* www.jamaicaclipper.com * Jamaica Clipper - Licenced to thrill!

JAMAICA 4th to arrive in Madeira

2008-08-19T17:38:00.004+01:00

As readers of this web site will know, JAMAICA, is currently competing in the RORC Cowes to Madeira Race. At 13:00 today she has approximately 15 miles to go to the finish line at the end of the first leg.

Skipper Simon Bradley, this time assisted by a first and second mate along with a crew of non-professional sailors, crossed the start line at the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes on Monday 11 August, sailing straight into a howling gale which battered the 11-strong fleet and forced six of the boats into port to repair damage and sit out the worst of the weather.

JAMAICA, used to the rigours of ocean racing, even if her crew succumbed to sea sickness for the first few days, pressed on, and will be the fourth boat to arrive in Madeira, off the west coast of Africa, this afternoon.

British Soldier arrived just before 8am today to join Norddeutsche Vermoegen and Pen Azen who are already in port. As the yachts are racing in different classes the timings must be adjusted according to each yacht’s handicap before the winner of the leg is announced. Puma Logic, the fifth yacht still racing, is approximately 20 nautical miles behind JAMAICA and also expected this afternoon.

The yachts must set off on the return leg before 26 August. They will inform the Race Director 24 hours before they decide to set off.

Following the gruelling upwind sailing at the beginning of the leg, the crew of JAMAICA have enjoyed some champagne sailing conditions.

Skipper Simon Bradley sent this report:

Sunday 17th August 2008

We’re currently under lightweight spinnaker in 5.9 knots of true wind from the northwest making a boat speed of 4.6 knots - not bad for a 32 tonne yacht. Our course is also still good for Madeira, which is always a bonus in these conditions.

The sun is hot and the sky is a lovely blue with small, fluffy white clouds dotted across the horizon. All very nice and the crew have welcomed the change from beating into strong winds and big seas.

However, the down side is that our ETA into Madeira has changed quite dramatically, this time yesterday we were making 10 knots of boat speed and the prospect of cold beers and showers (normally taken in that order) on Monday night/Tuesday morning has changed to later in the week… but this is the nature of sailing, particularly racing when you are not allowed to harness the power of the 130hp diesel engine that is sitting quietly in the engine compartment waiting to be fired into life.

Sailing a yacht in light airs is where a sailor’s skill really comes into play. High levels of concentration are required by the trimmers and driver, good communication with each other is essential as they try to maximise every breath of wind and swell from the waves.

Drinking plenty of fluids and wearing sunscreen and a hat is very important because it doesn’t take long to get dehydrated or sun burnt in these conditions, especially when you’ve just sailed south from the height of a British summer!

Well done Simon and the crew of JAMAICA for such a magnificent result. Enjoy your well deserved beers ....... showers are over-rated!

With JAMAICA racing again Simon reflects on 07/08

2008-08-12T14:34:00.003+01:00

As we confirmed in these pages last week, just five weeks after returning the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Race JAMAICA is racing once again with skipper Simon Bradley at the helm, assisted by first mate Juan Coetzer, one of the Clipper Training skippers, and a crew of non-professional sailors on board. The 68-foot ocean racing yacht is competing in the Cowes to Madeira Yacht Race organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club.

The race began on Monday morning (11 August) on the historic Royal Yacht Squadron Line at Cowes and it is expected that the fleet will take approximately ten days to reach the sun soaked Atlantic island of Madeira.

Entries have come from all over Europe and there is a wide variety of yachts competing in three classes. The smallest yacht in the fleet is Matthias Kracht’s JPK 9.6 Ultreia!

The weather forecast predicts a stiff southwesterly breeze for the start of the race with the chance of the wind direction backing to the north. If this is the case it could be a spectacular sleigh ride in the Atlantic and the variety of conditions should make this an exciting race.

Simon Bradley is one of an elite group of yachtsmen and women who have not only circumnavigated the globe under sail but has done it twice – once as a watch leader on Bristol Clipper in the Times 2000 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and again as skipper of JAMAICA in Clipper 07-08.

The search is on for the ten skippers who will lead the crews in the Clipper 09-10 Race when it sets sail from the Humber on 13 September 2009. So what does it take to lead a team of non-professional sailors on a 35,000-mile race? Simon reflects on his experiences as a Clipper Race skipper.

Why did you apply to be a skipper in the Clipper 07-08 Race?

I’ve been involved with Clipper Ventures since 1999 when I applied to be a crewmember in the Times 2000 Clipper Race. After completing the race as a round the worlder on Bristol Clipper I decided to try my hand at professional sailing. I already had my RYA Yachtmaster Offshore ticket, so getting my Instructor qualification was the step I decided to take next. After successfully doing this I started life as a sailing instructor which, after time, took me back to Clipper running Part A training for the Clipper 05-06 Race on the Clipper 60s. This led to involvement with the Clipper 68s and then one morning I decided that applying to be a Skipper in the Clipper 07-08 Race should be the next thing to do.

Looking back what was your biggest achievement?

Helping my crew to become safe, competent and knowledgeable sailors, seeing complete novices turn into ocean racers was fantastic. I’m also very pleased to have become a double circumnavigator

What did you find the most challenging?

Managing the crew; creating and running a team that could function under any conditions, good or bad. The ethos on JAMAICA was that everyone would do everything, we would only specialise at race starts or if it became a matter of safety. This brought huge benefits but also some massive challenges as well.

