I’m almost over my race-extension rant, but there is just one more thing to relate.

One of the reasons Clipper gave for our South China Sea merry-go-round was that we could not be left to ‘float around’ near the contested islands in that bit of water. Strange then that the route they gave us, as well as being right down the middle of the Hong Kong-Singapore shipping lane (lots of fun to be had dodging 400m super-tankers in 25ft waves), took us on a tour of the Spratly Islands, the Scarborough shoal, and the Paracel islands, all of which are within China’s ‘ten-dash line’ – its latest attempt to claim sovereignty over every inch of water up to the palm trees on the beaches of the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Quite how seriously the Chinese take this claim was borne in upon us when, as we approached Triton island – the southernmost of the Paracels – a voice came over the VHF:

“English ship. English ship. This Chinese warship. You are in Chinese territorial water. Turn around now”.

Now Garmin broadcasts her name, international call-sign, speed, course, dimensions and vessel type once every minute via AIS, and as the caller had failed to use our proper call sign, or to identify himself properly, I initially thought it was a hoax (fishermen in this region are wont to whistle, squeak, sing or play music to each other over  VHF). Only when a different voice came on the radio, and gave our latitude and longitude, did I realise it was genuine.

By this time we could clearly see that the uninhabited Triton island now features a glaring white six-storey building. And a runway.

What we couldn’t see, sitting in the grey haze of the horizon with its bow towards us to minimise its profile, was the Chinese navy ship that had been hailing us.

Our ignorance was soon dispelled as she came steaming towards us at about 30 knots: a small cutter with a single gun on the foredeck and a helipad on the stern. Still, that’s one more naval gun than anyone wants pointed at them.

  

By this point Ash was already talking to them on the VHF, and there followed a bizarre string of questions which seemed to be more about making it clear who was in charge, than about gaining information. We were asked our name, displacement, course (all still being broadcast every 60 seconds); our cargo (mainly crisps and dirty laundry by this point in the race); and my personal favourite, “does Garmin know you have their name on your sail”. Who says advertising doesn’t work?

The ship escorted us for several hours ‘to make sure we didn’t have an accident’, positioning herself on our stern,  and then between us and the island, and then left us once we were out of ‘Chinese’ waters.

An interesting experience, and hopefully one that will lead Clipper to plan their routes with a little more wisdom in future.