6:19 PM Wed 24 Mar 2010 GMT
As of 0600 GMT this morning Hull & Humber and Spirit of Australia were just 15 miles from their rendezvous with California in order to offer assistance to the recently dismasted team. Having experienced racing into his home port on board Spirit of Australia, skipper Brendan Hall's thoughts were understandably with the skipper and crew.
'We are all gutted for our friends on board,' he says. 'This is not the way we want to see them going into their home port. They have shown themselves to be resilient and tough, with a canny and resourceful skipper in Pete Rollason, so we have no doubt that they will make the best of this change in circumstances. No matter when they arrive, they will be given a hero's welcome.'
Uniquely Singapore has already caught up with the US entry and the crew have begun the task of transferring fuel. The plan is to use several of the Clipper 68s as refuelling vessels for California to ensure they have enough to get them to San Francisco safely, more than 1,800 miles away.
'Pete and the crew all seem in good spirits and were in the process of setting up a jury rig to get some sail assistance to get across to San Francisco.,' says Uniquely Singapore's skipper Jim Dobie. 'Meanwhile we have finished up most of our own repairs, the most important one being our steering. The wave managed to bend a steering shaft and we have had to wedge a bolt in place with a lot of washers. The heavies got onto adjusting the frame with Steve, Jeff and Ahmed using man power and a bit of winch power.'
California will have to wait until San Francisco before work on the mast can be affected. A replacement spar has been sourced and the Clipper Race team is working round the clock to get the mast and associated rigging to San Francisco as quickly as possible and it is expected to start its journey towards the end of next week. Given the recent events with both California and Team Finland the start date of Race 8 is currently under review and the team's progress across the Pacific will be carefully monitored.
Meanwhile out on the water and 400 miles ahead of the rest of the fleet, the team on board Cape Breton Island is enjoying the break in conditions before the next patch of heavy weather moves across.
Skipper Jan Ridd, says, 'We have a stiff northerly breeze just behind the beam pushing us along comfortably towards San Francisco, with the on watch crew enjoying some good surfs in a gentle rolling sea. Although still very cold, we have even had some sunshine!
'Today we were sent some new synoptic weather files which show some serious weather systems developing. We are all eagerly awaiting the latest GRIB files due to be sent to us this evening so we can see if we are going to have to endure another storm.'
After difficulties with their communications gear in the past few days following the heavy weather, Qingdao are back incommunicado and skipper Chris Stanmore-Major was keen to share his team's experience of the storm.
Chris says, 'Before the wind had even done up the belt on its fighting trousers the Dragon crew had made a plan and battened down the hatches using the wisdom of the sea passed down over generations. Often in racing it is the fastest, lightest most up to date and tricked out boat that gets ahead, but when the barometer starts to fall it is experience and age-old best practice that wins through.
'All crew wore two safety lanyards and these were constantly re-positioned to prohibit anyone being able to get through the guard wires should they be swept along the deck by a wave. Our average speed was ten knots throughout and we recorded a new highest speed of 28.2 knots although I suspect the initial burst may have been higher.
'All in all we faired very well. I'd say in our tussle with the North Pacific in winter, the first round goes to the Dragon however we shall keep a weather eye and when she wants to start round two we'll be ready.'
Edinburgh Inspiring Capital also survived the last storm unscathed - the team doing its utmost to preserve the damaged rig and avoid the same fate as California.
'With perfectly balanced sails the big purple beastie dances across the waves at a steady nine knots,' says skipper Matt Pike. 'The course is set to take us south again away from the approaching strong winds.
'Below the deck the dancing continues with people clinging to the hand holds in the crowded space. A small nod and you let go reaching out for the next grab handle, passing close, taking the hand hold you have just left and freeing up the one you need next. Choreographed by the ships motion and as elegant as any ballet we glide around our boat! Unless of course you're carrying a bowl of food in which case you slide and stumble looking for a perch. If you are lucky it works, if not you end up flat on your back and your supper over somebody else!'
After a brief pit stop at Yokohama's Bayside Marina, Team Finland is back on their way towards San Francisco. The team at Bayside Marina are old friends of Clipper and several of the previous races have included a stop at their magnificent facility. The yachts water maker was fitted with a brand new membrane in Qingdao but it has failed to function properly despite the best efforts of those on board who have been in direct discussion with the manufacturers.
The pit stop involved filling both the diesel and water tanks to the brim and in addition, they have taken on board several jerry cans of back up fuel and water that will cover the transit to San Francisco. These were already waiting on the pontoon when the team arrived and the pit stop was efficiently handled. The spirit on board the yacht is good and the team are looking forward to the start line of Race 8.
Skipper Rob McInally, who celebrates his 38th birthday today, says, 'We are in 35 knots of wind coming from the east going north or south with big cliff back waves and not too much canvas. We are awaiting the wind to go behind so we can make our way east. A day of little gain but the chilli for dinner was great and they made me a cake too which was lovely.'
Still in Japan but well on the road to recovery is Hull & Humber skipper Piers Dudin. Both operations to pin his fractured leg have gone well and the skipper is hoping to fly back to the UK on Saturday to begin a course of physiotherapy. Piers is hopeful to rejoin the boat before the end of the race, but in the meantime a cover skipper will take over in San Francisco allowing current caretaker Brendan Hall to return to Spirit of Australia.
Positions at 0900 UTC, Tuesday 24 March
Boat DTF* DTL*
1 Cape Breton Island 1382nm
2 Qingdao 1783nm 402nm
3 California 1881nm 500nm
4 Jamaica Lightning Bolt 1883nm 501nm
5 Uniquely Singapore 1884nm 502nm
6 Hull & Humber 1888nm 506nm
7 Spirit of Australia 1890nm 508nm
8 Edinburgh Inspiring Capital 2108nm 727nm
9 Team Finland 4382nm 3000nm
10 Cork Did not start
*DTF = Distance to Finish, *DTL = Distance to Leader)
Full positions are updated every three hours and can be found at
www.clipperroundtheworld.com
.
by Zoe Williamson
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Macquarie Island, TAS
Windsurfing - Sails
Foiling - Foils Complete
Stand Up Paddle - Wave & Cruising Boards
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