Crew Diary Contest winner revealed

Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote for their favourite Crew Diary from the Clipper 2013-14 Race. Regardless of the result, it is certainly clear that the Crew Diaries were very well loved and appreciated by those back on shore.
 
There could be only one winner however. Old Pulteney round the world crew member Paul Bartlett received by far the most votes for his diary from the middle of the Atlantic, during Race 14 from New York to Derry Londonderry.

In his diary, Paul drew similarities between his Clipper Race experience and the great adventurer Ernest Shackleton’s 1915 newspaper advert in The Times, asking for crew to join his Endurance Antarctic expedition. Almost a hundred years later, it is clear that challenging conditions, the freedom of the planet and the voyage of the unknown add up to an opportunity that many modern day adventurers crave.

Many already know the story but the Clipper Race came about in similar cirumstances. During a mountain climbing trip with Chris Bonington in the early 1990’s, Sir Robin first thought up the Clipper Race idea after realising that unlike expeditions for non-climbers to trek Everest, there was no similar opportunity for amateur sailors to circumnavigate. Like Shackleton, Sir Robin placed an ad in the Times for crew to circumnavigate the world, to gauge interest levels. He received over 8,000 replies and the idea quickly became a reality. The first Clipper Race took place in 1996 and next year’s Clipper 2015-16 Race will be the 10^th anniversary edition.

Looking back on his winning Crew Diary entry, Paul Bartlett said: “I was aware of the Shackleton advert and as we were sailing in the area where the Titanic went down I thought it would make a good contrast to then and now and highlight the Clipper spirit.

“I found it challenging to write the Crew Diaries. Part of going to sea for long periods for me was to get away from computers and social media but I soon found that my family and friends all read the diaries and were awaiting updates of the background to what was happening on board. So I had to find time, even during challenging sailing conditions, to write them and keep "my public" happy.”

Paul wins a limited edition cemmemorative Clipper Race bottle of Old Pulteney, signed by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. 

Commenting on the prize, Paul said: “The Old Pulteney bottle will be very welcome as an extra incentive for my friends and family to sit down and view my thousands of photos and listen to my seafaring yarns of when I sailed around the world. The perfect excuse to drink a glass of the maritime malt.”

To read Paul Bartlett’s winning Crew Diary, CLICK HERE. 

To find out more or to purchase your own limited edition cemmemorative Clipper Race Old Pulteney bottle, visit www.oldpulteney.com