michael's round the world adventure

So, that's it then. Clipper 09-10 is over, and I am back starting the hard slog of adjusting to real life ashore. It's been quite a journey, and it's no doubt going to be strange trying to fit back into life... More about that later, first up a few words about the final race from Ijmuiden to Hull...

As the perceptive reader may have been able to tell from the last blog, there was a fair amount of frustration on board Cork after the trip from Cork to Ijmuiden. Once more, we had seen a strong position slip away from our grasp as the wind died in the latter half of the race, resulting in yet another disappointing finish. It was a very subdued crew that arrived into Ijmuiden aboard Cork. We have, however, come through plenty together as a crew, and I'm proud to have been part of a crew that come back from all manner of setback so readily. So it proved on this occassion, as we set out for Hull all guns blazing to give it our all for our final opportunity to prove ourselves to all those watching. We knew we could still compete, given conditions that allowed the boat to compete.

And so we set off into some lovely strong winds, coming well forward of the beam for that first day and night. I had the rather dubious pleasure of being on galley duty for that first day, and I must admit that, for the first time in the entire race, I was feeling a little queasy... With the boat crashing up into 30 knots of wind in the North Sea, and the temperature down below in the high twenties, it was not a comfortable place to be. When the generator went on fire, producing plenty of oily smoke, it really did become unpleasant down there. However, up on deck, the crew were giving it everything to keep the boat moving quickly. Sails were changed, reefs put in and taken out, people came down below absolutely drenched - I poked my head up top at one point to find Keith emptying the water from his left boot after a particularly moist trip to the fordeck... It was a real credit to the guys up there that spirits remained high through the night, everybody just getting on with getting the job done.

It was a relief the next day when the wind moved a little further aft, making the ride slightly more comfortable. Unfortunately it didn't move back quite as far as we would have hoped, so it was still a little bouncy, but it was a big improvement on the previous day. So we carried on across the North Sea, dodging oil rigs and cargo vessels, and hoping against hope that the wind would remain for the evening. And so it turned out - as we came past Bridlington on Friday evening (after completing an offshore loop which took us out past the other yachts, and then back in again), the wind died a little bit, but there was still enough breeze that we were able to maintain reasonable boat speeds most of the time. Then, as we approached the finish line, the dark cloud of a squall appeared. This gave us that final boost to get over the line - we then watched as the squall took off to the north-west, away from the chasing fleet. As the wind died off that evening, we dropped anchor in the pre-determined holding area to await the pilot boat to take us up the Humber on Saturday morning, and watched for more yachts crossing the line.

As time passed, and still no other boats turned up, we began to hope. We figured we owed the other boats around 2.5 hours due to our early start and our handicap, and three and then four hours had passed and still no sign. It was not until about 4am on Saturday though that we received final confirmation from the race office - on handicap, we had finished ahead of Hull & Humber by almost two hours. Fantastic news, and what a way to finish. I think we all believed that we still had a yellow pennant in us, but I think most, like me, were unsure as to whether the weather would come right for us in any race, after all we'd been through. We were absolutely delighted that it did!

That morning, we motored up the Humber in formation with our heads held high. It was really touching when Hull & Humber, Finland, Singapore and a number of the other boats came past us to congratulate us. Hull & Humber, in particular, in second place into their home port were especially gracious in defeat, and I think their gesture was a good indication of the kind of atmosphere throughout the fleet after all we had been through together.

And so, all that remained was the display race up the Humber in front of the assembled crowds - Hull & Humber won this one well, our lack of pace on the water in the conditions was clear, and Australia showed their class with some spectacular spinnaker sailing on the downwind leg. Then Cork was moored up, for my final time on board, and the celebrations began - and carried on well into the wee hours of Sunday morning! Sunday was a day of sleeping as my parents drove me to Holyhead for my final crossing - on the Stena Line ferry to Dublin. And now it's simply a case of figuring out what to do next! I'm enjoying the down time at the moment, but I know it won't be long until I miss being out there on the water. So, how to combine the thrill of regular racing with the comforts of an actual house... When I find the answer, I'll let you know.

