We are very excited by Neil Singleton's participation as a crew member of "Singapore" in the Round the World Clipper Race 11-12 which starts from the UK’s South Coast on Sunday 31 July 2011.

A great adventure for Neil and an extremely hard working effort to travel around the world under sail.

We thank Neil for asking that his supporters make a donation to the Jersey Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre

Please click here

if you would like to donate

Neil is part of the 51 crew members of "Singapore", sponsored by Keppel Corporation.

Meet Neil and his crew mates of the Singapore and how many legs of the race they are taking part in, by clicking here.

Copyright onEdition 2011©

Singapore set sail in race two (from Madeira to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) of the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race.

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is the only global competition where people from all walks of life can step out of their comfort zones and sign up to race 40,000 miles around the world. They come from backgrounds as varied as marketing executives, nurses, bankers, carpenters, IT specialists, engineers and chief executives who represent more than 40 nationalities. Almost half of them have never sailed before embarking on their training for the world's longest ocean race.

Clipper 11-12 started from Southampton on the south coast of the UK on 31 July 2011. The route will take the crews of the ten, identical 68-foot yachts, each named after a city, state, country or company, via Madeira, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Qingdao in China, California, Panama, New York, Nova Scotia, Derry-Londonderry in Northern Ireland and the Netherlands before returning in July 2012 to the finish line in the Solent on the south coast of England.

News from Neil on Board the Singapore Clipper taking part in the round the world yacht race -

Below is part of a message from Neil, on the Singapore boat on their way to Rio -

"One night recently under the fullish moon I had been handed a bowl of pineapple juice left over from our dessert plus beakers, as I started to
hand them around my watch a flying fish landed within inches of the bowl madly flapping its wings against the side of the bowl, someone
cried out that the fish had landed in the bowl and those with juice already started spitting it out in the confusion that followed!! We had
such a laugh about it.

I had a haircut in Madeira, clippers No 3 and 4, (very appropriate I thought...) well Ben [the skipper] decided he was getting
too hot and had his head shaved on board even shorter than mine, I then went off watch and came back on to discover two others had done the same and one mohican. we all look ridiculous but hay...cooler.

It is very hot now we are down to 17 deg North, the edge of the doldrums, we are just about to pass the western tip of the Cape Verde Islands, I spent my last watch on deck cleaning old rusty tools that had seized up first them in old diesel with a wire brush and then oiling them to working perfection. Very hot work but plenty of factor 150, well 50 actually but three layers and my trusty Tilley hat, thanks again Mum its coming round the world with me.

Evolutions, that is sail changes, are becoming easier as we are told now exactly why we are doing them not just sent down to get a large very
heavy sail on deck to put up not knowing why. Every time we change the 'spin' [spinnaker] we hoist the Yankee 2 to keep up the momentum of the boat which then comes down again when the replaced 'spin' is up. Each time this happens we have to spend time below in baking heat re-wooling the kite (spin)from its head to its two feet (clews)and then bagging it for the next time it is needed.

As I type the sweat is pouring off me, trying not to drip onto the keyboard! Sleep is no problem even with so much noise generated on board, I tend to wake still tired, as we all are, but sufficiently refreshed to get up and carry on, we stretch into our already damp and sweaty clothes which then dry out on deck as we sail. Shorts and tee-shirt and life jacket at 0300 this morning was quite enough.

My second 'Mother Watch' is coming up which I dread sometimes as you rarely get your head up on deck, but also there are long moments of calm between prep times and hopefully a bit more sleep, time to shave."

Here's a short message from Neil, although they are now in 3rd place but still well ahead from New York in 4th.

"We are just off shoulder of S. America heading for the islands of Fernando de Noronha, 33m behind leader Gold Coast Australia, pretty much plain upwind sailing, healing over a lot which means crawling around on the saloon floor reaching for bowls, spoons, cereal, etc and then eating at 45 deg all very tricky.

0300 to 0600 Night watch is s**t apart from the stars and identifying constellations.

We are now 2 hours ahead of UTC.

Helming at night is awesome, steering by the stars in a blackness that is only lit by a waning moon. I was joined by a ghostly bird that hovered a few feet above my head, keeping up with the boat.

Crossed Equator with the traditional celebrations, big milestone. 1476m to Rio, ETA 1st Sept."

Neil also asked me to explain, to those with his satellite Skyfile email address, that due to the difficult conditions and time constraints while he is racing he can't send individual emails/replies to you very often/ regularly and so apologises, but he wanted everyone to know that. So he is mainly still sending regular general updates to me to pass on to everyone, as was the original plan. He says to say Hi to all, as he called me briefly last night. He is well and doing fine, compiling a list of things for me to bring out to Cape Town! including his electric razor which he will then keep with him... They lost places yesterday which he says was disappointing so they need to work hard to make them up again.

Thank you to those who have sent kind words and messages to me, most appreciated, and any sent to me for Neil I have included in an email to him and again he has very much appreciated them.
bye for now

Sandra and Neil
xx