4 Aug 2016
Race 14: Den Helder, the Netherlands to London, UK
Believe it or not, the shortest race of the Clipper 2015-16 Race also took the longest to plan. It was always going to be a tricky affair to plan a…
2 Aug 2016
Race 13: Derry-Londonderry, Northern Ireland to Den Helder, the Netherlands
The start at Greencastle at the head of Lough Foyle was the culmination of a wonderful stopover and the Festival of Sunniva. The wind was coming from the south-west which meant the fleet would cross the line from north to south and race back into Lough Foyle, before reaching the turning mark and racing back out into the Atlantic. An issue…
16 Jul 2016
Race 12: New York, USA to Derry-Londonderry, Northern Ireland
The chance to parade past the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbour on a yacht is probably a once in a lifetime opportunity for most people, and the Clipper…
1 Jul 2016
Race 11: Panama to New York, USA
The Panama Canal is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the Clipper Race. I have transited it twice in my career and both times it was stunningly awesome. Its combination of carved out canal and inter-connecting lakes is astonishing. After the fleet had regrouped on the Caribbean side of the canal it got under way again using a Le Mans start. The…
17 Jun 2016
Race 10: Seattle, USA to Panama
After a fantastic stopover in Seattle the yachts motor-sailed north up the glorious Puget Sound to where the Le Mans start would be conducted. The start was delayed to allow…
6 Jun 2016
Race 9: Qingdao, China to Seattle, USA
The start was an eagerly contested affair around a tight inshore course adjacent to the Olympic Sailing City Qingdao, however it was unfortunately punctuated by fog so for this reason…
20 Mar 2016
Race 8: Da Nang, Vietnam to Qingdao, China
At the crew briefing, I billed this race as a boat and crew breaker and if that was what the skippers and crew were expecting then they weren’t disappointed. The…
22 Feb 2016
Race 7: Airlie Beach, Whitsundays to Da Nang, Vietnam
Abell Point Marina is located inside the Great Barrier Reef, so I opted to have the fleet motor-sail through the Hydrographer’s Passage which passes through the reef and out into the Coral Sea. This gave the crews a chance to take in this wonderful part of the world at a leisurely pace. Once into the Coral Sea the fleet performed…
15 Jan 2016
Race 6: Hobart to Airlie Beach, the Whitsundays
The Race Start was conducted by officials from the Royal Tasmanian Yacht Club, the finishing partners to the CYCA for the Sydney to Hobart Race. From my vantage point in…