The crew of Cape Breton Island were among the first sailors to begin a tradition of saluting a bust of South Africa’s most famous yachtsman, Bertie Reed, as they passed by on the way out of the harbour at the V&A Waterfront. The statue was unveiled at a pre-departure ceremony in Cape Town this morning and the Canadian team paid their respects to the celebrated sailor.
Cape Breton Island is lying seventh overall in Clipper 09-10 and skipper, Jan Ridd, knows he and his crew have some work to do to bring themselves back into contention for the Clipper Trophy. Before he left the marina a confident Jan explained how he is hoping to play this next Leg.
He said, “The last race was fabulous - we just got unlucky with the weather. We got ourselves into a wind hole and got one system behind the rest of the fleet. The tactics for this one is to stay with the fleet. We’re not going to get parted from them, we’re not going to do any flyers, we’re going to stay in the middle of the fleet and stay with everyone else – and that’s our plan. We’re definitely looking for a podium – we need it. We’re looking for first place.
“The crew are feeling good, they’re feeling positive. We know that we can sail the big blue canoe faster than anyone else. In the last race when we actually got the weather we were pulling ten miles over the fleet every six hours, so put us on the same playing field and we will beat them!”
Round the world crew member, Elisa Jenkins, a physiotherapist from Sydney, Cape Breton Island, said at the end of Leg 2 that, despite the large waves and strong winds, she hadn’t been scared yet. So will this be the race to do it? “I’ll let you know in Australia!” she laughed. “This leg is known for having a lot bigger seas than the previous two legs so I’m really looking forward it – it should be some thrilling sailing. And to arrive in Australia, the place I first really learned to sail, it’s going to be a big moment for me as well.”
Elisa is using her experience to help raise money for Cape Breton Cancer Centre and hopes to raise $35,000 towards the expansion project. “I’m just amazed at all the support everyone back home has been giving and thank you to everyone for all of your messages and your support for our Mile for Mile campaign,” she said.
Out on the water as a South African Navy minesweeper fired the gun to signal the start of one of the toughest stages of Clipper 09-10, a race that will take the crews down into the howling wind and remote expanse of the Southern Ocean, California got off to a another cracking start in the stiff south easterly breeze in Table Bay. The team endorsed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was first across the line to massive cheers from the crew on board.
California was followed by Spirit of Australia, looking for a win on this race to their home port, and Team Finland. The skippers of both California and Team Finland live in Cape Town and they may have been able to call on a little local knowledge to press home their advantage as they led the fleet back into the South Atlantic. As they sailed into the lee of Table Mountain, which looked magnificent in the South African sunshine, the winds dropped slightly.
The Clipper Race is hard fought and, as in any sport, the adrenaline is pumping for the crews on the start line.
Race Chairman, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, was watching the action on the water and said, “This is a closely contested race and this kind of thing happens in fiercely competitive racing. The race is underway – eight boats are racing off towards Geraldton in Western Australia. For the two damaged boats, repairs will be effected as speedily as possible so they can catch up.”
The Clipper maintenance team, headed up by Justin Haller, has already begun assessing the damage and is in contact with local marine surveyors who will be called in to assist. Both yachts have been taken from the V&A Waterfront to Royal Cape Yacht Club for the work to be carried out.
Hearing of the incident, the Irish Ambassador to South Africa, who was in Cape Town today, has stayed in the city to support the team and is commiserating with them at the yacht club.
Cape Town has proved a huge hit with the crews who have enjoyed climbing Table Mountain – and abseiling down its sheer granite rock face – visiting Robben Island, the gardens at Kirstenbosch. And a few even had the chance to take an exclusive, behind the scenes tour of the brand new Cape Town Stadium which is being built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
As much as they love visiting the stopover cities and countries, the crews are here to race and this morning they were anxious to get back out on the water. As the eight teams who crossed the start line headed back out into the South Atlantic, the current overall race leader Team Finland was just ahead of California. Spirit of Australia was just behind them in third place, followed by the eagle-emblazoned Cape Breton Island, Uniquely Singapore and Qingdao. Jamaica Lightning Bolt and Edinburgh Inspiring Capital were not far behind.
The teams will round the Cape of Good Hope before heading down into the treacherous waters of the Southern Ocean where the first three boats to reach the scoring gate can gain some precious extra points. The fleet is expected to arrive in Geraldton-Greenough, Western Australia, between 14 and 18 December.
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