Clipper Race pack is flying great in Lloyd Hobart to the Whitsundays Race

Posted on April 7, 2016 in At Sea

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is going on strong at the Henri Lloyd Hobart to Whitsundays Race.

The runners are just more than a thousand nautical miles from the end line near Airlie Beach with Da Nang – Viet Nam keeping a narrow lead with just 30nM splitting the top 8 teams.
Great Britain was 1st through Scoring Gate at 18:16 UTC (Jan 3, 2016) followed just twenty-six minutes later by LMAX Exchange, taking 3 and 2 points respectively. The final point was taken by Derry Londonderry Doire.
Peter Thornton talked about the great battle. He said that last night, the little race for the gate was a bit strong. He mockingly added “thanks LMAX Exchange for my increased number of white hairs, heightened blood pressure and general lack of sleep.” The reckoned wind shift in the last stages did in fact come through in the nick of time and enabled them to stay ahead which he was very delighted with, as the guys were working pretty hard in some challenging trimming and helming conditions – mainly at night.

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Albeau breaks record

Posted on November 11, 2015 in At Sea

Antoine Albeau has burst the windsurfing speed record at Luderitz Speed Challenge 2015, in Namibia. The sailor from France hit 53.27 knots (i.e. 98.65 km/h) and crushed earlier record fixed at 52.05 knots. Wind ‘terms’ improved in a dramatic way in the last days of October, and windsurfers kept arousing the bar in the iconic speed channel.

Albeau has never stopped attempting to improve his own world record. In two days of speed attempts, he made 54 runs. Ten of them were over 50 knots, and six were over 51 knots. Breaking a new record was only a matter of time. Antoine sailed at 52.39 knots over five-hundred meters with winds running at more than forty knots, and at a right angle. Read more… »

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RNLI in rescue bid as yacht runs aground

Posted on November 6, 2015 in Uncategorized

The crew of RNLI in the Co Antrim served rescue 2 Americans after a 40 feet boat ran aground. Red Bay in Co Antrim crew were primarily called before 9 pm earlier on Wednesday night, 4th November. Coming at the scene, the saw a forty feet yacht had aground off Waterfoot Pier near Red Bay.

But, in spite of help from a fishing yacht, the crews were not able to serve as the yacht was stuck fast. With clear visibility and good conditions, the crew of the lifeboat shot the anchors off the boat to secure it and make sure that it would stay safe during the evening.

They saw that the two US crew onboard were not harmed and Coastguard kept in touch with them during night. At 5 am earlier this morning, 5th November, Thursday, came back as the tide went u and they were not able to free the yacht from the rocks.

The two men, journeying from Oban, Scotland to Howth, Dublin, were taken to a nearby mooring before they will continue on their journey. Paddy McLaughlin of Red Bay RNLI Lifeboat stated that thankfully conditions were great last night but they were really that they were due to change this morning.

The lifeboat started at 5 am when the tide had gone up and the yacht was refloated safely with no damage sustained. He added that the two men who are none the worse for their ordeal would be able to carry on on their journey to Howth this morning.

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