2:42 AM Wed 17 Mar 2010 GMT
Two weeks after the Clipper fleet departed Qingdao, China, to do battle across the Pacific Ocean, Team Finland has set off on the 5,680-mile race to San Francisco. The Finnish entry in the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race was delayed in her departure from China's sailing capital after she was dismasted in the race from Singapore to Qingdao - renowned for its heavy conditions. Since then the Clipper Race team has worked round the clock with shipping companies, airlines, rigging experts and customs to ensure that a replacement mast was available and in place for Team Finland to embark on the seventh race of the global challenge.
Team Finland's skipper, Rob McInally has been assisting the maintenance team and rigging experts to replace the 90-foot spar. Rob says, 'The last few days have been very exciting for all of the crew and it was a little emotional for some as the mast was put into the boat. As usual with this type of procedure the weather gods played up to put a small delay in proccedings, despite nice weather the whole of the proceeding week. However this was not going to stop us. The Team Finland crew, rigging specialists and Clipper shore team put on a grand performance for a crowd of Qingdao citizens in both assembling and stepping the mast and they in turn put on their own farewell performance for us.
'Despite the long and cold Pacific crossing ahead of us the atmosphere on board is fantastic. We are all here for the sailing and being unable to go with the rest fleet was very tough. The challenges we have faced have helped to mould our team and arriving in San Francisco in time to start the next race will put us all in the right frame of mind to pick up podium positions once more. We are now into our watches and facing the cold night in the Yellow Sea, a far cry from the delights of the hotels that we have been enjoying but we are happy here.'
Getting the replacement mast from the UK to Qingdao has not been a straight forward task and required a massive logistical operation. Once a suitable replacement mast was sourced it was taken to Luxemburg by truck and then flown on a special front loading plane to Shanghai. From there it was trucked to Qingdao where a team of maintenance staff, riggers and Team Finland's crew were ready to swing into action to step the 90-foot spar.
For the last couple of weeks the crew have been chomping at the bit to get out on the race course and deliver the first class performance they have a reputation for - with three firsts and a second place finish already under their belts. They were clearly delighted to finally be on their way and as the sun began to set a group of Chinese drummers provided a rhythmic accompaniment as Team Finland motored out of the Olympic Sailing Centre.
Ahead lies thousands of miles of Pacific Ocean and speaking ahead of the race start, Clipper Chairman and legendary sailor Sir Robin Knox-Johnston said, 'Race 7 is a fascinating one. It is the longest and to complete the Pacific in one long five week bite is a major challenge. When the crews arrive in San Francisco, they will have sailed for a longer distance than 99.9 percent of all boat owners and it's a magnificent ocean for the amateur crews to have in their log books.'
The Clipper 09-10 Race started from the Humber on the north east coast of England on 13 September 2009 and will return to there on 17 July 2010. It is the only event in the world where people from all walks of life can take on the challenge of a lifetime and race around the globe on stripped down 68-foot ocean racing yachts.
www.clipperroundtheworld.com
by Clipper Ventures
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