clippertelemed

A Ride in the Sky

/ Doug Kern / 8 Comments

Apparently, sailing around the world – 40,000 miles, 330 days, 14 ports  – wasn’t enough for Linda.

To add some excitement, she just HAD to add a helicopter ride into the mix.

According to Linda’s text message (below) and an update from Clipper HQ, on the last leg of the Clipper Race from Holland to London, Linda took a tumble below decks and hurt her shoulder.

Suspecting the shoulder was dislocated and taking no chances, the Clipper support team had Linda airlifted by helicopter and examined at a shoreside hospital in Colchester.

Thankfully, all turned out well. Linda was discharged from the hospital with a sprained shoulder, and will rejoin the team Saturday morning on London’s River Thames where she will complete the journey with her team.

Next stop after London? Back to Austin – via airplane.

Here is Linda’s sat-phone text:

Had a misadventure on boat this afternoon that ended in a dislocated shoulder. They were not sure if it was dislocated or broken so made me helicopter evac to colchester to hospital. Am fine. Dislocation is back in place. Sling to keep from hurting worse. Am meeting back up with boat in morning to come into london.

 

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Linda going for a ride in the sky. Source: Colin Blears (Legs 5 and 8, Mission Performance)

Source: onEdition

Source: onEdition

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Source: Clipper Race

The Last Monday

/ Doug Kern / 1 Comment

Linda’s round-the-the-world journey is coming to an end. Here’s a quick message from somewhere in the North Sea, on the way from Derry-Lononderry, Northern Ireland to Denhelder, The Netherlands. The fleet is expected to arrive this Friday July 22.

One of the “leggers” had an interesting observation yesterday. He asked me if, as a round-the-worlder, if I realized that this would be the last Monday that I would be sailing the boat.

It felt very strange to be thinking of that. “Today is last Tuesday, tomorrow last Wednesday.” No more head duty and so forth as I go through jobs.

It is a beautiful day here today. Calm seas and around 10 knots. We’re actually in 1st currently and seeing if we can stay there. A few clouds and lots of sunshine.

There are lots of things I do not quite understand about ocean racing and I look forward to coming home, asking questions, and then getting back to good old lake sailing. I am wondering what life will be like without this routine.

I will do the “thoughts to ponder” later when working to catch up.

See you all soon!

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Video: Yesterday on TODAY

/ Doug Kern / 8 Comments

Linda got some prime time on Prime Time this weekend on NBC’s TODAY Show.

Best quote from the video:

TODAY: In all honesty, this is a dangerous endeavor. Were there any moments when you were scared?

Linda: My mindset when I got on was ‘If something happens to me, don’t worry. I’m doing something I’ve always wanted to do. Here I am and whatever happens is what happens.’

Check out the video and follow the fleet on the Clipper Race real-time race tracker. Continue reading →

ClipperTelemed+ Wins Panama-NYC leg!

/ Doug Kern / 11 Comments

Hooray! What a great way to make your entrance to New York City.

Congrats to the ClipperTelemed+ team for winning the Panama-NYC leg (Race 11), their first overall race win in the Clipper Race and second podium of the series.

The team crossed the line this afternoon (Thur June 9) after passing Garmin in the middle of the night, extending their lead to nine miles. to the finish of the race from Panama by around nine nautical miles.

ClipperTelemed+ is due into Liberty Landing Marina, New Jersey, around 6:00pm ET tonight following the motorsail from the finish line to the marina.

For round the world crew member Linda McDavitt, a former band teacher from Texas, the lasting memories of the race were those final hours battling with Garmin.

“We were ahead and then they were ahead, we were ahead and then they were ahead and finally we were counting down five more miles, four more miles, three, two, one. So it was very exciting, the countdown was really cool.”

After two consecutive podium places since leaving Seattle in April, things have fallen into place for ClipperTelemed+ on this American Coast to Coast Leg, and Linda added: “That’s the beauty of the US. The final sail up the Hudson was also really exciting, especially to sail past the Statue of Liberty because I’ve never been that close to it.”

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Nearing NYC: shooting stars and dodging Colin

/ Doug Kern / Leave a comment

As the Clipper fleet nears the finish of the Panama-NYC leg, they’ve traded the 50-60 knot winds of Tropical Storm Colin (and 30.7 knot surfing!) for light, variable breezes requiring constant sail changes.

Team ClipperTelemed+ is in a tight race with the leaders. Who will make it to NYC first? ;-]

Here’s a note from Linda from last night (Wed), somewhere in the Atlantic east of Virginia:

We have been through what we think is our share of Tropical Storm Colin and all is good. We have had some gorgeous weather though it’s hot and muggy in the boat.

Beautiful skies at night, sun during the day, amazing sunrises and sunsets. Only Colin has dampened and rocked our doorstep. Shooting stars and dolphins have entertained us.

Not sure if i said this but yesterday felt like we were in a washing machine!

Sail changes have kept us busy. It seems as though we have had a marathon of kite changes — everytime I wake up there is either a wooling session in the works or I am getting to participate in one.

We have been kept quite busy this race. All in all, great fun and super crew.

Looking forward to NYC, seeing friends and getting to hear the McCallum band perform in Carnegie Hall. Go Ms. Nelson, Mr. Ehlers, Mr. Rudy and Mac band students!

I am also looking forward to catching up with ex MacArthur percussionist Kevin Brubaker on his musical journey and his new passion sailing!

Continue reading →

Passing the Windward Passage

/ Doug Kern / 6 Comments

524 years after Columbus, the Clipper Fleet made their way through the Windward Passage, the 50-mile wide, 5,550-foot deep gap between eastern Cuba and western Haiti that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Caribbean Sea.

High-pressure systems delivered a “breath-taking vista of horizon-to-horizon stars, with the Milky Way clearer than we’ve seen for a while, and not a squall cloud in sight” according to skipper Matt Mitchell.

It’s Day 5 of the 10-day 1,750-mile sail north from Panama to New York City and ClipperTelemed+ is in third place, just eight miles behind leader Garmin.  Given the favorable weather forecast, the leaders should arrive into Liberty Landing Marina on June 9-10.

Here’s a note from Linda, from somewhere in the Caribbean:

Continue reading →

Hello Panama!

/ Doug Kern / 1 Comment

After 20 days and 4,208 miles from the Le Mans start off Seattle, the Clipper fleet has finished the Race 10 Seattle-Panama leg of their round-the-world sail and are now headed to the Panama canal after a quick stop in Cost Rica to refuel.

After making it through the canal, the fleet embarks on Race 11 to New York on 30 May.

Here’s a note from Linda just after the finish, a few hundred miles west of Costa Rica: Continue reading →