Rob McInally’s father was in the Navy and the Team Finland skipper has clearly demonstrated that he is a chip off the old block. When dealing with a serious challenge and the aftermath of it, there are two ways one can handle things. Hang you head low, feel sorry for yourself and arrive in port with your battle scars showing or, as was the case with Team Finland this morning, you arrive proud, confident and handsome.

    A heavy fog hung over the city and the waiting crowds only knew that the yacht had entered the harbour when the traditional screeching fireworks went off beside the Olympic rings. Then slowly, out of the gloom she emerged and flying proudly from what remained of the mast were the podium pennants, battle flags, the flag presented to them by the Taiwan Coastguard and an Irish tricolour and Cork city flag in honour of Cork team member Marco Giana, who is guest crew for the next few races. The message was one of defiance combined with competitiveness. It was clear that they had managed their dismasting with nothing other than fine seamanship, total professionalism and also good humour which was evident as Rob and crew members Hans Sleutjes and Dirk van Daele held aloft a home made pennant – ‘1st Singapore to Taiwan, Race 6a.’

    As they stepped ashore to head up the pontoon for the welcome ceremony, skipper Rob lead the way wearing an immaculate blazer and shirt, clearly indicating that the teams arrival was to be stylish and upbeat.

    There to greet the plucky crew were numerous friends who compete out on the water, but embrace and support each other on land. Spirit of Australia, Cape Breton Island, California, Cork, Qingdao, Jamaica Lighting Bolt, Uniquely Singapore, Hull & Humber and Edinburgh Inspiring Capital were all represented by rival skippers and crew shivering in the chilly morning air. As a result, getting the crews from the ‘avenue of welcome’ to the stage took some time as hug after hug needed to be completed.

    The welcome ceremony would not have come as a surprise to Rob as he experienced a similar welcome in Clipper 07-08 as skipper of Nova Scotia but, even so, the scale of the event, the musicians, the vivid red cloaks, hats and scarves still made a huge impression.

    “We always knew it was going to be a big welcome and it certainly met our expectations,” said Rebecca Marks, a physiotherapist from New Zealand who finishes her part of the race in Qingdao. “We feel like celebrities. Being on the boat feels so everyday to us and we don’t think anything of it, but when you come in to a reception like that you realise you are doing something out of the ordinary.”

    With the formalities over and the crews heading away for coffee and breakfast at the Qingdao Yacht Club, the Clipper maintenance team stepped on board Team Finland and began preparations for removing the remains of the mast and getting the boat fully prepared to receive her replacement. Back in the UK, spar and rigging experts are working round the clock on the replacement and discussions are at an advanced stage with the various shipping companies and customs departments to ensure that the 90-foot spar can make a speedy and safe transit across the 5,500 miles to the Chinese sailing capital.

    In the warmth of the yacht club, the overall mood was one of calm confidence and pride in how they had handled the situation. It also demonstrated the fierce competitiveness of the team who have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with out on the race track. Round the world crew member Andy Milner said his first thought when he heard the loud bang of the mast collapsing was, “there goes our first place.” He went on to describe how calm and collected everyone on board was, saying, “It went incredibly quiet on deck and after about five seconds, someone said that we needed to get the bolt cutters and start dealing with the situation and getting things tidied up. People who were below stayed down and helped with passing up tools and taking down what could be salvaged. There was no panic, everyone instantly slotted in to a role and it all ran incredibly smoothly.”

    Andy paid tribute to Rob McInally (a common theme from all the crew) saying “He is an incredible skipper. He instils calm and confidence and as we worked away in the dark using a mixture of torches, it was all very routine. Through it, we have become a much stronger team and everyone has contributed so much - both at the time and then in preparing our jury rig in Taiwan to get us to Qingdao.”

    “Before I signed up for the Clipper Race, I had never sailed before but now, after five months of racing, I realise how much I am learning from the experience and how unexpected incidents like this deliver some incredible lessons. To be honest, there are not many things more challenging for a racing yacht than to lose the mast but there was never a time that we felt close to being outside of our comfort zone. My thoughts are not for myself and are much more with my wife – it’s easy for us out there as we live the dream and deal with the situations. It’s much harder for those at home whose unstinting support makes our adventures possible.”

    Fellow round the world crew member Minke Docter shared similar sentiments saying “its good to be here in Qingdao with the rest of the fleet.” She was in her bunk when the mast broke and judging by the silence from on deck she could guess exactly what had happened. She was in her dry suit instantly and became one of the on deck team dealing with the incident.

    “It was night, of course but we were quickly on top of the situation and managed to clear the rig within 30 minutes, save the main sail, had the engine started and were on our way to Taiwan. Actually, it was all very matter of fact – calm and disciplined and all contributed to the situation with the maximum effort and without drama.”

    Minke reflected on the race from Singapore, reminding everyone that they were leading at the time of the incident. The South China Sea was an amazing game of chess, where you really needed to believe in your strategy. We worked hard for our gate point and then played the currents and wind angles off Taiwan which took us up through the fleet in to first place. We were doing good speeds, the boat felt balanced and really nice in a 28 knot breeze and when I went off watch, I thought this is looking just perfect. And an hour later, there was a crash as we came off a wave followed by the bang and that’s when the rig came down.”

    Cork crew member Marco Giana (who been embraced ashore by many of his Cork team mates) paid tribute to his new team who had made him so welcome on board. “The guys put up both the Cork and the Irish flag as we prepared to dock today, which was a really nice touch and I didn’t even push them to do it. It makes me feel very proud of the team I represent and the spirit in which this race is fought.”

    Last word should go to American crew member Pauline Charlwood who summed things up when she observed, “The silver lining in all of this is we have become much better friends and are much stronger for it. By the time we get the rig sorted out, we will be itching to get racing again and will do so knowing that Team Finland has an incredibly plucky crew. Our heads are held high.”