Until then, I'll sign off. Thanks for following my journey, I do hope that you have taken even a fraction of the pleasure from reading about it that I have had from taking part. I really feel privileged to have been able to complete this journey, and the list of people to thank is just too long to go into here. First of all, thanks to all of you who have donated to my chosen charities - I'm blown away by the generosity, particularly when the economy is in the state it is! I'm lucky to have such fabulous friends and such a supportive family - Mum, Dad, Sinead, Clio, Bob, you have been awesome. Niamh, Aisling, and Amelia, your enthusiasm, pictures and t-shirts have kept me going. The rest of you, I can't wait to catch up over pints in the coming weeks!

Slan go foil.

Well, it turns out that Race 13 was destined to be a frustrating one after all. We had some great sailing for the first days of the race - upwind as far as Land's End, then bearing off the wind and broad reaching along the south coast of England. It was strange to be sailing through the waters in which we had spent so much time during training - around the Isle of Wight, off Dartmouth, and all along that stretch of coastline.


Unfortunately, once we began to turn the corner around Dover, we were once again hit by very light winds. There were huge frustrations to follow. Sitting in heavy rain, very low visibility, in the middle of the night directly outside Dover Port - one of the busiest in the world - with no wind and subsequently very little control over the direction of the boat. Not something I want to repeat. The next major issue - although any movement between these absolute calms was pretty slow going - came as we tried to thread the 6 mile gap between Thanet wind farm at the Thames Estuary, and the major shipping lane just offshore. Again, the wind died completely, and with the tide pushing us backwards towards the wind farm we were forced to anchor in 40 metres of water. Again, huge frustration.


So, we finally arrived in Ijmuiden a long way behind the rest of the fleet, with no chance of a good result. It's looking like heavy winds for the race to Hull, which starts today, so perhaps we will be able to push ourselves in amongst the Clipper fleet for this race. Time will tell.

After a great stopover in Kinsale and then in Cork, we have set off towards Ijmuiden in the Netherlands for race 13 of the Clipper 09-10 round the world yacht race. I must continue to extend my thanks to the Mayor of Kinsale, Michael Frawley, and to the Lord Mayor of Cork, Michael O'Connell, and to all involved in the stopover. It was great to be the object of the famous Irish welcome!

The start of race 13 was just off Roche's Point, at the entrance to Cork Harbour. The start was well organised by the Royal Cork Yacht Club - as you would expect from a club with close to 300 years experience starting yacht races! As usual, it was a closely contested start, with some exciting close calls (for which we acted only as spectators...), as the fleet raced towards the first mark about five miles due south of Cork Harbour. We were fairly pleased to still be holding some of the Clipper 68's off at that stage, and rounded the mark in 7th place. After that, it was an upwind slog for the first 18 hours or so, as we beat into 25 knots of breeze towards Lands' End. There was, unsurprisingly, a fair amount of seasickness during the first night, the bouncy conditions really not helping people re-learn the motion of the boat. I was fortunate, once more, to miss out on that pleasure - but with sail changes and mainsail reefs to deal with, it was a busy night for those of us who were running on full charge!

After rounding Lands' End, we have been treated to some great sailing. All three spinnakers have been flying, as the wind has steadily dropped. But with flat seas and sunshine, it has been a real treat. We have been getting good speeds, and holding our own against the 68's. It has been interesting too - with plenty of shipping, fishing vesssels, and pleasure boats to avoid, we have had ample opportunity to hone our navigation light identification and radar use skills...

We have also passed a couple of major milestones earlier today... Firstly, we crossed the Greenwich Meridian for the final time on our voyage. So we are back in easterly longitudes until race finish. And secondly, we have closed the loop by crossing our outbound route, just south of Beachy Head. We had to confirm this through screen dumps that I happened to have saved on my hard drive, as we don't have an outbound route on this boat... But, we are certain that we have crossed the route that we sailed almost 10 months ago. It was a strange feeling seeing a navigation buoy close to the spot, which I remember seeing all that time ago. It makes one think about all that has happened in the intervening time. Too much to go through now, but certainly more than I could have ever imagined... Some bad times, but many, many more good times. There are memories and friendships that will last forever, and so much that makes me glad to have had the opportunity to take part in this adventure - particularly aboard Cork, and for a time on Edinburgh.

