I am no Jules Verne but this is an account of my adventure as
I travel 40,000 miles around the world as a participant in the Clipper 15-16
Round the World Race. This entry is
going to be very factual so that everyone can get up to date with what I am
about to do and can follow my progress as I circumnavigate the world. Feel free to ignore it and move onto the
experiential part of the blog – no one’s watching.
In the words of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, ’The
Clipper Race has changed immeasurably but its core values remain. It is still a truly unique yacht race, open
to anyone no matter how experienced or inexperienced, no matter how old, no
matter what background. The beauty of
the ocean is that it doesn’t care if you are a seasoned ocean racer or a nurse
on your first crossing; it still serves up the same challenges at the same
intensity. People take on the Clipper
Race because they have a desire that sets them apart. They want to live life to the full.
The easy
choices in life often offer no pleasure; it is the hard and difficult
challenges that bring the satisfaction of real achievement. I remember my first
circumnavigation, the challenges I faced in 1968 to raise the money I needed to
get my campaign up and running. The
sacrifices I had to make, that my family had to make. My dream was always to make the globe’s
oceans more accessible and to give people the opportunity to do what I had
done, with far less of a sacrifice but with the same weather – gales, the
Doldrums, trade winds, freezing cold and blistering heat. You will be tested, pushed, challenged and
ultimately inspired.
My
challenge to you is simple – dare to dream – because something as huge as this
starts with just that. If you follow
that dream, who knows where you will end up.
I promise you one thing, you will enjoy the journey.’
What is the Clipper 15-16 race all about you might well ask? This is a bi-annual race that was first
launched back in 1996, this one being the tenth. The boats are a matched fleet of 70 ft ocean
going vessels that have been specially designed to circumnavigate the world
with an amateur crew. The course takes
the boats more than 40,000 nautical miles right around the world, from west to
east, and crew can either sign up for the complete circumnavigation or for one
or more of the eight individual legs (see map below). This is a serious race and points are scored
in a similar way to F1; 12 points for first, 11 for second, etc, with extra
points for reaching a gate first, but also points deducted for, for example,
rule infringements and equipment damage.
The skipper is a professional sailor and is responsible for
guiding his/her amateur crew through the vagaries of the weather and sea
states, and safely back to England. Ages
vary from 18 to 70+ years with a mix of men and women from all walks of
life. Amazingly, approximately 40% of
those who sign up have never sailed before.
Now that needs courage!! If you
want to find out more please follow the following links:
www.clipperroundtheworld.com –
features a race tracker, with latest positions, news, videos and diaries from
the boats.
facebook: /clipperroundtheworld - keep posted with the latest
news, positions and competitions
twitter: @clipperrace –
keep posted with the latest news, positions and competitions
YouTube: /clipperrtw –
watch the latest video footage from the boats and see what life is like onboard
The Race
Course
As of yet not all the ports have been confirmed and neither
the dates of departure for each race.
These will be distributed once I know so if anyone fancies a trip
somewhere exotic they will have as much time as possible to book flights etc. Though be warned, sometimes delays mean that
arrival times in ports are much later than expected.
Leg 1 –
UK to Brazil, Rio de Janeiro
30th August – Sept/Oct 2015
Race 1 - Departing from Southern UK on
the 30th August 2015. The
exact location has yet to be announced but I will let everyone know where it
will be as it would be great to see as many people as possible as I start the
race.
5,200 miles
26 – 30 days
Conditions will be very varied starting with some very strong
tides and currents in the Channel. We
then move into the Trade winds and Doldrums where we will experience wind holes
and squalls. Big decision, do we go
around the Canaries, east or west, or straight through the middle? Then it’s across the Equator and into Rio de
Janeiro.
7th October – late October 2015
Race 2 – Leaving on the 7th
October for Cape Town, South Africa.
3,400 miles
15 – 18 days
This will be a mad dash across the Southern Atlantic using the
Trade Winds where the boats will be surfing at 30 knots and beyond. It is a hard race and care will need to be
taken to preserve equipment. This is
where the Albatross will be first seen (not to be shot!), whales are a common
sight and the Southern Cross will be above our heads.
Leg 3 –
Cape Town to SW Australia, Albany
Race 3 – This is the ‘Southern Ocean
Sleigh Ride’ as the boats cross an ocean with 80-foot high waves at close to 30
knots with nothing for thousands of miles except the boat, the crew and me.
4,750 miles
22 – 26 days
After passing the Cape of Good Hope the route will take us
south across the Indian Ocean, and into the Roaring Forties and the Southern
Ocean which provides some of the most extreme sailing in the world. Strong winds, huge waves, driving rain, thick
cloud cover and some very cold temperatures as winds blow up from the ice of Antarctica. Safety and equipment preservation will be the
key to doing well in this race. We then
sail south of Cape Leewin off the southwest tip of Australia and into Albany,
Western Australia, where a wonderful Aussie welcome awaits our arrival.