From a skipper’s perspective what do you think the crews get out of the experience?

They learn about themselves and about sailing; it makes them start to think beyond their normal horizons. They begin to realise that a positive ‘can do’ attitude will allow them to change and shape their own lives. They also learn how to cook dinner and make tea and coffee for 18 people (well, some of them did).

What has it changed about you?

Lost about 20lbs in weight and have long hair (possibly not for much longer). I also realise that there is a lot more sailing that I want to do.

What is the biggest lesson you have learned from taking part?

We didn’t get the race results that we so desperately wanted and we never stood on the podium. But success can be measured in different ways. We had a very strong team that stayed together throughout the race. We had highs and lows for sure but at the end of it all we were very proud to be the crew of JAMAICA. A large compliment to the whole team was that several crew members from other yachts let it be known that they would like to be on board JAMAICA even if we were in tenth place!

So, ‘Never Give Up’ on anything that you really want to happen or achieve… and of course ‘Don’t worry about a thing’.

What was your favourite moment on the race?

Hard to say, there were so many great moments - being closely followed by two Orca ‘Killer’ whales in the Southern Ocean, watching the albatross gliding effortlessly around the yacht, or seeing ‘Son of Krakatoa’ erupting as we sailed through the Sunda Strait. (The Guinness and Murphy’s in Cork were also very special.)

But sharing the whole experience of the race with my crew has to be the one for me.

What was your least favourite moment?

The times when I was exhausted both mentally and physically but luckily I’ve got youth on my side so recovery was never far away!

How do you think being a Clipper skipper and working for Sir Robin will enhance your career?

It can only be good. This is the only race of its kind. Any circumnavigation is a huge undertaking but racing round the world with a crew of ‘amateur’ sailors is a little different, it brings some quite unique challenges and rewards. Working for Sir Robin is a real privilege and one that I am very proud of. Now all I have to do is get a job!

What are your plans since finishing the Clipper Race? Have they changed from what you were planning going into the race?

I’m racing JAMAICA from Cowes to Madeira and back in the next few weeks. After that I plan to have a rest… and then go sailing again.

Now you have completed the race what would you say are the necessary personality and people skills anyone applying to be a race skipper should have?

Be yourself, be strong and positive, and commit totally to the race and your crew. But most of all you have to understand how to get the best out of people (including yourself), particularly when the going gets tough, because it will.

If you had one word of advice to pass on to future Clipper Race skippers what would that be?

It has to be, ‘Enjoy it’ (that’s two words, sorry, if you say it quickly it sounds like one word). Life is too short not to enjoy something like this. It’s a great adventure and a very special opportunity, so do your best and enjoy it!

Our thanks to Simon for his reflections on our magnificent adventure and good luck to him and his new crew in the race. For updates on their progress keep referring to jamaicaclipper.com over the next few days.

We have just heard from Simon from on board JAMAICA. He has said that they currently have 35 knots on the nose, she is bouncing about a bit at the moment and they have plenty on their hands, thus has excused himself from sending a report at the moment.

As a member of the 07/08 crew, I can't see what the problem is!

What now for JAMAICA?

2008-08-01T13:35:00.004+01:00

You'd have thought that, having travelled 35,000 miles, the good ship JAMAICA would take a well earned rest.

Not a bit of it!

The old girl has got a new lease of live and will shortly renew her love affair with RTW Skipper Simon Bradley.

JAMAICA will be off on another offshore race, the RORC Madeira Race, in which she is expected to be the largest of the 20 yachts competing in the 2,600 nautical mile race from Cowes. The route will take them across the English Channel, past the Channel Islands, along the stunning west coast of France, through the unpredictable and challenging conditions of the Bay of Biscay on towards the island of Madeira off the west coast of Africa. After a short stopover for victualling and crew changes they will race back to Cowes.

Double circumnavigator Simon will skipper the entry, assisted by Clipper Training skippers Jan Ridd and Juan Coezer.

Making his final preparations for the trip Simon sent this exclusive message, via jamaicaclipper.com to the whole crew of the 07/08 race :

"Please can you pass on to the entire crew that I've had very good feedback on the excellent condition of the yacht since coming back from a RTW race from Jan Ridd (Training Skipper whose taken over JAMAICA in my absence), Jay and the Maintenance team and John Farndell (Fleet Manager). It's a compliment to you all on how the yacht was looked after and ultimately left in Liverpool."

Great praise indeed. Simon will be posting regular articles from on board JAMAICA so watch out for news of the RORC Madeira race on this site!

The end of a magnificent journey

2008-07-07T07:58:00.006+01:00

And so we sailed into The Albert Dock on Saturday 5th July 2008 at the end of our great voyage to a fabulous welcome from some 60,000 people at the Liverpool waterfront.

Sailing into the Mersey was simply spectacular and brought a huge lump to the throat as we saw so many former crew members, family and friends together with many, many people who had come along to witness the spectacular sight.

Some of the crew now join an elite and rare group of people who have sailed all the way around the World - 35,000 miles. There are more people who have climbed Everest than there are circumnavigators. We are proud of our Round the Worlders : John Braithwaite, Ralph Grant, Claire Maloney, Chris Parkinson and Bernard Tissier and they should be really proud of their magnificent achievement.

For skipper Simon Bradley this is the second time he has circumnavigated the globe; Simon was a crew member on the Times 2000 Clipper race and it was that that gave him the bug to become a professional sailor.

