News

England, here we come!

23 August 2008

While the rest of the Clipper Race fleet is back at race headquarters at Royal Clarence Marina on the south coast of England, involved in a busy summer programme, including the first Part B training course for Clipper 09-10 crew, Jamaica continues her racing exploits, competing in the second leg of the RORC Cowes-Madeira race. Following the first leg from the Solent to the sun soaked island off the west coast of Africa, Jamaica is lying fifth of the eleven yachts that started the race from the famous Royal Yacht Squadron line at Cowes.

Following a brief stopover in Madeira and a crew change there she has now begun her return journey. Skipper Simon Bradley sent this blog just after they set off.

Friday 22nd August 2008

Jamaica started her race from Madeira back to Cowes at 1100 BST (1000 GMT) today. It was a rather strange sight as we were the only yacht on the start line. RORC are running a ‘start’ every day for the next few days and the competing yachts can choose which day they start on, each yacht is then timed back to the finish outside Cowes.

We’ve had quite a large crew change in Madeira, we now have a crew of eight plus myself, Jan (1st Mate) and Rachel (2nd Mate). Four of the original crew remain (Rachel, John M, Iain and Justin), and they have been joined by Mark, Andrew and Sara and Klaus, two Clipper 07-08 crew. A few less than the crew coming down, so we’ll just have to work a bit harder!

The stopover in Madeira went well and the Quinta do Lorde Marina looked after us very well - thank you Catia and your staff. We presented them with a Jamaican flag with ‘Jamaica Clipper Aug 2008’ written on it, to join the other flags and burgees that are on display in the marina office.

We have 20 knots of wind from the NE and are making 10 knots of boat speed under Yankee 3, Staysail and 2 reefs in the mainsail. The sun, which has been shining all day, has disappeared behind a blanket of grey cloud that now covers the sky. England here we come!

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