41           -21

8  Nova Scotia                                         40.5        -21.5

9  Qingdao                                               39.5        -22.5

10 Jamaica                                              22.5        -39.5

 

But the figures don’t convey the emotion of the moment. The following extract from Natalie Booker’s latest blog reveals a lot. (Natalie is 28 from Beverley, East Yorkshire):

 

“All crew were up on deck as we counted down the seconds to crossing the race finish line.  There it was first place to Hull& Humber- what an amazing feeling!! The adrenaline rush and team camaraderie combined together is overwhelming!! The only thing is now that we have to wait several days to drink our champagne as Panama is still 1200nm away!!  And all us girlies on board just want a big tub of ice-cream!! And a bath! And air conditioning! And a manicure/pedicure! And a large glass of wine! Really we’re not asking for much?!  Are we?? Well done to us all and with five races still to go this has been a great start to my Clipper Race journey!  I’m loving it!”

 

Hull & Humber should get into Panama City around Tuesday(13 May). It is hoped the fleet will have mustered in time to navigate the Panama Canal by the weekend to arrive in Jamaica the following week.

 

TRIUMPHANT VICTORY WILL PUT HULL & HUMBER BACK ON TOP

  

Hull & Humber, the Yorkshire Forward sponsored entry in the 35,000 miles Clipper Round the World Yacht Race 2007-08,  is once again putting the UK’s largest ports city-region on the global map by winning the latest stage in this prestigious ocean race being contested by ten internationally-backed 68-foot yachts. This represents Hull & Humber’s third individual stage victory.

 

The crew celebrated crossing  the ‘Gate Angel’ finish line first overnight (UK time – local is eight hours behind BST off the Mexican Pacific coast) in a tight battle for first with the New York boat breathing down their necks.

 

The points from this win should put Hull & Humber back in pole position in the overall race so far, just one and a half points ahead of New York. They received 4 penalty points for needing a replacement Mid Weight Spinnaker in the previous stage at Santa Cruz, pushing them 2 points behind Durban. The South African entry is well down the field in this current stage to Panama.

 

Skipper Danny Watson reported: “It was incredibly close racing from start to finish. Keeping Hull & Humber moving in the lightest of airs required a tremendous team effort from all but everyone brought something to the table. We have belief and pride in abundance!”

 

“Routing repositioning meant you dropped from first to mid-fleet within a sched (6-hour reporting schedule period). We needed to have belief in our navigation which ultimately paid off.

 

Hull & Humber was one of a group of boats which also included New York, Qingdao, Nova Scotia and Uniquely Singapore which have been matching each other move for move in the bid for a podium position and the all-important points to add to their overall tally and for much of the race from Santa Cruz several of them have been within sight of each other.

 

Crew member Natalie Booker, 28, from Beverley, East Yorkshire, joined the crew in Santa Cruz for the last two legs of the race back to Liverpool. She says, “It was very frustrating trying to keep the boat going in light airs but it turns quickly into perseverance to keep going forward. It gets increasingly exciting when another Clipper boat is in view. It gives you that extra energy and adrenaline to put in more and more effort to be able to push harder!”

 

New York was second across the finish line at 2223 GMT. Skipper Duggie Gillespie commented, “It was very good sailing for most of the race until we came across this light winds - that was frustrating, very frustrating and a lottery at times. I said to the guys that there would be winners and losers given this race finish amendment and the time scale. Still, we are always pleased to be on the podium in this competitive fleet. The team work on board reached new heights with the continual spinnaker work. They did really well.”

 

The results are provisional until all the skippers have submitted their race declarations for scrutiny by the race committee. If the results remain as they are Hull & Humber’s victory will take them into overall first position, one and a half points ahead of second placed New York.

 

Clipper Race Director Joff Bailey says, “As much as this has been a thrilling race for us to watch unfold at home, with the variety of tactics being played out and the really close racing, this has been a difficult one for the crews taking part. There is great skill involved in keeping a yacht moving in the kind of light airs they’ve been experiencing and Danny, Duggie and their teams have done very well.”