The JAMAICA crew was lauded by both the Clipper Management team but, more importantly, the skippers and crew members of the other 9 Clippers, as the most inclusive team, the team which most noticeably embraced this magnificent journey. That is a true acolade and to get such recognition from our adversaries & colleagues is a credit to us all.

But team JAMAICA has not just been about the 40 people who have sailed her around the World. It is about the JAMAICA family. The support we have received has been second to none, whether it be from those people who have been fortunate to come and visit us in our stopovers, or whether it be those good folk back home who have constantly been there to encourage us along the way.

The end of an era it may be but it will not be the end of the journey; there have been too many great friends made over the course of the past year. It is too early to sum up one's experiences over this time. This is a time for reflection, a time to enjoy and savour the moment.

www.jamaicaclipper.com will remain on line for the foreseeable future as many of the RTW crew members have asked to be able to scroll back through the race reports to relive the memory.

Indeed we hope as many people as possible will send their own reflections on the JAMAICA experience, both crew and non crew, so we can publish them.

It has been a privilege to be part of the JAMAICA family.

JAMAICA Clipper claims 1st prize...

2008-07-06T20:42:00.008+01:00

On a wet and windy Saturday, not dissimiliar to the conditions the fleet left in last September the friends and family and former crew-mates of JAMAICA Clipper welcomed the team back to Liverpool Jon, Gus, Karen and Nick Jacob's family cheered the boats into the docks from the top of the Cunard building (many thanks to Karen for letting us up there)

At an impressive prize giving ceremony in St George's Hall, Liverpool, JAMAICA Clipper were awarded first prize in the Media competition for leg 7. The crew congratulated Nick Jacobs with his stirling efforts on the Camcorder. Well done Nick.

Further information was provided by Anna Wardley on the photos and film DVDs which will be available from Clipper and Nauticalia shops over the coming months.

The prize giving ceremony saw speeches from the Mayor of Liverpool and dignotories from Hull & Humber who will host the start and finish of the 09/10 Race.

JAMAICA Clipper were welcomed on stage by Sir Robin and were cheered by the other crews.

In reverse order Glasgow, Hull & Humber and New York recieved there 3rd, 2nd and 1st prizes respectively, all thanking the efforts of their crews.

As always the JAMAICA team then celebrated in style at Bar HA HA with a fantastic buffet organised by JB, Karen and Nick. Many thanks from the crew and friends and family who were there.

Jon G

LEAVING CORK

2008-07-06T20:37:00.007+01:00

Catching up on the missed postings as the boats left Cork in such a hurry here are some fantastic photos taken by Karen Jacobs and Mick Moran.

Kindest,

Jon G

Team JAMAICA Clipper prepare for crossing to Liverpool

JAMAICA crosses the startline

Looking back on another 35,000 miles04

2008-07-06T20:32:00.003+01:00

July 2008 As the sixth Clipper Round the World Yacht Race comes to a close, we can reflect on the last ten months and the effect that 35,000 miles of racing has had on the 400 people’s lives who participated as crew in the race. Firstly they will have become competent sailors, and for those who had never sailed before they joined the Clipper Training programme a year or more ago,this means they have learned a new sport. But they have not done this in the sheltered waters of the Solent; they have done it through all the oceans ofthe world, in calms and in storms. But that is not all they take back to the land at the end of their voyage.They have learned that teamwork is not something preached in a weekend seminar, it is an essential part of survival at sea, and when they put their effort into their team it is not only safer it is enjoyable. They will also show the noticeable increase in self confidence which comes from taking on something really difficult and succeeding. Perhaps nowhere has this been more obvious than with the ONE HULL Tag Team, the young people, not drawn from privileged backgrounds, who took the Wilberforce Petition against modern day slavery around the world. It is pleasing to report that all of these young people have had a life changing experience,and have all now taken up jobs or further education. The crews all now face a similar challenge. Adjusting to life ashore again and the need to get back to work. Whatever they do however, they know that they have achieved something very special with their lives and something wehope will extend their horizons. At Clipper, well some people like the Race Team will go for a well deserved holiday. Others will take over the boats and race them around the Solent fora few months whilst the back room team will start to progress the re-fit,pulling together the list of tasks that keep the boats clean, safe, and effective. Already crew training is already well underway for Clipper09-10, so as we say farewell and good luck to the Clipper 07-08 crews, weare hailing the new ones for Clipper 09-10.

2008-07-05T00:17:00.003+01:00

Liverpool Race Finish Programme Clipper 07 /08 Saturday 5th July 08
2 – 8 am Race 14 (Cork to Liverpool) finishes at the bar (entrance to the riverMersey) 10.30am Liverpool 08 Dash starts at Crosby buoy (presentational race up the river Mersey)
Also, race commentary & entertainment begins at the Albert Dock 11.30-12 pm

Liverpool 08 Dash finish off Duke’s mast 12.15pm

Clipper 07/08 Fleet parade past Duke’s mast 12.45pmClipper 07/08 Fleet enter canning half tide lock 2pm

Race 14 (Cork to Liverpool) prize giving in the Canning half tide 3.15pmClipper 07-08 overall prize giving at the Albert Dock 4.30pm

Shuttle buses from the Albert Dock to the crew reception (ticket holdersonly) at St Georges Hall, William Brown Street, Liverpool L1 1J 5-8pm
Crew reception St Georges Hall (tickets holders only)