Anyway, enough of that, the glamour of sailing awaits - there are bilges to be emptied, and then I need to get some rest for a busy night of gybing our way up the English Channel, dodging traffic separation schemes, shoals, fishing boats, and some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. Giddy Up Cork!

Slan.

There has been a long delay in writing this blog, and I can only apologise for that and offer the following excuse: the welcome in Kinsale has been just too good! Since we arrived here one week ago, there has been such a lot going on in the town, and such a lot of friends and family visiting, that finding a quiet moment to sit down and write this has been difficult to say the least! What a great complaint to have!

So, to backtrack a bit, the last time I wrote we were just off the Grand Banks, with the rest of the fleet hunting us down as we set off across the Atlantic Ocean. The remainder of the race went well. The strong winds we were experiencing continued, and we carried getting good speeds with full main and the poled out yankee, Kev setting the record at 17.1 knots. As the wind built to over 40 knots, we did put a reef in the main. We held this though for just about 8 hours and were then back up to full sail! The high speeds did see us struggling with the shaft break once more as the new line snapped, but a replacement with strong spectra seemed to do the job. Soon, the sea state calmed sufficiently for us to change to the medium-weight spinnaker, for some truly awesome ocean sailing! With these great winds and high speeds, it was not long at all until we came into sight of the Irish coastline. During the morning of the 27th of June, Mizen Head started to appear out of the haze of a glorious sunny day, and soon we were spotting familiar features along the south west coast of our home country.

As we rounded Mizen Head we were treated to an extra special welcome, as Irish Air Corps flight C-252 performed a number of slow and low fly-by's of the boat. The crew of the aircraft came through on the VHF radio, and welcomed us back home. It was a fantastic first taste of the welcome that awaited us, and was really appreciated by all on board. They even came back around for another run so Wayne could get some better shots for the TV show!

The next milestone was rounding the Fastnet Rock. This famous lighthouse is known by sailors everywhere, and is the turning point for the classic Fastnet Race from Cowes in the UK. We were lucky enough to pass in daylight, on a clear day, so could see the rock and the lighthouse in all their glory. Hannah, despite sailing past or around it about 10 times previously, had never seen it as clearly - on the other occassions it was either dark or foggy... So the weather was holding nicely for us, the rest of the fleet were still around 100 miles behind us, and we were on schedule for an early evening arrival in Kinsale - everything was looking good for a perfect finish as we approached the Old Head of Kinsale.

We soon spotted a RIB of the RNLI approaching, along with a couple of motor boats with photographers on board. The RNLI approached and welcomed us, and stayed with us all the way in. At this point we were heading a little way south of the Old Head, still flying the medium weight kite, on a port tack. We had to gybe around the Old Head for the finish line, and with our little group of 5 or 6 boats following us, the pressure was on to make it a good one! With Keith on the helm, I headed to the bow and, after getting the new pole ready to go, we got it out and set, before taking in the old pole in a textbook manoeuvre. With us just at the old head, and just about able to hold course to the finish line with the kite up, I took over the helm for the final push. I had been honored to be chosen by the rest of the crew to helm over the line, it really meant a lot to me that they had selected me for this. So, while we tried to push the boat as close to the wind as possible to keep the kite up while making the line, we became slightly aware in the periphary of some more boats showing up and sailing or motoring in with us. By the time we approached the line, there was a flotilla of around 50 boats around us! It was such an amazing thing, we couldnt believe that so many had made the effort to come out and greet us - particularly as we were arriving almost a week ahead of schedule! We managed to hold the spinnaker for longer than expected too - in fact, we could probably have held it right up to and over the finish line, except we would have been short of space to drop in time after the line without heading straight on into Charles Fort... So, shortly before the line, with the yankee 1 already hoisted to take over, Kev spiked the kite to release it from the end of the pole, and the rest of the crew gathered for another perfect evolution. With all these spectators around, it had to be great, and it was a great moment as Noreen on the halyard worked in perfect harmony with the gatherers to ensure that the kite came down with just the lightest of touches on the surface of the water before being sent safely down below. After that it was a straightforward job to aim directly for the committee boat to cross the line as close to them as possible. The noise of foghorns as we crossed the line, and the number of boats around, was simply mind-boggling. As we motored in towards the marina in Kinsale, we saw people in vantage points all along the coastline out to get a look at the boat as she came in. With a RIB from the port authorities, and a couple from Kinsale Yacht Club, to lead us in and help us moor, we were being well looked after already. There was a nice moment when we needed to come up into the wind to drop the mainsail. The area we needed to change course into was filled with wellwishing vessels, so a quick word to the lads from KYC on the RIB, and the three support boats spread out and cleared us an area in moments. Nice.

