A quick video by Hannah as she takes a time out during her trans-atlantic solo race. Her singing is far better than mine…but I can’t help but wonder whilst she’s doing these vid’s – who’s at the wheel?!!
Read more at blog.hannahwhiteracing.com and vote for her at The official race blog-site.

p.s. Happy Birthday Sam!!

And so the day came to leave the safety of Plymouth and set sail for Newport, Rhode Island, USA. After a quick farewell from close family it was down to business to get the boat prep’ed for the voyage – due to start only a matter of hours away. the Eerily quiet docks betrayed an air of nervous tension as final adjustments were made. The following images document the run up to and first part of Day 1 of the OSTAR as it leaves Plymouth. Although mainly focused on Hannah I was able to capture a few clear shots of the other competitors – between all the heavy traffic following the soloists out of the harbour. It is assumed that all sailors experience such a cocktail of emotions about the task ahead. I hope the continuation of these images sheds a little more light on those moments perhaps often overlooked and rarely captured from the outside…

 

Although the start for the OSTAR happened a few days ago, the images that follow were shot on Sunday 24th May 2009, the evening before Hannah set sail…
I turned up in Plymouth on the evening of Sunday 24th May, 2009, the day before the start of the Original Single Handed Trans-Atlantic Race (OSTAR). I found Hannah and all her supporters a little way down the deck sharing a drink ahead of the big day. All around the other sailors were finishing their last day preparations it was a scene of organised chaos, with sails being folded and packed, lots of arm wavings and shoutings (mostly Italian!) mingling into the soft clinks as the boats rolled softly in the harbour swell. Periodically I had to jump to one side as piles food, clothes and gallons and gallons of fresh water were ferried to and fro on bulging trolleys, plastic bottles squeaking as they trundle along the jetty. Take a closer peek and I’d often spot the odd home comfort for the long voyage ahead, but this was usually limited to a small teddy bear due to the need to save weight though!
This was the first time I was to see her boat up-close and ‘in the flesh’ and it’s an impressive sight. With large logos across the bow and stern it sat alongside its fellow competitors ready and waiting for the challenge ahead. I was lucky to get a quick tour of the boat too, that’s to say I peered into the surprisingly roomy cabin – Hannah’s home from home for the next few weeks. Inside, the control hub of navigation and communication equipment bleeped and pinged quietly letting you know all was working just right. Further up into the bows, spare sails and ropes were waiting for their turn, around the corner were a couple of rudimentary bunks…I wondered how long she’ll get to use those!
Before I knew it the crowds had dwindled and I was there alone on the jetty taking in all that’s happened in the last hour or so. Hannah is surrounded by some very experienced sailors, many of whom were there to wish her well but more importantly I know she’s not entirely alone out there right now. She’ll be steaming into Newport in no time!
[part ii: Crossing the Line, coming soon!]

 

The above image was the incredible view I had when looking down onto the Sorcerer II from high up on the mast. Somewhat unrivaled views of the proceedings around me I think you’ll agree!

Its been all go since my last post. Coordinating Hannah’s blog posts, her website and various other tasks to get the word out take up a large chunk of time, actually its pretty fun doing it but also knowing I’m good at it too helps! The great news is I’ve just received word Hannah’s doing well out in the Atlantic ‘somewhere’ off the edge of Ireland. As she puts it “2 days down, 20 to go”. The conditions have been fairly fast and challenging for the first two days and she’s had no time to stop and send messages back save a phone call to the shore team to keep them up to speed. More good news is we’re now leading the pack on the media voting side of things, keep those votes coming!!

Don’t forget to pay a visit to the web page belonging to George, the RNLI bear, who is joining Hannah on her voyage across the Atlantic.

I am responsible for updating Hannah’s blogs when she sends back reports from the boat, both to her own website: http://blog.hannahwhiteracing.com and the official race website: http://www.jamorph.com/blogstar/ (there’s a prize for the sailor with the most votes too, just click on the stars below each of Hannah’s posts to register the vote). Now that the race has started it’s also possible to track her progress via gps http://www.ostar2009.co.uk/tracker.php (just click the map for coords.). There’s an interactive map I found only just last night at http://www.oceanracetrack.com/raceplayer/raceplayer.aspx?event=32
click on the ‘Pen Duick’ tab on the right and then PureSolo will appear, click on that tab to highlight Hannah’s boat! as far as I can tell she’s doing rather well. I’ll be putting up her images and videos if she gets time to do much of that as she’s going along, and I will also be sending back to her brief messages from friends to wish her well. So if you have any messages of encouragement to send to her either leave a comment on her blog(s) or email me (use the contact form on the website) and I’ll get it to her.