Leg 4 –
Albany to Whitsundays, Australia – this leg is comprised of three
separate races
1st December 2015 – January 2016
Race 4 – Albany to Sydney leaving
Albany on 1st December 2015.
2100 miles
10 – 13 days
Back into the Southern Ocean where conditions will be hard
with huge swells, depressions and westerlies, and although a southern
hemisphere spring the temperatures will be cold. The route takes us across the Great
Australian Bight where there are lots of challenging wind holes, to the south
of Tasmania, across the Bass Strait and north into Sydney.
We will have approximately two weeks in Sydney during which
time the boats will be lifted from the water for antifouling. We will be doing it ourselves but have been
promised all the equipment and gear – Thanks!
I have an aunt and cousins who live up in the Blue Mountains west of
Sydney and I am hoping for a chance to visit them. Christmas is in Sydney but leaving for
Tasmania on Boxing Day.
Race 5 – Sydney-Hobart departing 26th
December 2015
3 – 4 days
This iconic race will be one of the
highlights of the trip as
we leave Sydney
Harbour on Boxing Day and head south for
Hobart where we spend
New Year.
Before crossing the Bass
Strait, again, it
is going to be important that we get a
good start with clean
air as we come out of
Sydney Heads.
Race 6 – Hobart – Whitsundays, leaving
Hobart on 2nd January 2016 and arriving in The Whitsundays on around
12-13th January.
8 – 11 days
We cross the Bass Strait for the third time as we head north
to the Whitsundays on the east coast of Queensland. Conditions will still be tough as we get to
ride the ocean swells so popular with the surfers on the east coast. But, a Great Barrier Reef paradise will be
waiting for us at the other end so hopefully it will all be worth it.
Leg 5 –
Whitsundays to Quingdao, China – this long leg is comprised of
2 races which take us from south to north as we cross the equator, experience
the tropics of the Indonesian islands, the South China Sea and finally the welcome
in the Olympic city of Quingdao.
January – February 2016
Race 7 – Whitsundays – SE Asia. The port in SE Asia has yet to be confirmed
but I will let you know once I find out.
4,500 miles
28 – 32 days
This race will start with a tough beat north as we head
towards the islands of Indonesia passing Papua New Guinea and Borneo. The tropical temperatures will be high as we
contend with the Doldrums and then the north east monsoons of the South China
Sea.
Race 8 – SE Asia – Quingdao,
China.
1800 miles
12 – 16 days
This will be a race with strong upwind conditions and
temperatures getting colder, with snow and ice, as we head towards Quingdao. The welcome in Quingdao is reportedly one of
the best so something to look forward to after a long hard slog north.
Leg 6 –
Quingdao to West Coast USA (any one of three locations)
February – April 2016
5700 miles
26 – 30 days
“After more than a month at sea, crossing the International
Date Line and winds gusting above 50 knots, the American coastline may be the
sweetest sight you have ever seen.”
Leg 7 –
West Coast USA to Panama to East Coast USA (any one of five locations)
April – May 2016
Race 10 – West Coast – Panama
3300 miles
21 – 25 days
Back south to warmer climes with important tactical decisions
– offshore or stay inshore. The winds
get fluky the closer to land you sail, but further offshore the currents can’t
help but a more consistent wind can. Decisions!
Panama Canal Transit – one of the engineering wonders of
the
world
45 miles
12 hours
Race 11 – Panama – East Coast (any one
of five locations)
2100 miles (approx)
13 – 15 days
Sailing north through the Caribbean, unfortunately
missing the
GP14 Worlds in Barbados in March, and out
into the Atlantic. Heat, trade winds, squalls,
thunderstorms,
all out to challenge as we head towards
the East Coast USA.
Leg 8 –
East Coast USA to Derry/Londonderry to Europe to Southern UK
June – July 2016
Race 12 – East USA – Derry/Londonderry
13 – 17 days
The last ocean crossing with one waypoint to keep us well
south of any risk of ice, and across the Flemish Cap of ‘The Perfect Storm’
fame.
Race 13 – Derry/Londonderry – Europe
(port not confirmed)
800 miles
4 – 5 days
Round the north of Scotland this race will be heavily
influenced by the depressions that cross the Atlantic much further north in the
summer – it will be testing, either because of strong winds or because the
winds are light and variable. We will be
frustratingly close to home but with still one race to sail.
Race 14 – Europe – Southern UK
250 miles
2 days
The last ‘blast’ as we take the final race back to the
UK. The overall winner will be confirmed
and after final farewells to crew members that have become firm friends it will
be back to reality as we all try and pick up the pieces that were left behind
11 months ago. And it will be a
challenge!
What an awesome year you are going to have. Can't wait to hear how it goes!
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