And so we were soon onto Irish soil, for the first time in approaching a year for some of us. We had a wonderfully warm welcome from the yacht club, who provided drinks and a fabulous steak dinner for the entire crew. The Mayor of Kinsale, Michael Frawley, was on hand to advise on the top locations to visit, and a long night ended up back on the boat with a bottle of rum provided by the White Lady Hotel! Since then, there has been a stream of family and friends coming down to get involved in the festivities. My sister and three neices moved their visit forward and arrived down on Tuesday, with my Mum and other sister arriving on Wednesday, Dad and my brother-in-law arriving on Friday, along with uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends from Dublin, Derby, Galway, Navan, and all over the country throughout the week. It's been an amazing stopover so far, on Wednesday we head for Cork City before setting out on the penultimate race for Ijmeuden in the Netherlands. So it's now time to start thinking about going to sea once more, and getting our race face back on. Lets see if we can keep Phatty trucking all the way up the English Channel and competing with the Clipper 68's!

Go raibh mile maith agat Kinsale! 

A very quick blog post as we enjoy the warm hospitality here in Cape Breton Island. Cork has been here in Sydney since Saturday morning, and it's really proving to be a most welcoming place. A small community, but so very friendly. This evening, we have an event where the skippers are all to be sworn into the order of Sou'esters (I think that's right...), so nearly time to think about heading off to that!

Race 11, Day 4. Cork Clipper Blog. Mike Lewis.

I’m sorry to report on another frustrating leg for Cork Clipper, heading up from New York to Cape Breton Island. What had seemed initially to be a race that we could really compete in, has turned into a light airs drag race in which the Clipper 68’s can once more utilise their lighter weight and greater sail area over our steel hulled Challenge 67’, and pull out big leads over us.

But to step back a bit… When last I wrote, we were still racing from Jamaica up to New York, and hoping for a result in that race. Unfortunately, as the winds died off, we dropped steadily back from the rest of the fleet, until it began to look like we would not make it into New York in time to depart for the start of this race. So it was that, when the race committee offered to award us the points for tenth place at that point, thus allowing us to use the engine in light winds to get us to New York more quickly, that we accepted with heavy hearts. As a racing team, it was the last thing we wanted, but common sense had to prevail and, with Race 10 effectively over for us, it was time to concentrate on making the start of Race 11. So it was that we motored when it was quicker to do so, and sailed when there was sufficient wind to keep good speed. We made it to New York on time, and were able to enjoy a couple of days there in advance of our departure on Race 11.

