Clipper Ventures 10 starts Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

Clipper Ventures 10 has started Australian classic offshore the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Australia in a warm, 15 knot plus breeze.

The international crew of the Australia-based Clipper Events yacht said it was an exhilarating start amongst the 116 other competitors on Sydney Harbour.

The iconic race started at 1300 AEST/0200 GMT, a year on from when the entire Clipper Round the World fleet competed as part of its circumnavigation.

The race started with south easterly wind and the fleet broad reaching, before hardening up to come out of Sydney Heads and go into choppy seas and beat into a southerly breeze of 20 to 28 knots.

Clipper Ventures 10 is sailing with second reef, staysail and Yankee 3.

Skipper Piers Dudin, who skippered in the the Clipper 09-10 and 11-12 Races, said the 70th anniversary course on board the Clipper 68 started on a very congested line 2 with a lot of yelling between boats.

"It started off as a really beautiful morning, the wind really picked up at about 11am as the forecast predicted. It was great to get a clean start and we are in a good position. The Clipper 68s are not as manoeuvrable as the smaller lighter boats so we have to be very careful not to get caught.

"We are heading offshore to find the Australian East current then we will tack back."

Clipper 13-14 Race Italian crew member Andrea Sangiorgi said the start was even better than he thought it would be.

"We worked very hard on the start line, there was a lot of manoeuvring with so many boats around us. Our skipper was really great to navigate through all the other boats before the start line. It was amazing to see all the helicopters in the sky and the spectator boats.

"What a unique experience. Great start, the wind is perfect and the crew performed as expected."

Australian Katherine Camilleri, who competed in the Clipper 13-14 Race, is racing her fourth RSHYR. She said the start was as exhilarating as it is always.

"There is amazing adrenaline with the closeness of the boats at the start line."

The team did seven days of offshore training last week. Piers said it had gone really well with a mixed range of conditions like the race throws up.

"I have deliberately mixed around the watches so everyone gets to know everyone. We have a fair spread of experience with Clipper Race crew members from the 09-10, 11-12 and 13-14 editions and some future 2015-16 members. We also have a mixed range of nationalities which adds a nice flavour.”

The Clipper Ventures Australia base is open for training and events, and in the Clipper 2015-16 Race the round the world fleet will once again compete in the RSHYR during Leg 4 as part of the 40,000 mile circumnavigation.

Click here to sign up online or contact the Clipper Race UK base: +44 (0) 2392 526000 / Clipper Race Australia base: +61 (0) 29363 2020.

To watch a review of last year's Clipper 70 fleet in the Sydney Hobart, click here.

We will be posting blogs and pictures from Clipper Ventures 10 on our site daily here and on our Twitter and Facebook feeds.

To track the boat, you can use the official RSHYR race viewer.