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Clipper Crew Rescued - 10:06 am, Thu 14th Jan 2010

Cork2Crew rescued from Cork Clipper

Cork Clipper was holed after hitting rocks in Indonesian waters, but sailors were rescued by rivals in their round-the-world race.

RKJ-GGSir Robin Knox-Johnston, chairman of the race organisers, confirmed that the yacht crew was now safe. Five Britons and eight Irish sailors were rescued from their sinking racing yacht after it struck rocks in Indonesian waters, the UK coastguard said today. There were 16 people on board the CORK CLIPPER when it was holed near the island of Gosong Mampango in the Java Sea, 200 miles north-east of Jakarta, yesterday.

Cork3The stranded sailors abandoned the yacht in liferafts and headed for nearby rocks. They then waited to be picked up by two of their fellow Clipper racing yachts – the California Clipper and Team Finland. All of those on board the Cork Clipper were reported to be safe and well. The 20-metre (68ft) yacht is believed to be lying on its side with a damaged hull.

Falmouth coastguard raised the alarm with international rescue services after being contacted by Team Finland at around 8pm UK time. Both the Cork Clipper and Team Finland were taking part in the 35,000-mile Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race, which started from Gosport in September.

Cork5Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, chairman of the race organisers Clipper Ventures based in Clarence Yard Gosport said: "Clearly our priority has been the safety of the crew and we have confirmation that all on board have evacuated and are now safe. Their welfare is our prime concern at this time."

The Cork Clipper crew consists of five Britons, eight Irish people, two Australians and one Chinese national.

BLACK HOLE IN GEORGE'S BUDGET - 10:44 pm, Mon 4th Jan 2010

OsBullTHEIR NUMBERS SIMPLY DON'T ADD UP

A factual account costing out the Conservatives' election promises has been published. Detailed analysis exposes a huge credibility gap in the Tory pledges - £34 Billion of promises they cannot explain how to fund.

  • KenMessConservatives have planned tax cuts that would cost £21 billion each year by the end of a Parliament.
  • They've said they would reverse planned tax increases in areas like National Insurance, the new 50p top rate of tax and pension tax relief, which raise £13.3 billion per year.
  • In addition, they've made £11.1 billion of clear spending commitments - as well as many potentially expensive promises which are too vague to cost.
  • They say they can pay for their promises by cutting backSillyOs spending and making savings in some areas - but the savings they've announced so far would only raise £6.6 billion per year.
  • They've also announced a handful of tax rises, such as a levy on "non-doms" - but these only raise a total of £5.1 billion per year.
The net effect of all this is a £34 billion total gap remaining in their plans by the final year of a Parliament, which they cannot explain.
  • Conservatives need to find this extra £34 billion just to fund their promises. It can only be found through extra taxes or cuts in spending. Or else they need to drop their expensive pledges.
  • This has nothing to do with getting debt down - it is just about meeting the Conservatives' own promises. However, if they want to cut the deficit "further and faster" than Labour, that will cost them an additional £26 billion, over and above this £34 billion credibility gap.

OsborneDarlingChancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, said:

"Over the last couple of years, David Cameron has gone round the country telling people whatever he thinks they want to hear.

"Every audience gets told whatever they want.

"You want tax cuts, here they are.

"You want a faster cut in the deficit, we'll do that too.

"You want more spending, here it is. Lots of it.

You want to reverse what Labour's doing, we can do that too.

"No one is keeping tabs on all their promises - certainly not George Osbourne.

"Until today. For the first time, we've brought all the Tory promises together and I can tell you the bill for all this. "The Tories have made over £45 billion of pledges, but can barely explain how they can pay for a quarter of this.

"This leaves them with a credibility gap of £34 billion."
Promoted by Ray Collins, General Secretary, the Labour Party, on behalf of the Labour Party, both at 39 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0HA.
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