 

Because of the lighter than expected winds that the fleet has been experiencing since leaving the Californian port, and the forecast for the coming days, yesterday the Race Committee made the decision to shorten the course for Race 9, in accordance with the Sailing Instructions. The finish line is now off the coast of Mexico at ‘Gate Angel’, one of several pre-determined gates included in the Race 9 course. The rest of the fleet is expected to cross the finish line over the next 36-48 hours and will then motor sail towards Panama, with the arrival of the first yachts anticipated on 13 May. The fleet will muster here to transit the Panama Canal en route to Jamaica to complete leg 6 of the race.

 

Hull & Humber is the Yorkshire Forward sponsored entry in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race 2007-08. Yorkshire Forward is the regional development agency for Yorkshire and the Humber and is using the global race to promote Hull & Humber, the UK’s largest ports city-region, on a world stage.

 

HULL & HUMBER IN LEAD TO CROSS EARLY FINISH LINE TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY)

 

After a fierce fight over the weekend which saw the top slot changing regularly in fickle winds, Hull & Humber appears to have emerged victorious with a 17 miles lead this morning.

 

The Race Committee has just announced that the current stage will end at the ‘Angel’ Gate just over 100 nautical miles ahead of Hull & Humber, so the crew will be doing all they can to stay in front until they are over the line. Hull & Humber has headed further offshore in search of stronger winds but will need to make the most of the current conditions to consolidate its position. The chasing yachts can soon erode Hull & Humber’s lead if they find stronger winds first.

 

The team on Hull & Humber know they are in the other crews’ sights and skipper Danny Watson said this morning: “We’re doing all we can to keep Hull & Humber moving in light winds to the revised finish line at the second gate.”

 

Many of the skippers are reporting massive wind holes that appear to grab hold of the boat and trap them for hours with no boat speed before a slight increase in wind allows the very smallest of boat speed to be generated.

 

Race officials have just announced that the course for Race 9 has been shortened due to the lighter than expected winds en route to Panama City, threatening the fleet’s scheduled transit through the Panama Canal. With the fleet currently logging 12-hour runs of between just 17 and 48 nautical miles and the winds forecast to remain light before building as headwinds, the Race Committee has decided to utilise the pre-determined Gate Angel, approximately 140 nautical miles ahead of the lead boats, to finish the race that started 13 days ago in Santa Cruz.

 

Gate Angel is one of several intermediate gates contained within the Sailing Instructions for Race 9 that allow the Race Committee to shorten the course and finish the race early in case of abnormal weather conditions that seriously affect the safety of the fleet or the overall programme for the race.

 

Race Director Joff Bailey said, “The Race Committee has been studying the forecasted winds for the next seven days and monitoring the fleet’s slower than expected progress towards Panama City due to the lighter than expected winds since the start in Santa Cruz. In order to ensure a smooth transit through the Panama Canal, the fleet has been informed that the Race Committee has opted to shorten the course and finish the race at Gate Angel.”

 

It is expected that the first teams will finish tomorrow (Wednesday) with the remaining teams finishing over the following 24 – 36 hour period. After finishing, each of the teams will motor sail to Panama with the first boats expected to arrive in Panama City on 13 May. The fleet is now passing Acapulco with around 1200 miles still to go to Panama in relatively light winds of 4-6 knots.

 

Being back in front....Priceless!  Yes we got docked 4 points for the new mid weight spinnaker in Santa Cruz. It's pushed us back into second overall, 2 points behind Durban and half a point ahead of New York. But the crew have been putting the new sail to good use and have, today (Thursday), pushed back into pole position on the latest stage of the race. If we finish three places ahead of Durban and at least a place ahead of New York, we should regain first place overall. But there's still a long way to go, and a further 60 points up for grabs in the remainder of the race. Keep watching that tracker! And check out the latest blogs. Hope to post some more video soon.

 

Jonathan

VIDEO (above): Ryan Coonerty mayor of Santa Cruz signs the Wilberforce Petition with One Hull Tag Team members James Douglas and Brendan DeCordova at prizegiving ceremony last night in California  – introduced by Clipper 07-08 Race Director Jonathan Bailey.

