Past and future Clipper Round the World Yacht Race crew from six different countries will once again compete in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race (RSHYR) on Clipper 68 CV10.
In 2014, Australian, New Zealand, British, South Korean, Russian and Italian crew will race in the 70th anniversary edition of the RSHYR on board CV10, one of two boats used for training future round the world crew at the UK company’s Sydney base which has already completed four circumnavigations in previous Clipper Race editions.
The entry follows last year’s inaugural Clipper Race entry in the race, with the 12-strong Clipper 70 round the world fleet creating much interest as amateur sailors from 25 different nationalities
competed in the race as part of their 11-month long circumnavigation.
2014 RSHYR crew members include firefighter Bruce Dowling from Merewether Heights, NSW, who works on international rescue teams in disaster zones, West Australian Army Officer Wayne Reed who sailed in the Clipper 2011-12 Race, and Clipper 2013-14 Race sailor Sang Cho who will be the first South Korean to do the Sydney Hobart.
Clipper 2013-14 Race winning skipper Eric Holden, the Canadian who led the Henri Lloyd team to
victory, is also racing on board Primitive Cool. Clipper Race chairman and founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo and non-stop round the world in 1968/9, said he was delighted the Clipper Race would have a presence again. Sir Robin, who took part himself in last year’s RSHYR as a navigator on board CV10, the very same yacht entered in the race this year, said: “Last year was the first time the Clipper Race fleet had ever sailed in the Sydney Hobart. We added a lot of colour to a great event and it was fantastic experience for our crews to pit themselves against some tough competition.
“Some of this year’s crew are in training for the 2015-16 Clipper Race and so this will be great experience as they experience what the Bass Strait and waters around Tasmania can throw up.”
John Cameron, Commodore of race organisers the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, added: “The
Clipper Race fleet added an extra international mix and a new dimension to our race when it
participated in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race for the first time last year in conjunction with its own round the world race. We enjoyed hosting the yachts and are happy to welcome back some of those crew who will race aboard CV10 in our milestone 70th race.
In the 2013 Sydney Hobart, Clipper Race crew included South African Masibulele (Sbu) Liyaba, the first black African to ever compete in the revered ocean race, and Vicky Song, the first ever Chinese woman to complete the 628-mile course.
Having started the 40,000 nautical mile Clipper Race on September 1 2013, from London, the Clipper 2013-14 Race fleet arrived in Sydney from Albany, Western Australia, to compete in the 2013 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, which also doubled as Race 6 of a total of 16 that make up the overall circumnavigation. 270 crew enjoyed Christmas in Sydney before starting the iconic race on Boxing Day.
The next Clipper Race ocean odyssey will start in August 2015, and will mark the event’s tenth
edition Crew places are more than 70 per cent full, but it is not too late to apply.
– Clipper Race Media
