News

Hello everyone, from Tauranga!

The Welcome to Yorkshire crew have been busy doing boat maintenance and taking some time off to enjoy the local sights. The next race starts on Sunday but unfortunately it will be setting off without me.

The terrible weather on the way to New Zealand took its toll and I have pulled muscles in my back and have a sore shoulder. I have been seen by a doctor and a physio, and today I was signed off as not fit to sail. I am very disappointed but do not want to risk any further damage, and it's not a trip that can be done with light duties! Clipper are saying that this race has been the one with the worst conditions in the history of Clipper.

I am hoping to be able to do some sightseeing while I am here but am also looking forward to being back at home.

Many thanks to Eleanor for updating my blog while I have been away. I will put some photos on here when I am back in the UK.

Welcome to Yorkshire arrives in New Zealand

Yorkshire crew in port at Tauranga, New Zealand

Welcome to Yorkshire crossed the Race 5 finish line at 8.06am today. Racing 3,800 miles from Geraldton, Western Australia to Tauranga, New Zealand they finished in seventh place. Throughout the race, the crew experienced gale force storms creating brutal sailing conditons including 30-40ft waves that slammed into the boat caused minor damage to crew members and major damage to their sails.
Skipper Rupert Dean said it felt like defeat had been snatched from the jaws of victory, as they had at one point been heading for second place. He said the team were "gutted" that they finished seventh but that the crew had " worked their guts out and we've tried our best" (Race News, 26.11.11).

All crew are now taking a well deserved rest in Tauranga, before Leg 4 continues when all teams head for Gold Coast, Eastern Australia on the 4th December.

(Posted by Eleanor Prior)

Moments Like These

The yacht teams are making their way ever closer to Tauranga, and the podium positions are all to play for. Welcome to Yorkshire has edged up the race board and is currently in 4th position behind Gold Coast, Derry-Londonderry and just a couple of nautical miles behind Dutch yacht De Lage Landen. All the while a dedicated team of Yorkshire crew have been repairing one of their spinnaker sails which was damaged after being dragged under the boat last week, and Skipper Rupert Dean has praised the team - including Kate - for their efforts. All are hoping the repair will be finished by the time they reach port in New Zealand.

Meanwhile, Kate has written an update on the Clipper Website's 'Crew Diary' page about some experiences or 'if only they could see me now' moments that she has had while on the race. She says:
"I am sure that my family and friends must be wondering how I am coping with life as a legger on Welcome to Yorkshire.There have been several 'if they could see me now' moments so I thought I would share them with you.
The first was the thrill of setting off at race start – I was finally on my way after months of anticipation. No time for nerves as there was a lot happening on deck as we set off into some brisk winds. This was unfortunately the cause of my next 'if they could see me now' moment as I succumbed to a bad bout of seasickness. On Day 2 of the race I found myself sitting in the saloon with a group of people I didn't yet know very well, wearing my base layer leggings and top, already suffering with boat hair and feeling pretty rough. “What on earth would my family and friends say if they could see me now' I wondered...
Only two days later I found myself at the helm of Welcome to Yorkshire in the Southern Ocean with a big smile on my face. This is what it is all about, if only they could see me now!
By day seven it was my turn to be on mother watch along with James. This is a long and tiring day, providing hot meals and drinks for a crew of 18, starting with breakfast at 5.15. It doesn't sound too bad except that the galley is very small for two people to work in (and James is a big chap!) and the cooker has only three small rings and a tiny oven. It also means being below deck for the whole day which was unthinkable for me only a few days before – if only they could see me now!
My most recent moment came during the night of the big storm. Sitting on deck in the middle of the ocean and feeling totally at the mercy of the elements was very frightening but an experience I will always remember – if they could see me now they would think I was completely mad, but then I think you have to be a bit that way to have signed up to do this in the first place!"
(Kate Prior, Welcome to Yorkshire Crew Diaries, Race 5 Day 12; 21/11/11).

(Posted by Eleanor Prior)

Welcome to Yorkshire takes a battering

As the boats head round the bottom of South Island and up the eastern coast of New Zealand, they have been experiencing winds in excess of 52mph and a succession of huge waves creating 40-foot ‘cliffs’ of water to sail over and walls of spray. The night time brought the strongest winds and biggest waves hitting the yacht with great force and requiring the best helms to take the boat through the storm.

One particular wave which was around 20ft hit Welcome to Yorkshire, sending a blanket of water over the crew on deck and put their safety lines to the test. The crew below deck were tossed around with cutlery, crockery and food flying off their storage shelves, crew being hurled out of their bunks or thrown around the interior of the boat. Several crew members sustained injuries ranging from sprained muscles, cuts to the head, burns, bruising and shock. A few of the crew have been temporarily removed from the yachts watch system, however due to the efforts of the onboard medical officer, Steve Reid (a paramedic in his day job); all crew members are recovering well and will be resuming their duties soon!

(Posted by Eleanor Prior)

The calm before another storm.....

The crew onboard Welcome to Yorkshire on Remembrance Day

As the yachts sail past Tasmania and Welcome to Yorkshire enters the Ocean Sprint, all crews are bracing themselves for another storm ahead. Yorkshire Skipper, Rupert Dean said "as the low approaches us from the south east, the winds are really picking up and we know that there's much more to come" (Race News, 15/11/11).

Having been on board for just over a week, Kate has reported in, saying that now she has got her sea legs, she is enjoying herself and says "it is really a great experience being here". Welcome to Yorkshire is currently in 5th place, making good progress with Derry/Londonderry visable only a few miles ahead as they plow on towards Tauranga.

(Posted by Eleanor Prior)

Setting sail today!

The crew of Welcome to Yorkshire bid farewell to Geraldton

Welcome to Yorkshire sails out of the port in Geraldton at Race Start

At 5.30am (UK time) / 1.30pm in Perth, Leg 4 of the Clipper 2011 / 2012 Race got underway. Welcome to Yorkshire along with the other yachts set sail from Geraldton, Australia and are bound for Tauranga, New Zealand in the first race of this leg, which will take approximatly 3 weeks, before heading on to Gold Coast, Eastern Austraila.

Have a look at the Clipper Race Viewer to see how Welcome to Yorkshire and its crew are doing on their current adventure! http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/index.php/follow/race-viewer/

(Posted by Eleanor Prior)

In Geraldton

Well I have arrived safely in Geraldton after a few days relaxing in Freemantle . It is very hot and sunny - over 30 degrees today. Only two of the boats are here as the whole fleet has been pretty much becalmed. They have been told to motor in otherwise we won't be ready to leave on Sunday. Welcome to Yorkshire is expected around 23.00 tonight which is 15.00 UK time.

Looking forward to meeting up with the crew.