Errol Flynn Marina, Port Antonio, Jamaica
Nova Scotia led the Clipper 07-08 fleet across the start line at the
beginning of Race 11 from Jamaica to New York. They were several boat
lengths ahead of the following group of Durban 2010 and Beyond, Liverpool
08, New York and Hull & Humber. All ten of the yachts crossed the start line
within two minutes.
credit: Heather Ewing/onEdition
Formation sail out of Port Antonio including HMJS Cornwall at the start of Race 11 from Jamaica to New York in the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race.
In a light easterly breeze the yachts put in four tacks before rounding the
first mark, one mile along the coast from the start line. Nova Scotia turned
first, sneaking inside the South African entry. Liverpool 08 was third to
round the mark followed a minute later by Hull & Humber, Glasgow: Scotland
with style Clipper and Qingdao who had moved up from the back of the field,
having crossed the start line in eighth and ninth places respectively.
The 1420-mile race to New York, the latest stage of the 35,000-mile
circumnavigation, will take them past the island of Cuba and up the east
coast of North America, following the Gulf Stream current.
Preparing to leave Port Antonio where the fleet has been enjoying Jamaican
hospitality since their arrival two days ago, the skipper of the Canadian
boat, Rob McInally, said, ³The crew are very fired up. We had an interesting
race here, we got caught in some amazing electrical storms which I will
never forget, but after those we had a two hour sort of dead patch in which
we didn¹t move which was the distance between us and the lead boats. That¹s
just one of those things, we¹ve accepted that and now we¹re looking forward
to the next race and getting ourselves into New York.
credit: Heather Ewing/onEdition
Durban 2010 and Beyond crew before the start of Race 11 from Jamaica to New York in the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race.
³The conversation I had with the crew was that we need to be competitive
about this race and that¹s about us doing the best that we can as a crew of
people. We did that and there¹s only so much you can do and as long as you
put in all the effort then you¹ll get the maximum out of it. Hopefully
that¹s enough to get some good results, but it doesn¹t always work like
that.²
Joff Bailey, Race Director says, ³We¹ve had a great stopover in Jamaica and
everyone is looking forward to this race. The skippers are all fired up for
this last leg, pushing for the last points that will secure the podium
positions. The winds will be light for the first part of the race but once
the fleet gets north of the Bahamas it will be a great sail up to New York.²
The ten internationally-backed 68-foot ocean racing yachts slipped their
moorings in Errol Flynn Marina at midday local time (1700 GMT) and sailed in
formation out of the harbour towards the start line at Folly Point
Lighthouse. The Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard cutter, HMJS Cornwall, led
the procession from the harbour and provided their services as the committee
boat for the Race Team.
Joff says, ³I¹d like to thank Lieutenant Commander Robert Aldred and the
crew of HMJS Cornwall for their assistance and hospitality today, as well as
the crew on Southern Cross who did a great job of holding position as the
windward mark while the yachts passed within feet of them.²
During the short stopover in Jamaica the country¹s Tourism Minister, the
Honourable Edmund Bartlett MP, visited the fleet in the Errol Flynn Marina,
to welcome the crews to Port Antonio. During the prizegiving ceremony he
said, ³Clipper is for us the latest of the great adventures of the seas that
have found Jamaica an exciting place. So I want to welcome you to a proud
country, a proud land that has a beautiful history with wonderful people. We
have been blessed with geophysical features that are unique in these parts.
You are in a country that has learned how to do things well and one of the
things we do best is to welcome visitors and to make them feel irie. Now we
want to tell you that the yacht that bears the name of Jamaica is going to
leave Port Antonio to New York and I will be there to see when it wins on
that leg! So I congratulate the team that came in first to Port Antonio and
I say to you, watch the Jamaica boys, they are at home now!²
Jamaica¹s skipper, Simon Bradley, said, ³No pressure then! We look forward
to seeing the Minister again and hopefully it¹ll be the right result. We¹ll
do everything we can to do it as we have done in every single race we¹ll
just have to work even harder.²
Of the crews¹ time in Jamaica Simon said, ³This has been absolutely
fantastic, absolutely brilliant, the best stopover in the race so far and
the only one that will come close will be Cork, but it¹ll still be second to
Jamaica. It¹s a shame we¹re not here longer. The Jamaica Tourist Board has
been absolutely wonderful and all the Jamaican people have been absolutely
fantastic.²
The fleet is due to arrive in New York on 1 June.
With 72 points, Hull & Humber currently leads the overall standings in the
Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race, three and a half points ahead of
New York, with Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper in third place on 63
points. Nova Scotia is currently eighth overall. Four races remain in the
14-race series, which will finish on 5 July in Liverpool, the European
Capital of Culture 2008.
Berths are now available for the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race.
For more information on applying to become a crew member email
[email protected] call the Crew Recruitment Manager on +44
(0) 2392 526000. The Clipper Race is open to anyone over the age of 18 and
there is no upper age limit.