9pm Jamaica Crew buffet at Ha Ha Restaurant, Albert Dock (only if you have prebooked)

Close battle underway for final podium positions

2008-07-05T00:15:00.004+01:00

04 July 2008 After just over twenty four hours of racing up the Irish Sea from Cork to Liverpool only 14 miles separate the entire fleet, as they battle for thefinal three podium positions in the biennial 35,000-mile Clipper Round theWorld Yacht Race. New York and Uniquely Singapore are leading the fleet, butwith three boats just one mile behind, there is no room for complacency. Amongst the pack chasing the two leading boats is Liverpool 08. The Liverpool team, skippered by Ben Galloway, is fighting for a victory intotheir home port ten months after they set sail from the Mersey in Septemberlast year. The fleet are currently experiencing fast reaching conditions in a Force 3from the south west as they make their way towards Liverpool. The boats are going a lot faster than expected averaging approximately nine knots sincethey started Race 14 from Cork at midday yesterday, but they are sailing an‘elastic course’ that can be adapted according to the conditions. The tenteams will race around a number of pre-determined marks in Liverpool Baybefore the overall winner of the race is decided. The first boats will crossthe finish line at the Bar Buoy at the mouth of the Mersey from 0100 GMT onSaturday. Race Director Joff Bailey said: “The racing is incredibly close out therewith only three miles separating the top six boats. It is going to be atight finish and all the teams are battling to be the first across the linein this crucial final race. Nobody is willing to concede an inch and itlooks like it is going to go right to the line.” Nova Scotia has been deducted two points from their overall tally forreceiving a replacement main sail in Sydney after damaging their own. TheRace Committee penalised the Nova Scotia team after they received a fleetspare mail sail before departing from Nova Scotia for the final Atlanticcrossing. Earlier today, Radio 4’s You & Yours consumer affairs programme broadcast asailing special featuring the build-up to the finale of the Clipper 07-08Round the World Yacht Race.
Interviewees included Clipper Race Founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Liverpool 08 crew member Lisa Pover andwesternaustralia2011.com crew member John Kimber live from the yachts as they raced up the Irish Sea towards Liverpool on Friday. Listen again is available at www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours.

Update from the boat

2008-07-05T00:15:00.001+01:00

Ireland to the left of me, Anglesey to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you. Well it's midday on our penultimate day. The sun has got his hat on and the seas are calm. Having left Cork yesterday at midday the fleet has made excellent progress. The very light winds which had been forecast before the race have not transpired and although they have currently dropped to 10 knots we're pushing along quite nicely. So much so that we are way ahead of time. In theory we could be a few hours away from Liverpool but as the arrangements have been made for the big arrival tomorrow we anticipate there will be a number of new gates put into our routing which will mean we have to zig zag further North for another 12 hours or so before mustering somewhere off the coast to await the Mersey Dash fun race tomorrow morning at 9.30. Yesterday was glorious weather with decent winds allowing all clippers to fly their spinnakers. It was actually the battle of the mid weight and, as you know, we were not invited to that challenge. Flying our heavy weight we saw the whole fleet sail past us. However we have managed to stick as close to the fleet as possible and are currently in joint 7th place which is a reasonable place to be. We are fighting head to head with Durban who, ironically, shared our last party in Cork and 6 miles behind the front of the fleet. The calm before the storm ..... We understand there are very heavy winds forecast for later today which should make the sea state decidedly choppy. With this progress it would have been lovely if we could have turned right and popped into Holyhead for an evening to shelter from the ravages of the storm but it would appear that we shall be left to Bob up and down at the entrance to the Mersey overnight. With the weather as beautiful as it is now it is almost impossible to imagine a storm is on its way yet as we all know the Irish Sea can be very unpredictable. Indeed we have just been joined by 2 dolphins - what a beautiful welcome that it. We are all looking forward to seeing all of you good folks who are able to come to Liverpool tomorrow.

Nick Jacobs

FINAL RACE STARTS

2008-07-03T19:40:00.004+01:00

And so to the final race.

This morning we mustered on the good ship JAMAICA at 08:00 in preparation for the final race of the Clipper 07/08 Round the World Yacht Race. We slipped just after 09:00 and sailed to Cobh in a formation sail where we waved off by friends, family and locals. The huge P&O cruise liner The Grand Princess was there to bid is farewell and will be in Liverpool when we arrive. At this morning's crew briefing skipper Simon Bradley confirmed the winds would be light at the start of the race but high winds and perhaps squalls are likely to be "welcoming" us as we sail into the Mersey on Saturday. There is a massive low pressure system coming through which may make our final day highly challenging. At the start of this race at 12:00 we had an International race arbitrator ensuring any protests were adjudicated within an hour of race start so no decisions will be outstanding as we sail into Liverpool. As far as we could tell there appeared to be no incidents as the fleet crossed the line past Weaver's point heading into the Atlantic. After some excellent team work, great helming by JB, excellent tactics from Katie, we crossed the line in a magnificent 4th place before heading out to a way point 4 miles from shore. We left the waypoint to port and gybed JAMAICA to sail back to our original start point having gained a place to 3rd, although with Qingdao constantly nipping at our heels. We crossed the second way point in 5th having just been pipped around the mark by Qingdao and Western Australia, before turning East towards the Irish Sea. This close quarters racing is very exciting and there's a long way yet before race end in Liverpool. So I had better get back to racing.

Believe!

