Good Friday for Jamaica Lightning Bolt

The lack of Californian sunshine couldn’t dampen the spirits of the crew on board Jamaica Lighting Bolt as the team sailed under a mist enshrouded Golden Gate Bridge to secure their fifth podium of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race. Despite being the third team to cross the Race 7 finish line, behind Cape Breton Island and Qingdao, the Jamaican team walks away with another second place pennant to join the one awarded in Qingdao for Race 6. This is due to a 32 hour and 15 minutes redress which was agreed by the Race Committee for the assistance the team provided following an incident packed race. The nine point result when added to the two scoring gate points for being the second team to cross the North Pacific gate gives the Caribbean entry an overall points tally of 59.

However, for Jamaica Lightning Bolt, one of many teams which have been praised by the Race Committee for the assistance they gave when California lost her mast, the result comes second to the knowledge that not only have survived some of the harshest sailing conditions but that they have helped one of the fellow race teams do the same.

Skipper Pete Stirling says, “There was absolutely no hesitation in going to help California. We had no idea what we were going to find and they were in quite a bad state when we got there. Having said that they had an extremely buoyant attitude, they were upbeat and determined to just get on with it. For us, it was a great privilege to be able to come to their aid and as the first on scene we were with them for a period of about three days in total. We know some of the crew quite well now, they’ve become friends during stopovers, so it wasn’t just another yacht to go and help it was helping our friends too.”

Pete and his crew on board Jamaica Lightning Bolt were the nearest vessel to the EPIRB position coming from California after the US entry was rolled by a major Pacific Storm. The way the crew dealt with the situation and reported initial observations back to Clipper’s Race Office was invaluable. In the following days, they acted as a communication relay, provided escort and transferred much needed supplies in the form of water and fuel to the American team.

For round the world crew member Matt Schafer, being able to come to the assistance of California is something he is immensely proud of, more so than having taken on the world’s largest ocean.

He says, “It was really scary when we first got the news that their EPIRB had gone off and they weren’t responding especially given the weather we’d just gone through. When we heard the coastguard plane communicating with them it was such a relief. It was really great to be able to help them out and we’ll certainly be on the dockside to welcome them home.”

Matt will have to wait until the final leg before he sails into his home city of New York, but the 34-year-old consultant was clearly pleased to be back on American soil.

“First of all I’m just glad to be on any soil right now after this leg! But it is great to be back in the States as it’s been about eight months since I left.

“I didn’t expect the conditions we’ve just experienced in the North Pacific. They were the sort of conditions we were expected from the Southern Ocean. It was just intense. It wasn’t always pleasant, in fact I’d say it was one of the more unpleasant experiences of my life but it was tough and is one of those things you look back on for the rest of your life and say ‘it was really hard and I did that.’ We did a great job and I’m extremely proud of our boat, our crew and our skipper.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS
Media opportunities in San Francisco
Media are invited to attend the San Francisco stopover of the Clipper 09-10 Race and media registration is available at the Media Centre located at Golden Gate Yacht Club, 1 Yacht Lane, San Francisco. There will be an opportunity to interview skippers, crew and the race officials.

For further information, to confirm your attendance or for interviews please contact:
Zoe Williamson, Clipper Race Communications Manager:
zwilliamson@clipper-ventures.com, Tel: +1 415 7286140

Media Sail: Wednesday 7 April
Places will be available for media to experience what it is like on board one of the Clipper 68 foot ocean racing yachts and to meet some of the crew. The media sail will take place from 1400 to 1600 local time. Places are limited so please email zwilliamson@clipper-ventures.com to reserve a place.

Standings after Race 7 Scoring Gate Points
1 Spirit of Australia 60
2 Team Finland 50
3 Jamaica Lightning Bolt * 50
4 Cape Breton 43
5 Hull & Humber 37
6 Uniquely Singapore 33
7 Qingdao 28
8 Cork 23
9 California 19
10 Edinburgh Inspiring Capital 18


For further information log onto www.clipperroundtheworld.com
For media information or interviews please contact:
Zoe Williamson, Communications Manager (in San Francisco, GMT -7)
Local Mobile: +1 415 7286140
UK Mobile: +44 (0) 7793 417 751
Email: zwilliamson@clipper-ventures.com

Heather Ewing, Communications Manager
Mobile: +44 (0) 7792 408 695
Tel: +44 (0) 2392 526000
Email: hewing@clipper-ventures.com