Today was a day I’m unlikely to forget for quite some time. This shot was taken several meters up a mast of the 95-foot yacht Sorcerer II following the start of the Original Single Handed Trans-Atlantic Race (OSTAR) as it left Plymouth today. I haven’t publicised this here yet though now I have images to show everything makes more sense in explaining it! A good friend of mine has undertaken the challenge to cross the Atlantic ocean in the OSTAR and left Plymouth today enroute to Newport, on the east coast of the USA. Having secured sponsorship, a boat and the entry fee(!) Hannah White joins a group made up of around 40 sailors in total all aiming to cross the Atlantic Ocean without the help from anyone save the odd supportive message sent from friends and family. I have been given the task of managing and administering her various online presences whilst she’s away, sending mack messages as she goes, and posting them onto her blog, the official race blog and her main sponsor’s profile page. (be sure to vote on the offical race site!)

So, here’s what happened today: It was an early start for everyone this morning, it had only just gone 7am and I could already hear the rustling of waterproof clothing and closing of heavy zips as the last few items of importance were stuffed into bags. Breakfast was a brief slice of toast and a glug of juice before heading to the boat one last time for 8am. After a few short good-byes and quickly wiped away tears we left Hannah to get on with what she does best but we weren’t departing Plymouth so soon. A short walk across the harbour lay our ‘ride’ to make watching Hannah crossing the start line possible.

[now the science bit] The Sorcerer II Expedition, led by J. Craig Venter PhD founder and president of the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), is a research voyage circumnavigating the globe sampling the microdiversity in the world’s waters with the aim of gaining a greater understanding of the bacteria and viruses in ocean waters and how they fit into the ecosystem i.e. beyond just observing fish, whales etc. The Sorcerer II is a 95 foot sailing vessel that doubles as a floating lab enabling the collection of samples around the world which are then frozen and sent back to the labs in Maryland and California for DNA sequencing and analysis. Whilst the findings are scientifically important there is also the potential for discovery of new sources of biofuels, leading to a reduction in carbon emissions and climate change, possible pharmaceutical uses and also novel foodstuffs. As a scientist I can appreciate the value of this work and encourage you all to follow their work as it develops, they’re off to the Baltic, Black and Mediterranean Seas next! Please see http://www.jcvi.org/ for more info about the great work being done.
We slowly made our way out of the harbour and by sheer luck met Hannah as she left her berth and both boats cruised out together, ours dwarfing anything out there save the starting commission and Naval cruisers. With Hannah a couple of her closest hands on board the final trimmings and adjustments were made before they had to get off and leave her to it. No one could step aboard until the end of her race now. I was allowed to climb into the ‘crow’s nest’ of Sorcerer II where I discovered not only a significant height advantage but I was looking down on the entire OSTAR fleet preparing around me! Great for getting some fantastic images as they came across the line once the canon had fired.
We all raised a glass to Hannah as she crossed the start line to the sound of a cannon and watched on by HRH Prince Philip, her next stop will be Newport – some 3000 miles to the west of Plymouth. A good steady breeze pushed the Ostar fleet over the line and out beyond the breakwater. Crowds of supporters and viewers gave chase in whatever craft they could lay their hands on it seemed. Small yachts, motorboats and precarious looking craft all accompanied the fleet out of the harbour breakwater into some swell, some turned back but we carried on…and then the wind promptly died to barely a whisper. All around, sails hung expectantly but no wind came. Up in my perch above the masts it was a funny sight to see such near flat waters with so many boats just bobbing there. About 20mins passed and then the breeze returned, it started to build and soon Hannah was well under way again. Sails filled, hulls pitched and the entire fleet took off towards Land’s End.
After being side-by-side with Hannah for a little while we slowed, turned and headed in. With a few short blasts and lots of waving we left her to her voyage across the Atlantic and the adventure that lay ahead. I really can’t thank Craig and his crew enough for his kind invitation to come out as guests on board his fantastic boat, meaning we were able to follow Hannah for some way off the start of the race and I could get some simply brilliant photographs. It made all the difference in making a good day great.