Race 11 started positively for Cork Clipper. With wind speeds of up to 30 knots, from just forward of the beam, we were able to stay in touch with the Clipper yachts for longer than we have become accustomed to. During the first night, we pushed the boat hard, and she pushed us back just as hard! With severe storm warnings coming from New York, we were ready for anything, and got through plenty of sail changes as the conditions changed. During my watches first watch of the night, we first poled out the Yankee 2, then brought that down and hoisted the heavyweight kite. We stayed put for as long as it took to get the anti-wrap net up, and then the wind shifted sufficiently that we needed to gybe the boat. Kev, who was supposed to be getting some sleep after being on Mother Watch, made the mistake of offering to help out early on, and ended up on deck for over 2 hours! Eventually, just before we went off watch, everything appeared settled. Marco’s watch had to work just as hard though, as they went through similar manoeuvres to keep the boat rigged correctly for the conditions. Kites were dropped, Yankees raised, then lowered in preference for Yankees of different sizes. All in an attempt to keep the masthead lights of the Clipper 68’s in view of our big steel bus.

The effort paid off, and the first set of scheds to come through brought smiles all round. We weren’t sitting last on the water – we were actually ahead of Qingdao. And our crude corrected time calculations actually put us in first overall. Unfortunately, the wind was to prove cruel once more. As the wind strength dropped through 20 knots and down to 10 knots, our pace was slowed dramatically. We kept Qingdao at bay for a time, but they inevitably overtook us, as the rest of the fleet also pulled away. The light winds have stayed with us, and Hull and Humber are now in the lead and over 100 miles ahead of us. Having raced for around 72 hours now, we have an accrued handicap time of around 6 hours over the rest of the fleet. Unfortunately, our chances of covering more than 100 miles in any 6 hour period are pretty slim right now!


We are, however, still in contention against Qingdao, Jamaica, and possibly even against Edinburgh. And the wind can be a fickle mistress, so we will keep ourselves as close as possible to the rest of the fleet to take advantage of any changes in conditions that might benefit us. As usual, we will continue to push the boat as hard as she can be pushed. We are certainly looking forward to the break in Cape Breton – at the moment the boat is being something of a drain on resources. With watermaker issues (we have plenty in the tanks for this voyage, but are going to need the watermaker working for the Atlantic crossing), deck gear starting to show the strain already in the form of multiple sheave breakages, and most recently a detached heads outlet pipe (dealt with very bravely by Tom, Marco, Helen, Orla and Hannah – not a pleasant job), our off watches are becoming almost as busy as the on watch. At the very least, we have the target of arriving in Cape Breton on Friday so that Hugh can celebrate his birthday ashore! 


Slan agus beannacht!

Race 10, Day 9. Cork Clipper Blog. Mike Lewis.

Today on Cork Clipper we are enjoying some of the best sailing we have had since we got our new boat in Panama. The heavyweight kite is up, we have 20-25 knots of breeze, and we are getting just about 10 knots out of the boat – the best speeds we have had out of her. And of course today is the day I spend down below cooking and cleaning for 24 hours! Ah well, I was allowed up a little earlier for a half hour of play, before being sent back to the galley to rescue the bread!

So, we are no longer racing, but we on Cork are not a crew to let some favourable winds pass us by, so we are working to get the best speed out of the boat as we head towards New York. We are just over 300 miles from our destination now, so the sweepstakes for our arrival time have started already. Thursday morning seems to get the majority vote, fingers crossed we’ll be in for a good diner breakfast.

The mood on board Cork remains, as always, upbeat, but of course we are all gutted not to be racing any more. The decision to retire was certainly not taken lightly – we are all competitive racers, and would really love to be up there fighting it out with the leaders. Unfortunately, particularly in light airs, our heavy, metal boat is no match for the stripped down, fibreglass, Clipper 68s. We have to hope for some heavier winds in the next few races, which hopefully will see us challenging the Clipper boats once again. Ultimately, we had to retire in order to have the time necessary to prepare for the race to Cape Breton Island – a race which we will, as usual, go all out to push the boat as hard as we know how!

