1/3/2024 0 Comments Clipper sailing boatInspired to find out more about working as part of the Refit Team on the Clipper 70s? The Clipper Race is looking to expand its refit team, and is hiring refit staff to help ensure the fleet is race ready ahead of the 2023-24 edition. Some refit staff end up working full time for us, too." Jay adds: "Being part of the refit team is a great job opportunity for anyone wanting to learn about yachts - but also those interested in engines, electrics, and anything hands on. The Clipper Race refit is a demanding operation, but one which gives the team a lot of satisfaction. Then before the race they have the CAT0 survey which is another in depth survey." Jay explains: "The fleet is Cat2 registered - for UK inshore and coastal sailing - until Race Start. But even when the entire fleet has been through refit, and systems are checked, the inspections don't stop. Once the yachts are back in the water, the refit team thoroughly tests the systems before they are used again. Jay says: "A week before the pair of yachts are ready to go back in the water, we begin decommissioning the next pair of yachts - so everything comes off and goes into a container, and then will swap over with the current two yachts which be recommissioned and ready to go." There's no rest for the refit team, which is split up to tag team the conveyor belt process of each stage of the refit. Once back in the water, each yacht has its mast, which has also undergone full inspection and had each wire replaced, restepped and is rigged with a whopping 1,439m (excluding spares) of Marlow Ropes lines. The refit also offers Jay and his team the chance to update, upgrade or make changes to improve performance, comfort or the sailing experience for future race crews. It's a stark comparison, it has about half an inch of growth on it, whereas the rest of the boat had Coppercoat, including the yacht's other rudder and it was as good as new with just a simple pressure wash."Ĭoppercoat on the hull of GoToBermuda - photo © Clipper Race "We had a rudder for one of the boats rebuilt in Cape Town which we didn't have time to Coppercoat, so we had to use regular antifoul on it. Jay said: "The Coppercoat has lasted REALLY well! Each of the hulls will have a light sand. Jay explains: "Our aim is to repurpose as much as possible but if there's any sign of potential damage - or a health or safety issue - then we absolutely replace the part or fitting."įor the first time, thanks to the Coppercoat covering, the Clipper Race fleet doesn't need antifouling - saving time and reducing the refit's carbon footprint with the environmentally responsible coating. Whilst safety absolutely comes first, the refit is carried out with sustainability in mind. However we will still remove the keel bolts and inspect them as a matter of course to see if there is any corrosion on the keel and to check the bolts themselves." We have had surveyors down who confirmed that there's nothing major we need to do. The masts are inspected and stress tested where necessary. At this point, we often get the team at Sta-Lok to take a look at the fittings that have come off so they can see how well it has stood up against the elements and for future product development. "Each yacht's wiring gets inspected and replaced, then all the standing rigging is stripped off and replaced. The gas infrastructure is replaced as a matter of course. The floorboards are then inspected and if any are damaged they will either be sanded down, repainted and covered with kiwi grip - or replaced if necessary. Once painted, we replace all the piping - saltwater, freshwater, all of it as a matter of course. The workload is extensive, as Jay explains: "Each boat is stripped, sanded and painted in the interior. Scheduling the work is a task in itself to ensure the yachts are ready in time for the next intake of training and to fulfil Clipper Events sailing commitments. Once it's out it's much easier to do that way." "We can lift the engine through the hatch on deck and then lower it to the hanger floor so that we can sandblast the brackets, replace the mounts, remove and service the raw water pumps, remove the alternators to send them away for a strip and service. The engine is lifted from CV22 during refit - photo © Clipper Race
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