Clipper Race Boat Wrecked, Crew Saved

Every sailor who signs up to crew on the Clipper Round the World Race expects a high level of excitement. But the crew of the Irish entry, Cork, got a bigger adrenaline rush than they’d bargained for when their yacht struck a rock in the Java Sea before dawn Wednesday. The incident took place near the small island of Gosong Mampango, roughly 200 miles northeast of Jakarta.

Fortunately, two competing boats, Finland and California, were nearby and all of Cork‘s 16 crew members were rescued safely, despite strong winds. The 10-boat fleet of identical 68-footers is in the fifth race of their ’round-the-world circuit, which left Geraldton, Western Australia, January 3 bound for Singapore. 

At this writing, Cork‘s crew members — made up of five Brits, eight Irish, two Ausssies and one Chinese —  have settled into the daily routines of their rescue boats, where they will stay until making landfall at Singapore. No word yet on whether a salvage effort will be mounted for Cork.

The first week in April, the fleet will make a pit stop in San Francisco Bay at the completion of their Pacific crossing from Qingdao, China. For more on this biennial 35,000-mile race see the event’s website.