Lord Mayor of Cork Greets Clipper Skipper and Crew in San Francisco

20th April 2010

The Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Dara Murphy, accompanied by Lady Mayoress Tanya Murphy, was welcomed by the new Cork Clipper round the world yacht race Skipper Hannah Jenner at the Golden Gate Yacht Club in San Francisco on Saturday 03 April 2010. Cork crew Orla Mellett and Marco Giana also joined the Mayoral couple and Hannah. This was the first time that Hannah met her new crew since being made Skipper three weeks ago.

Hannah and the Mayor had plenty to catch up on since launching plans for the new Pontoon together at the Port of Cork recently as she unveiled her plans to launch the Cork Clipper 2 in Panama on May 1st.

The original Cork Clipper proved to be unsalvageable after the incident on January 14th where she hit a reef in the Java Sea. The Cork Crew are now sailing on other yachts in the Race until they reach Panama in May and receive delivery of their new Cork yacht.

Cork Crew Gavin Kelly and Noreen Osborne’s maritime adventures didn’t calm onboard the California Clipper as they found themselves demasted in the North Pacific. The California crew endured rolling seas, knockdowns, gear failures. Thankfully the Irish crew were reported safe but tested with Orla Mellett describing in her onboard diary from Cape Breton;

“ It strikes me how much the focus of this passage turned from sailing and racing to simply surviving – Get there safe, in one piece, look after each other for God’s sake – Arrive Alive as the ad goes back home.”

With a very challenging leg behind them the Cork Crew look forward to reuniting and enjoying the challenge of the next leg with their new boat, the Cork 2, and the new Skipper at the helm.

Published in Clipper Race

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About the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is undoubtedly one of the greatest ocean adventures on the planet, also regarded as one of its toughest endurance challenges. Taking almost a year to complete, it consists of eleven teams competing against each other on the world’s largest matched fleet of 70-foot ocean racing yachts.

The Clipper Race was established in 1996 by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo, non-stop, around the world in 1968-69. His aim was to allow anyone, regardless of previous sailing experience, the chance to embrace the thrill of ocean racing; it is the only event of its kind for amateur sailors. Around 40 per cent of crew are novices and have never sailed before starting a comprehensive training programme ahead of their adventure.

This unique challenge brings together everyone from chief executives to train drivers, nurses and firefighters, farmers, airline pilots and students, from age 18 upwards, to take on Mother Nature’s toughest and most remote conditions. There is no upper age limit, the oldest competitor to date is 76.

Now in its twelfth edition, the Clipper 2019-20 Race started from London, UK, on 02 September 2019.