Nick Jacobs posted by JG

The Royal Cork Yacht Club

2008-07-02T12:41:00.011+01:00

Greetings from The Royal Cork Yacht Club in Cork, the oldest yacht club in the World and our hosts for the penultimate stopover before race end in Liverpool ..... and what fantastic hosts they have been.

We arrived on Saturday, two days early, following an excellent crossing of the Atlantic. Since then we have been working on the boat and enjoying the legendary hospitality of the Irish. It has been wonderful to see so many crew members, family and friends come to Crosshaven.

Yesterday evening we gathered together to present skipper Simon Bradley with two framed pictures as a thank you from all crew members.

The first was an original painting which has been painted by crew member Mick Moran's cousin Laura Miller. As you can see it is a beautiful painting of our very own JAMAICA clipper. It is clearly unique and Simon was delighted to receive it.

The second is a photographic montage which Jon Gibbard has prepared showing JAMAICA as well as two photographs of Simon: the first is the one and only time anyone has seen him do any work on board - here he is taking a bit of rope for a walk - the second is on the occasion of his 51st birthday.

Later in the evening team JAMAICA won the dancing competition (of course!) to the sounds of a reggae band which was sponsored by the Jamaican Tourist Board. Liz Fox & Torrance Lewis from the JTB in London have come over to join in with the celebrations as well as taking part in a Coporate Sail today. They will also be attending our crew party this evening.

And so to the final race in the Clipper Round the World Yacht race 07/08. The race started in Liverpool on 16th September 2007 and will conclude this coming Saturday, 5th July 2008 after 35,000 miles.

It is perhaps fitting that team JAMAICA was the only team to have an eve of race party last September and we are keeping up that tradition this evening before race start tomorrow morning at 8am. However, we are making sure we will all be on top form; although our team drink of choice is rum and coke we will not be mixing our drinks this evening ...... so Simon has banned the coke.

The forecast for the race is light winds blowing from the South - perfect weather for that gad damned spinnaker (don't mention the "S" word!). But rest assured we have a plan :

Crew member Dan Garnett has donated a pair of his boxer shorts which we have hoisted from the forestay. Early time trials suggest we will certainly finish in the top 10 on Saturday.

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible in Liverpool.

Clipper fleet arrives at Royal Cork Yacht Club

2008-06-29T12:22:00.002+01:00

29 June 2008.

All ten of the internationally-backed yachts of the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race fleet are now berthed at Royal Cork Yacht Club, Crosshaven, Ireland following the finish of Race 13. The penultimate contest of the 14-race Clipper 07-08 series was won by New York, who crossed the finish line a little over an hour ahead of second placed Qingdao and Hull & Humber, who came third. New York have stretched their lead over their closest British rivals to three and a half points. Hull & Humber skipper Danny Watson said, “We have to beat them by a few places now, I guess. That whole thing was just a great race. We had someclose quarters stuff in the fog at the beginning then heavy winds, some downwind sailing which was great, then back into heavy winds and then some downwind close quarters sailing again at the end. It was close with Qingdao at the end but we had eight days alongside JAMAICA which just shows that the whole fleet is fairly evenly matched and it’s only small differences which mean you can get away. There was only one day that we weren’t alongside another Clipper. It’s like match racing across an ocean, which is fabulous,that’s what it’s all about.” After 2,080 miles of ocean racing all ten of the 68-foot yachts arrivedwithin 20 hours of each other, the crews happy to enjoy the hospitality ofthe Royal Cork Yacht Club – burgers and kegs of Heineken – at the end of anarduous race across the North Atlantic. The fleet set off from Sydney, Cape Breton Island, at the eastern tip of Nova Scotia 13 days ago and have coped with thick fog and light windsthrough the infamous Grand Banks as well as gales during the race to Cork,Ireland. Now the crews will enjoy some time to relax in Crosshaven and the wider environs of County Cork ahead of the final sprint to Liverpool, where the arrival on Saturday 5 July will form part of the city’s European Capital ofCulture 2008 celebrations. The Royal Cork Yacht Club, the oldest yacht club in the world, welcomed the crews with burgers and kegs of Heineken, which will also be flowing freely at the official welcome party and prize givingceremony on Tuesday 1 July. The results of Race 13 are as follows.
All times are GMT 1 New York 10:59:132
Qingdao 12:01:223
Hull & Humber 12:16:174
Liverpool 08 15:09:185
Uniquely Singapore 16:16:536
JAMAICA 16:29:327
Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper 17:11:288
Durban 2010 and Beyond 18:48:439
westernaustralia2011.com 02:55:47 (29 June)
10 Nova Scotia 06:54:38 (29 June)

Founder of the Clipper Race and legendary solo sailor, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, a regular visitor to Crosshaven, says, “I think the crews of the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race will discover something I learned in 1970 in the Round Britain Race and have re-learned on a number ofoccasions: that the Royal Cork Yacht Club provides and atmosphere and friendliness second to none.” This is the first time the Clipper Race, now in its sixth edition, has visited Ireland. Fiona Buckley, General Manager of Fáilte Ireland SouthWest, says, “Fáilte Ireland South West is delighted to support the Clipper arrival into Cork, and welcomes the support of Cork County Council and the Royal Cork Yacht Club. Sailing is central to the development of tourism inthe South West and particularly in Cork and is central to the Fáilte Ireland South West Regional Development Strategy 2008-2010. “Cork has an enviable sailing and maritime reputation worldwide, stemmingfrom its unique natural harbour, yacht clubs and maritime history. Whatmakes it so special is the vibrancy of the people and culture, theunsurpassed beauty of its landscape and the array of quality local food. Sailing along the East and West Cork coastline is a magical experience. I am confident that this week’s pit stop in Cork, which brings with it worldwide media, officials and crew and Ministerial parties form the Department of Tourism in both Nova Scotia and Jamaica, will impress the importance of the Cork region upon the event organisers and hopefully lead to the return ofthe race in a formal capacity.” The final race to Liverpool will start on Thursday 3 July.

