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4:28 AM Tue 26 May 2009 GMT
More than 30 competitors in OSTAR 2009 departed from Plymouth this afternoon (25th May) at 12.30pm on their 2,800 mile Atlantic crossing to Newport, Rhode Island, USA.
Crowds gathered to see H.R.H The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, K.G., K.T start the race from aboard the Trinity House vessel, Galatea. He was joined by yachting favourites Mike Golding, Dee Caffari and Val Howells (competitor in the first OSTAR in 1960), who all support the race which has been hosted by the Royal Western Yacht Club for nearly 50 years.
After months of preparation and anticipation the skippers, ranging in age from 18 years to 68, will now face strong, prevailing winds, an adverse Gulf Stream, hazardous icebergs (south of the Sea of Labrador) and dense fog as they each battle to reach their destination.
With international competitors from Austria, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, the USA and the United Kingdom, the whole world will be watching their progress.
Trackers have been fitted on each boat and their progress can be seen via the OSTAR 2009 race website (www.ostar2009.com). Regular news updates and weather forecasts will also be available. The skippers will be leaving regular blogs on popular website www.blogstar.org.uk.
David Southwood, Race Director of OSTAR 2009, commented: 'It was a great honour to have our Patron H.R.H The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, K.G., K.T starting the race. A huge crowd was out in Plymouth to enjoy the sunshine and show their support for the competitors. The OSTAR is one of the most exciting events in the yachting calendar and the Royal Western Yacht Club has worked hard to maintain its Corinthian roots. We now wish the competitors the best of luck in their crossing and we look forward to greeting them on the other side of the Atlantic.'
The guardship HMS Iron Duke was on station in Plymouth Sound which was packed with spectator boats patrolled by the Plymouth Lifeboat, a fire ship and RIBs from the Royal Navy. A famous classic sailing craft 'Corbeau des Mers' from the Museum de la Resistance came over especially from Brittany (she carried men across the channel in 1940 to join De Gaulle's Free French Army).
Competitors List
OSTAR 2009
COMPETITORS LIST
No.
|
SKIPPER |
NATIONALITY |
BOAT NAME |
TYPE | 1 |
Adams, Bob | USA |
Perseverance |
Open 40 | 2 | Alcorn, Geoff(Q) | GBR | Wind of Lorne II | Saltram 36 | 3 | Black, Steve | USA | Caribbean | Prima 38 | 4 | Boosman, Bart (Q) | NED | De Franschman | One off 30 | 5 | Bouchacourt, Jacques (Q) | FRA | Okami | Futura 50 | 6 | Bourke, Peter (Q) | USA | Rubicon | Outbound 44 | 7 | Brant, Paul (Q) | GBR | Ninjod | JOD 35 | 8 | Caseneuve, Anne | FRA | Croisi?res Anne Caseneuve | Class 50 Trimaran | 9 | Chalandre, Christian (Q) | FRA | Olbia | S & S 34 | 10 | Collins, Michael (Q) | GBR | Flamingo Lady | Westerly 33 | 11 | Craigie, Rob (Q) | GBR | Jbellino | J 122 | 12 | Crowther, Peter (Q) | GBR | Suomi Kudu | Swan 38 |
13 | Cumming, Rob | GBR | Egotripp | Tripp 40 | 14 | Falla, John (Q) | GBR | Banjaard | Swan 36 | 15 | Freeman, Jerry (Q) | GBR | QII | One off35 | 16 | Gelder, Reini (Q) | AUT | Light for the World | Trmaran Crowther 40 | 17 | Hildesley, Pip (Q) | GBR | Cazenove Capital | Oyster 395 | 18 | Hurley, Barry (Q) | IRL | Dinah | JOD 35 (Mod) | 19 | Koopmans, Dick (Q) | NED | Jager | Koopmans 35 | 20 | Lampe, Jan Kees (Q) | NED | La Promesse | Open 40 | 21 | Magrath, Andrew (Q) | GBR | Roaring Forty | Class 40 | 22 | Mead, Oscar (Q) | GBR | King of shaves | J 105 | 23 | Miller, Katie (Q) | GBR | bluQube | Figaro II | 24 | Nannini, Marco (Q) | ITA | British Beagle | Sigma 36 | 25 | Petty, Andrew (Q) | GBR | Jemima Nicholas | Intrepid | 26 | Quaglia, Sandro | FRA | Diavolo Porco | Adventure 35 | 27 | Rottgering, Uwe (Q) | GER | Fanfan! | One Off Greyhound 40 | 28 | Sayer, Will (Q) | GBR | Elmarleen | Sigma 33C | 29 | Snodgrass, Jonathan (Q) | GBR | Lexia | Sunbird 32 | 30 | Swets, Huib (Q) | NED | Vijaya | De Ridder 40 | 31 | Tortolani, Gianfranco | ITA | Citta di Salerno | Adventure 30 Open | 32 | Trentini, Luca | ITA | FIBRA | Open 35 | 33 | Westerman, Roberto | ITA | Spinning Wheel | Open 40 | 34 | Wheatley, Mervyn (Q) | GBR | Tamarind | Formosa 42 | 35 | Hannah White (Q) | GBR | Pure Solo | Figaro II | 36 | Zoccoli, Luca (Q) | ITA | In Direzione Ostinata e Contraria | Open 35 |
The OSTAR, run exclusively by the Royal Western Yacht Club since its inception in 1960, is the Original Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race. This event, which is the oldest solo ocean race in history and Corinthian in nature, is primarily for amateur sailors and aspiring professionals and follows in the tradition of the original 'half crown' bet between Blondie Haslar and Francis Chichester. The OSTAR 2009 will be the thirteenth edition of the race and follows the traditional route from Plymouth to Newport, Rhode Island.
www.ostar2009.com
by RWYC media
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