CALLING ALL SHORE BASED CREW & SUPPORTERS

 

Hull & Humber is organising a gurning competition amongst the Clipper fleet in Santa Cruz to raise funds for those still recovering from the floods back home in the Hull & Humber area. You can also enter! For inspiration see Hull & Humber's efforts in the gallery above.

 

Read Danny's message below to get the general idea and then send a photo of yourself caught in the act! You'll have to improvise a collar, but that's part of the creative spirit. E-mail your photo together with a pledge of at least £5 (we'll send you instructions later on how to make your donation) to: HullAndHumber@live.co.uk  We'll have a separate prize for shore based entries of a further bottle of champagne! Get your entries to us by the end of the month - Midnight on Wednesday 30th April. But the sooner the better so we can post them to this web site.

 

Gurning Competition - Message from Danny Watson, Skipper of Hull & Humber to the Clipper 07-08 Fleet during the last leg

 

Since leaving Liverpool last September, the crew of H&H has become intimately aware of the inconveniences of having water lapping around your home and everything inside damp.  Whilst only an inconvenience to us, there still remain thousands of residents in Hull and the surrounding areas suffering greatly from last years floods.  As a gesture of support for these flood victims, the crew of H&H would like to organise a fund raising competition amongst the Clipper crews.  We have selected is a gurning competition.  Unbelievably this will be the second time of Clipper Gurning. The inaugural competition was successfully held during the 05-06 Race in Durban.

 

What is gurning you may ask?  Well, it dates back to medieval times when the court jesters were allowed to make fun of the nobility by putting on a shire horse’s collar, presumably to indicate it was in jest, and pulling faces to caricature his lords and ladies of the court.

 

Not having room onboard for Jim’s shire horse, we will substitute the helicopter strop for the horse collar. Thus to gurn, you have to wear the helicopter strop and pull a face (cross your eyes, twist the mouth, stick out the tongue etc. or what else makes you appear more horrible and ugly).

 

The rules are:-

 

1.      Entry fee is $100 per boat

2.      Each boat will photograph all crew members and burn them onto a CD to be collected in Santa Cruz.

3.      Each boat will select one of their crew to be entered into the final to be held in Santa Cruz.

4.      A nominated crew member is required to sit on the judging panel.

5.      The winner will be selected by the judging panel in Santa Cruz

6.      The winner’s prize is a bottle of French Champagne (We are not cheap on the Orange Boat).  In addition the H&H  

        crew will buy the winning boat crew a round of Mai Tai drinks!  We take no responsibility for subsequent

        actions.

 

This competion is also open to the shore-based team whom we believe have great gurning potential!! 

 

We are obviously aware that all boats are racing hard, and we do not want this to impede on your performance, however we have found that a lot of fun can be had taking the photos during the off watches.

 

Please confirm your entry into this competition; it would be fantastic to have a full house once again.

 

Safe Sailing and Big Love from all on H&H

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 16 April 2008, Santa Cruz, California, USA

Hull & Humber crossed the finish line today at 13:29 local (19:29 GMT) to take fourth place in Race 8 from Hawaii.  Their consistently high performance places the Yorkshire Forward sponsored team in serious contention for the overall title and Clipper Trophy.  Victory in Race 8 was claimed by Uniquely Singapore who overtook race leaders Nova Scotia during a nail biting light finish in light airs this morning.

 

Skipper of Hull & Humber, Danny Watson said, “It’s been a pretty good race, we’ve had a good time out there. We gave it everything so I don’t think there are any hard feelings about coming in fourth.  We’ve gained another seven points and it’s another steady result for us. 

“The team worked brilliantly with headsail changes and reefing and I haven’t seen the evolutions being done as smoothly as that before, almost perfect.  Tactically it was a choice of going north and for Nova Scotia and Uniquely Singapore it paid off.  We didn’t go north quite far enough but then again we didn’t get caught up in the light winds that effected the rest of the fleet.”