Jon G

JAMAICA FINISH 6th

2008-06-28T22:49:00.001+01:00

CONGRATULATIONS to the JAMAICA team for their fantastic 6th place result. JAMAICA Clipper blog will have tales and photos from the leg over the coming days. We hope the crew aere enjoying a shower and meal and the hospitalities of the Crosshaven Yacht Club.

Jon G

JAMAICA PASS FASTNET

2008-06-28T16:42:00.000+01:00

Well the good ship JAMAICA passed the Fastnet lighthouse, our first way point since leaving Nova Scotia 12 days ago, at 11am this morning.
We are currently skirting the Southern coast of Ireland and have just 30 miles to go to the finish line. We have just received a schedule confirming Glasgow are 3 miles behind us and Singapore 3 miles ahead. We are still currently in 6th place which, given the deficiency of our sails, is a huge credit to all of the crew on board. After our podium position chances were snatched away from us as soon as the wind changed to aft and thus requiring spinnakers, we slipped from 3rd to 6th.

For the past 3 days we have been fending off Glasgow's advances and still are which, when you consider that Glasgow are currently 3rd in the race overall and they have been able to fly their mid weight spinnaker when we have not, is an incredible achievement. We are so close to a magnificent moral victory - to finish 6th in these circumstances would be an outstanding achievement. However, both Glasgow and Singapore are much further South than we are and may have a better wind angle into Cork. So close and yet so far. So, in the beautiful sunshine off the South Coast of Ireland it's "trim, trim, trim" and best course. Let's hope the Rasta Rocket can hold out just a few hours more.

Nick Jacobs

New York wins Race 13

2008-06-28T13:24:00.001+01:00

28 June 2008 New York has scored her fifth victory in the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race, crossing the finish line in Race 13 at 10:59:13 GMT (11:59:13local time) at the end of the 2,080-mile race from Nova Scotia to Cork, Ireland.

The yachts will be based at the Royal Cork Yacht Club until 3 July.

Qingdao and Hull & Humber are expected to cross the finish line atapproximately 1330 local time (1230 GMT), with Liverpool 08 finishing at approximately 1630 (1530 GMT).

JAMAICA should be in about 8pm!

New York extends lead as fleet closes in on Irish coast

2008-06-28T09:03:00.004+01:00

27 June 2008 With the strong and steady winds that the fleet has enjoyed over the last 24 to 36 hours and with the favourable winds set to continue for the next 24 to48 hours the revised ETA for the leading yachts into Cork Ireland is now Saturday morning. These last couple of days of racing have been very fast and very wet for the ten teams, with average speeds being above 12 knots and top speeds being in the high teens. The fast reaching conditions that the teams have been experiencing has required 100 percent focus from the helms and trimmers onboard whilst wave after wave is thrown across the deck. The testing conditions have seen 45 knot winds driving horizontal rain acrossthe decks and made the last stages of this Atlantic race a real rollercoaster ride for the crews. All of the teams have been pushing as hard as they can to gain one or twoextra points with one eye on the fact that there is still a very importantrace to go and any equipment breakages now could affect them on the final race into Liverpool. Although very much focused on racing hard over the last 24 hours of the raceform Nova Scotia to Cork, Ireland, the teams are also looking forward at the penultimate stopover of Clipper 07-08. Skipper of JAMAICA, Simon Bradley,says, “It’s been fast and furious across the cold, grey North Atlantic. Mustbe getting close to home as it’s summer time but we’re still wearing thermals and mid-layers and it’s raining! But at least we will get a decentpint of beer!” The first teams are expected to arrive in Cork Saturday morning. During the short stopover the fleet will be based at the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven with Prize Giving on taking place on Tuesday 1 July before the start of Race 14 on Thursday 3 July.

Mean while on board the good ship JAMAICA: CORK HERE WE COME. It is 20:20 on Friday 27th June 08 & we have just 183 miles to Cork. The Weather is beautiful & JAMAICA is surfing down the waves at great speeds. We should arrive Saturday evening, almost 2 days early. We are flying ourheavy weight spinnaker. The Conditions are perfect for the mid weight one but as you know it is out of action. The latest schedule confirmed that we had pulled 2 miles ahead of Glasgow. This is incredible as they will bef lying their mid weight so they should be quicker. It just shows what great progress we are making. If we are really lucky then we will keep Glasgow atbay and claim 6th place into Cork.

MESSAGE TO CREW MEMBERS PAST & PRESENT FROM SIMON.

You may have seen the gorgeous pink & black polo shirts that we now use forofficial photos. For those crew members who sailed in earlier legs we stillhave some available. Those of you coming to Cork we can sell you polo shirtsthen. If you are coming to Liverpool for St George's Hall presentation it isimperative to wear these polos for the official photos. If this is the case,so that we do not sell them all in Cork, if you are coming to Liverpool & want a polo shirt or even if you are not coming to Liverpool but still wantone, please e mail Phil Thomas ASAP with your requirement and shirt size, although you may need to have what size is left! The cost forthe two shirts (black & pink) is £26. You have to buy both colours. At this stage there are only enough for crew members, not for family or friends butif there are any over we will sell them in Liverpool.

