4:51pm Tuesday 2nd February 2010
By James Rush
A round-the-world sailor, who had to be rescued after his racing yacht struck rocks off Indonesia, will be continuing his epic journey in a different boat.
Keith Hale, of Baildon, was one of 16 crew members who had to abandon the Cork Clipper last month but was yesterday due to continue the 35,000-mile Clipper Round the World Yacht Race after being re-allocated to the Chinese Qingdao boat.
Mr Hale, 49, has spent the last few weeks in Singapore, a scheduled stop for all the boats, where he was shocked and delighted with a surprise visit from his partner Bev Mayo.
Miss Mayo said her partner of two years would have “unfinished business” if he didn’t complete the race.
She said: “There was some of the Cork crew who decided they couldn’t carry on and flew home, so not everybody carried on.
“But I think it would have been unfinished business for him if he had not carried on.
“Clipper had managed to find them all other arrangements so he decided to carry on – hopefully when he gets on the water he will be all right again.
“I’m probably more worried than I was, but I’m trying to keep a perspective on the whole thing and hopefully he will be okay.”
The Cork Clipper hit rocks in the middle of the Java Sea near the island of Gosong Mampango, 200 miles north-east of Jakarta.
Mr Hale and the crew took to the life rafts and headed for rocks where they waited to be picked up by two of their fellow racing yachts – Team Finland and Clipper California.
Mr Hale, an interior designer, had no previous sailing experience before taking part in the Clipper training for the race.
All of the crews made a scheduled stop at Singapore for the boats to be cleaned and repaired.
Miss Mayo said she took the opportunity to visit her partner and stay with some friends in Keppel Bay Marina, in Singapore.
She said: “I decided to do a mercy dash and so I headed to Singapore for the weekend. I left on Friday, January 22, and got back on Wednesday, January 27.
“That was a complete surprise for him – he was delighted to see me and very surprised. We spent a few nice days relaxing with some friends in Singapore.
“Keith was okay, I think he was quite surprised by all the interest in the story.”
Miss Mayo said the remaining members of the Cork crew who decided to carry on with the race have been re-allocated on the remaining nine racing boats.
Although she did say there was hope the Cork crew might reform on a new Cork boat by the time the teams arrive in Panama, which is expected to be May.
The race started in Hull last September and is expected to finish there in July.
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