Although being at the front of the pack for the majority of the race from Honalulu, Hull & Humber lost out to the boats that made a tactical decision to head north.  Whilst Nova Scotia and Uniquely Singapore benefited from more favourable wind angles the Yorkshire team struggled against strong headwinds.

Disembarking Hull & Humber after competing in the North Pacific leg of the Clipper Race, One Hull Tag Team member Thea Clifford said, “I really can’t describe how good it’s been for me and I can’t thank Clipper Ventures and Yorkshire Forward enough and everyone else who have helped me achieve this.  It’s really blown me away and opened my eyes and I’m definitely going to be making some changes when I get back home.”

The majority of the fleet are expected to arrive over the next couple of days and will be berthed at Santa Cruz Harbour for the duration of their Californian stopover. Durban 2010 and Beyond and westernaustralia2011.com will complete the fleet by arriving in Santa Cruz early next week. The two southern hemisphere teams were delayed leaving Hawaii due to essential mast refit work as a result the dramatic dismasting of both yachts during Race 7 from Qingdao, China.

Clipper 07-08 is the sixth edition of the biennial Clipper Race and the Santa Cruz stopover marks the first time the race has visited a port on the west coast of the United States.  During the teams’ short visit the fleet is being hosted by the Santa Cruz Yacht Club who will also host the prizegiving ceremony on Monday 21 April.

SCYC Commodore Bret Grippenstraw said, “It was great to see the boats arrive and we’re really excited about being involved in the stopover. It’s a great thing for Santa Cruz and the harbour and we’re really happy to have the Clipper yachts here.”

The Clipper Race is the only round the world yacht race for non-professional sailors and the amateur crews, representing 27 different nationalities across the ten teams, are each led by a professional skipper. As well as performing the routine maintenance required to keep their ocean racing yachts in top performance condition and shopping for food for the next race, the crews will also have some time to enjoy the sights, sounds and flavours of California during the stopover.

Surfin (to the) USA

 

Hull & Humber has been back at sea a week and is already over half way to Santa Cruz in second place just six nautical miles behind leading yacht New York.

 

I can imagine them in those new issue Hawaiian shorts, shooting the breeze to the strains of the Beach Boys. The distances they’ve been covering in the last couple of days they’ve been surfin’ to the USA.

 

Race officials said this morning: “With fewer than 1000 nautical miles to Santa Cruz and daily runs averaging a shade over 200 miles, the Clipper 07-08 fleet is making excellent progress towards their California destination”

 

But it’s been a challenging week with a variety of conditions including headwinds, squalls and holes. And after such an extended stay in Hawaii the crew had to rediscover their sea legs.

 

After the first day skipper Danny Watson reported: “Seasickness amongst the crew is subsiding as everyone falls into routines. Gusty, squally, conditions now after nightfall.”

 

It’s certainly been another close and competitive race with all of the teams monitoring their opposition's positions at each schedule update to see whether any of them has made a break from the pack.

 

Hisayasu Jin from Japan, who joined Hull & Humber in Hawaii observed: "Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper and New York remained in sight during the night and every effort was made to remain in the leader board.

 

“In the morning Hull & Humber entered into a no wind zone and all possible sail combinations were attempted to move the boat in the right direction. After a few hours of hectic sail changes easterly wind arrived in our favour and achieved good boat speed in terms of VMG (velocity made good)".

 

At times when the Big Orange Boat (BOB) failed to pole we were all left guessing and some of the media thought we’d dropped to the back of the pack. But we all knew better with Danny and the intrepid Hull & Humber team right in the middle of the action.

 

However, it remains a tight race despite our great performance over the last 24 hours. Race officials observed this morning: “Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper, which had been leading for much of Race 8 so far, has been overtaken by New York and Hull & Humber although, with just 36 miles in terms of distance to finish separating the first seven boats, none of the crews or skippers can rest on their laurels.”

 

I’m sure we will not: the team is doing everything to hang onto their current pole position in the global race overall, seeking maximum points out of this stage.

 

Come on Hull & Humber!

 

Jonathan Levy

Hull & Humber Clipper Project Manager