NOT FAR TO GO NOW!

2008-06-28T08:59:00.001+01:00

With not very far to go to the finish, the next big challenge that the skippers and tacticians will be considering is how to approach the coast of Ireland. The options are either inshore or offshore. To make the shortest approach and hug the coast for the last 90 nautical miles and risk the vagaries of coastal winds and sea breezes or take a slightly more offshore route and keep steady and more reliable winds but sail further. The winds forecast over the next few days look very favourable for the whole fleet with two low pressure systems sweeping north bringing excellent southwesterly winds that should bring the whole fleet to Cork, Ireland during Sunday 29 and Monday 30 June.

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
The heavy winds which have been forecast arrived earlier today. That meant dropping the dreaded spinnakers & thus has put us on even comparison witht he others. We have proved that if we have similar equipment to the others that we can sail as fast as anyone. The defective equipment we had has meant are slipping to 6th as the others could fly the mid weight spinnaker in perfect mid weight weather. Still the Rasta Rocket is now flying with 30knots wind pushing us along & boat speeds hitting 14 knots. At this rate we could possibly arrive in Cork late on Saturday night(2 days early) which would make crew member Bernard a happy man as it's his partner Trish's birthday on Sunday. Bernard is helming at the moment & as the boat is heeled over 35 degrees he is driving like Sterling Moss to see Trisha & son Jack.Cork will be a great stop over with so many family & friends coming to themighty Mick Moran's JAMAICA party on Wednesday night. Meantime after the disappointment of losing a podium position the crew is focused on a fast & safe voyage to Cork . See you all there !!

Nick and Karen Jacobs

JAMAICA TEAM INFO

2008-06-26T20:53:00.004+01:00

JAMAICA progressing well across the Atlantic although progress has slowed with the spinnaker rip. It shows how big a difference sail choice makes when the boats are so closely matched.

JAMAICA team meal 2nd July, Crosshaven

Message from Mick Moran: I booked the room in The Anchor Inn on Wednesday 2nd July for 80 people (Durban clipper are going to be joining us for dinner because they couldnt find anywhere else to go, and because we're nice like that !!!!). Its gonna work out at about 25 euro per head which is pretty good, not including drinks so people can buy drinks at the bar. There is gonna be salad, cold meat, lasagne, curry and desert along with a few other bits n pieces. Im expecting about 40 Jamaicans and 35 Durbans and probably 1 or 2 others will come along too so 80 should be right hopefully, maybe a bit too many so please invite family or friends who might be there in Cork to make up the numbers. Dinner is booked for 7pm and the land lady wants people to be there by 7.30 so she can have all the food served warm. If everyone could pay up to Mick by the Tuesday night that would be great so then I can pay the restaurant by Wednesday morning to avoid getting stressed on the night chasing people looking for money .... cause ill be far to pissed by then and will probably spend all the money on guinness and rum HAHAHA.

JAMAICA TEAM SHIRTS

The price for a pair (one pink + one black) is UK £ 26.50.
Payment must be made on or before collection by:
1) cheque payable to "P.A.Thomas – Crew a/c"
2) by direct transfer to the crew a/c.
3) Cash
If shirts cannot be collected personally in Cork or Liverpool I am happy to collect them from Liverpool and post on but let me know soon so that I can reserve for you.
There should be enough left for family and friends but clearly crew take come first – so hurry up and decide.

Please let me know if you need Phil's contact details.

Kindest,

Jon

JAMAICA CREW PARTY

2008-06-25T16:49:00.003+01:00

13/14th September, put it in your diaries.

More information for JAMAICA crew via Adrian carey.

Jon G

Qingdao emerges victorious from overnight three-way battle

2008-06-25T16:44:00.002+01:00

The lighter winds have finally had an effect on the leading teams and they slowed down overnight but not to the same extent as the teams further down the leader board. Qingdao, New York and Hull & Humber battled overnight in lighter winds and once again Qingdao came out on top. The conditions at the front are difficult with fog and rain hampering progress but each of these teams is pushing very hard and not giving an inch in this penultimate race
of the Clipper 07-08 series.
Race Director Joff Bailey comments, "With JAMAICA dropping back after ripping a spinnaker and Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper affected by the lighter winds, suddenly the chance of gaining a few extra places and maybe upsetting the podium is a reality. This race will have many place changes yet over the next five days before the finish in Cork harbour.

Mean while on board JAMAICA:, "A very frustrating day on JAMAICA," explains skipper, Simon Bradley, whose team had been keeping pace with the leading pack. "We’ve lost contact with
Hull & Humber, New York and Qingdao, and all because we had a spinnaker rip – this time not our fault! Because of this we couldn’t fly the appropriate spinnaker and little by little we lost ground to them."

