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Club Member Trevor Thurlow sent his latest update as the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race prepares to resume in the Philippines.
I have now been in Subic Bay – Philippines, for almost a month and the 34 degree C heat every day has made everything a little trying. We Yorkshire lads are just not used to it.
Spent the first week in quarantine, second week getting Zhuhai ready to sail. Third week consisted of an excellent week of refresher sailing before we returned here for a final week of boat preparation and provisioning.
We set sail from here for the USA and Seattle on Sunday 20th March, exactly 2 years since I arrived back in the UK from the suspended 2019/20 Race.
Leg 6 conditions are expected to be ‘brutal’ as we sail the 6,100 Nm across the north Pacific. Routing to the south of Taiwan and Japan before arking North up to 45 degrees North and the Clipper imposed “ice limit”. First week should be hot and then become progressively colder as we re-enter the Northern Hemisphere, before reaching Seattle 4 to 5 weeks later and their early Springtime.
I see leg 6 as being the last really big challenge of the race and now just want to get on with it and hopefully tick it off.
Our new skipper, Patrick Van Der Zujdeb is great and the 14 person crew (11 who are new to me) have really gelled – we hope to do well.
Of the original 9 Zhuhai potential “round the worlders”, who left London in September 2019, there is now only me and James, the AQP (First Mate) left. So we need to complete for England and in my case more importantly Yorkshire.
I will send you another update in about a month’s time when I reach America.