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Tenth Clipper Race Begins

London’s Tower Bridge is raised to allow the Clipper Round the World Race fleet to parade down the Thames prior to their start on Sunday.

© 2015 onEdition

Twelve Clipper 70s started the tenth edition of the 40,000-mile, 11-month Clipper Race off the English coast at Southend (at the mouth of the Thames) on Sunday. To get a crew position in the global race, participants don’t need to be pros or even experienced sailors; rather they pay for the privilege and undergo intensive training and preparation. Racers have the choice of signing up for inidividual or multiple legs — or the complete circumnavigation. Over the years, many Bay Area sailors have taken up the challenge.

GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland at Sunday’s start off Southend in southeastern England.

© 2015 onEdition

"The interview process is focused on whether your can live on a 70-ft yacht with 20 other crew for extended periods of time. That can’t be taught — the sailing part can," said Hillsborough resident Mike Moore, who is sailing aboard Mission Performance. He has signed up for the entire circumnavigation, as has Nicholas Abramczyk, who hails from Wasilla, AK, and currently lives in Washington, DC. Abramczyk normally sails a Catalina 36; now he’s crewing on Clipper Telemed+. We’ll have profiles of both men in the October issue of Latitude 38.

Nicholas Abramczyk, left, says,"I love kite runs!" and Mike Moore who, during his training, got "plenty of tea and biscuit breaks with a predominantly UK crew."
 

© 2015 Nicholas Abramczyk and Mike Moore

Leg 1 will take the fleet to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with estimated arrival dates of September 26-29. Ports in the USA will be Seattle, WA, the third week of April, and New York City the second week of June. A transit of the Panama Canal will connect the two American stopovers.

Like other long-distance, high-profile races, the Clipper Race has a companion Virtual Regatta so that armchair sailors can play along.

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The Berkeley-based GravlaX anchored in Jamaica, as featured in this month’s Changes in Latitudes.