Nick adds his reflections:

WOEFUL WEDNESDAY.
Another apology to all JAMAICA Clipper blog readers for lack of boat updates caused by our E mail system down since Friday. From the race start until Tuesday morning we were consistently in the top four & fighting for that podium place. Oh what a difference 24 hours makes. Yesterday (Tuesday) was so frustrating regarding the ripped spinnaker. A hole appeared in it &
before we could bring it down it had ripped in half. Even today, we can still see our podium place sailing off into the distance. The mid weight spinnaker given to us in the previous leg to replace the damaged one was from 05 - 06 race . It is more like a patchwork quilt than a spinnaker. Oh
there's no justice. We would have preferred to have had 4 points deducted (like Hull & Humber) & then receive a new spinnaker. As our mid weight spinnaker is beyond compare we have tried both the light & heavy weight spinnakers but both have had to come down for repair. It know means that we have dropped down to 5th /6th place. Still, with over 600m to go & very
light airs anything can happen though it is a long shot for us now. However, JAMAICA never gives up !!!

Karen & Nick Jacobs and JG

TRAUMATIC TUESDAY

2008-06-24T19:58:00.004+01:00

MESSAGE FROM THE BOAT!

Firstly apologies for no recent updates. The mail system has been down for 4 days. Progress has been very good until this morning. On watch at 3am to find the mid weight spinnaker up as wind moved to aft???????. At that stage JAMAICA were joint 3rd with Hull & Humber. One hour into the watch the spinnaker ripped in half. We quickly dropped it and put up the light weight spinnaker. The winds strengthened so this came down and we put up the heavyweight as we watched our podium place sail away into the distance. Very frustrating. The crew are a bit down as earlier in the race the mid weight spinnaker was replaced with a second hand one from the last race which is more like a patchwork quilt. We lost 3 points as it had to be replaced.

Ironically, Hull & Humber who had also damaged theirs were docked 4 points but got a brand new sail; that is why they are sailing away into the distance. Still with 800 miles to go there is an outside chance that we can still make up the distance though with a mid weight beyond repair we are at a disadvantage. But this is JAMAICA & we will do all we can. Good news is that 5th placed Glasgow were 45 miles behind at 0600. Will surely have madeup some ground but still behind.

Clipper on Sky Xtra TV Just a reminder to all JAMAICA Clipper Blog readers that Sky Xtra TV are dueto be featuring the Clipper race tomorrow night (Wed 25th June).

The ten-part documentary series featuring Clipper 07-08 produced by Sunset +Vine I APP will be shown across the globe over the coming weeks, bringingthe unique story of the Clipper Race and the 400 crew taking part tomillions of viewers as the racing draws to a close in Liverpool. The character-driven series focuses on some of the people that have taken timeout of their everyday lives to take on the challenge of a life time sailing around the world. Each of the half-hour programmes tells their amazingstories as the action and drama of the 35,000-mile race unfolds. Broadcasters’ television schedules are available in the Multimedia sectionon the official Clipper web site at www.clipperroundtheworld.com.

Nick & Karen Jacobs and JG

Change in conditions helps leading boats pull out lead

2008-06-23T20:12:00.002+01:00

News from the good ship JAMAICA.

The downwind conditions beginning to engulf the fleet are proving a welcome respite from those of recent days. JAMAICA'S skipper, Simon Bradley, says, “The stronger winds and rougher seas have died down now, making a smoother passage possible on board JAMAICA. Several crew members are very pleased about this as they have been suffering from a little ‘mal de mer’. This is not only affecting some of our newer crew members, but also some of our ‘old salts’ as well. It’s amazing how this sickness can inflict itself upon people even after many thousands of miles spent at sea.”

Hopefully the crew are feeling a little better!

JAMAICA JOINT 3rd

2008-06-23T07:43:00.001+01:00

From Clipper Website

JAMAICA continues to have a good fight at the front of the fleet and is showing some of the speed that the team is capable of but has struggled to find on some of the earlier races.
Skipper of JAMAICA, Simon Bradley, says, “A bit of wake up call yesterday evening as the wind built and built until we had just under a steady 30 knots of true wind. Time to change headsails and reef! The sea was rather short and steep as well which didn’t help matters and it certainly made cooking in the galley interesting, it’s amazing the places that spaghetti will stick to! One Love!”

Sounds like the boat are having an interesting time at the moment...more later.

JG

Fleet tack south overnight

2008-06-22T08:14:00.005+01:00

JAMAICA Clipper are holding onto 3rd position as the fleet tack south overnight to maintain the best wind angle. JAMAICA are now 9 miles behind the leading boat NY, but some interesting tactical changes have occurred with H&H and JAMAIACA coming south of NY and Quigdao.

Joff's race report that the wind is due to back to the East and then North (anticlockwise direction) and this maybe the reason for JAMAICA's dive south as they attempt to get a better wind angle when the wind settles (A northerly wind direction will allow JAMAICA to go onto a broad reach one of the fastest points of sails when racing with white sails).

Yesterday the JAMAICA CLIPPER BLOG recieved a phonecall from Nick, from the boat, to report that there were commuincations issues with the whole fleet which explains our lack of onboard information!

The comms equipment is tempremental at the best of times. This focuses mainly around the fact that salt water and electronics don't really mix but also as pictured below around the satellite reciever dome.

This dome houses a satellite dish, similiar to a Sky dish, which is gimbled to remain flat no-matter what angle the boat is at and is prepogrammed to know which direction it should be facing inorder to track an appropriate satellite to upload information to. For a similiar reason this is sometimes why the boats don'e "pole", upload their 6 hour positions, as the GPS system which does this can suffer from similiar gremlins. Hopefully we'll get some information again from the boat shortly!

Posted by JG and Karen Jacobs

*** www.jamaicaclipper.com *** Jamaica Clipper - Licenced to thrill!