So, other events on board? Well, last night our mainsail tack detached from the boom gooseneck (following all of this?). It was an undramatic failure, well spotted by Cat as she came off watch and I came on. We managed to get one of the reefing line strops onto the tack, which sorted the issue until Hannah got a more permanent solution fitted this morning, which should take us into New York. We had a good day of maintenance yesterday, taking advantage of light airs to get into the jobs that we would normally have to do in port. So Noreen, Orla and Cat got to work on the headsails – checking them over, fitting new tell tales, and making any necessary repairs. Paddy did some great carpentry down below, sorting out a lot of dodgy hinges and repairing some drawers. Jacqui drew the short straw, but did a great job servicing the heads. And Freya, Helen, Kev, Marco and Tom joined me in getting the thirteen winches on board stripped down, cleaned and serviced.


So, the lunchtime rush is about to begin down here just as I can feel the boat accelerating from another nice gust of wind. I’ll leave them to their fun up top, and get back to the pasta!


Slan agus beannacht!

Race 10, Day 3. Cork Clipper Blog. Mike Lewis.

It’s the third day of our second race aboard the new Cork Clipper, and we continue to learn more about the boat, both how she sails and about the systems down below! After lightening the load in Jamaica, removing spare sails, an outboard motor, a television, amongst an astonishing amount of other items that we don’t require for ocean racing, we set off from Port Antonio for a race start on Monday afternoon. 

After saying our farewells to well wishers – Sarah, Nikklar, Helen, Trisha et al, it was great to see you down there – and wishing safe and fast sailing to our competitors and friends on the other boats, we headed out to refuel before joining the other boats on the start line. Hannah displayed some excellent boat handling skills to get the most un-manoeuvrable boat in the fleet out of a very awkward spot in the marina, and in to a similarly awkward refuelling berth, and then we were good to go.

The start was in fairly light airs, and all the boats got away without incident. We were very pleased to round the first mark in sixth place, with Edinburgh, Hull & Humber, California, and Qingdao chasing us down. Kev seemed particularly happy about this, and there should be some good pictures from the committee boat to prove this fact! The next bit was pretty much as expected, the faster Clipper 68’s passing us one by one, until during our first night at sea Qingdao passed just 10 meters away, leaving us at the back of the fleet. We know though, that we are still in a good position on handicap, and continue to push the boat as hard as we can to remain in touch. Tough work in the heat of the tropics!

The lighter airs have meant that seasickness has not been an issue so far in this race. Perhaps also as a result of the crew being more used to the motion of the boat, all stomachs have remained steely, so we are at full strength on watch. On my watch, our new crew member from Cork, Hugh, has been settling well into the banter that is fairly constant on Cork, giving just as good as he gets! Tom is back too – after racing from the start all the way to Australia, he rejoins a different boat, but it’s only the boat he needs to get used to – he has raced with a lot of the crew before.

It’s been interesting navigationally so far too – ensuring that we turned away from the coast of Cuba before getting within 12 miles of Guantanamo Bay seemed like a good plan. We then wove our way between Cuba and Haiti, giving both a fair berth, and are now picking our way towards the Bahamas – our last obstacle before getting to the open ocean again. This time it’s the Atlantic Ocean – closer and closer to home!

Mother Watch today then has been successful so far – trying to keep the demanding eaters happy is something I find at least as challenging as tackling the Southern Ocean, but with Helen to lead me through it we seem to have kept most people happy with fajitas, chocolate cake, fresh bread, and plenty of tea, coffee, and tang in between!

During Happy Hour today we had the results of the quizzes that we have been working on over the past couple of days. Hannah had set us some questions about the boat to ensure that we were getting to know her properly, and that we could find all of the safety critical systems. We passed that with flying colours – although upsettingly my watch didn’t get any extra points for the fantastic cover sheet that Nors put so much effort into – and returned the favour to Hannah with a quiz about her new crew and about Cork. I’m happy to report that she scored highly in the test, even managing to make a stab at sorting out the economy back home in the final essay question!


So Cork trucks onwards, her crew happy and working hard to get to New York City as quickly as possible. It’s great to be back together – a good result will be even better!


Slan agus beannacht!

Well, after a nice short race up from Panama to Jamaica, we have had a very productive stopover here in Jamaica, getting Cork up to race spec, ready for the trip to New York.