Clipper 09-10 - First night of racing to Panama is a fast one

12:11 AM Thu 22 Apr 2010 GMT

'Start of Leg 8, San Francisco to Panama - Clipper Round The World Yacht Race 2009-10' Erik Simonson:h2oshots.com

Having left the Golden Gate bridge behind them after yesterday's race start, the teams turned south with a strong north westerly wind behind them and have had a good night of spinnaker runs. The tactical decision making began straight away as the teams decided whether to go for the inshore or offshore option.

Race Director Joff Bailey says 'So far, it looks like there are three distinct game plans being played out. Team Finland, Spirit of Australia and Qingdao are taking the shortest route possible and have pulled out a lead over the other teams. Hull & Humber have opted for the offshore rote which despite costing them early miles, should in theory be the better option due to the lighter inshore winds forecast for next week. The rest of the teams are going down the middle and trying to manage the risks.'

The wind is forecast to stay strong for the next 36 - 48 hours which will see the fleet make great progress south towards Panama before the light conditions start to dominate near Baja California.

The fact that the crew of Team Finland had less then 36 hours on shore in San Francisco doesn't appear to have affected their performance. On board, an upbeat Rob McInally reports, 'Well, after a very quick turn around, we were on time to leave for the race start. After deciding to go with a bit more canvas than the rest of fleet. we tacked our way under the bridge and into a top position. Just a few hours later, the wind built and built and we now have 40 knots blowing.'

Before the Finnish entry slipped their lines yesterday, round the world crew member, Emil Vartiainen correctly predicted that the fact his team still had their sea legs would give them the upper hand.

He said, 'We'll certainly gain there as we won't have crew suffering from sea sickness on board compared to all the other boats which have been here for a long time.'

Most of the skippers have reported that crew are feeling unwell as they try and get used to the motion of the boat once more.

Over on Qingdao, skipper Hannah Jenner has shown that she has not lost any of her competitive drive as she gets used to racing on board a Clipper 68 once more. Hannah has moved on to Qingdao because the team's skipper, Chris Stanmore-Major, was stranded in the UK as his flight was cancelled because of the volcano eruption in Iceland.

In a message to the race office, she says, 'All good out here, a bit lively and a very unfriendly sea state but we are settling in to life at sea. The old mal de mare has reared its ugly head for a few people but we know in a couple of days that it will pass.'

It's the same story on board California. Skipper Pete Rollason, says, 'Well the Pacific Ocean has picked up where she left off at the end of Race 7. It is a baptism of fire for our new crew members with the wind currently at 35 to 45 knots and a lumpy sea. Sea sickness has reared its ugly head already and we have reefed down heavily to take this first night easy before pushing harder again in the morning. But it's business as usual on the race track.'

Over on the Canadian entry representing Cape Breton Island, that theme is continued as skipper Jan Ridd writes 'A baptism of fire for the new crew joining in San Francisco as the Pacific reminds us of our ordeals crossing it. After some close racing out of the bay we all headed south west and enjoyed some fast sailing on a close reach, which for some of the crew was their first taste of ocean racing and for those who have not found their sea legs was very uncomfortable.

'As we got further offshore the wind backed and built to a Force 8 so we are now reefed down, surfing down some sizeable waves within sight of most of the fleet. Already I personally have been washed off the helm by a particularly large wave breaking over the stern. Let's hope we can hold our sails and continue to make good speed south!'

Positions at 1800 UTC, Wednesday 21 April

Boat DTF* DTL*
*DTF = Distance to Finish, *DTL = Distance to Leader)
1 Spirit of Australia 2942nm
2 Team Finland 2946nm 4nm
3 Qingdao 2951nm 9nm
4 Jamaica Lightning Bolt 2966nm 24nm
5 Cape Breton Island 2967nm 25nm
6 Edinburgh Inspiring Capital 2971nm 29nm
7 California 2975nm 34nm
8 Uniquely Singapore 2993nm 52nm
9 Hull & Humber 2997nm 55nm
10 Cork Did not start

www.clipperroundtheworld.com

by Clipper Ventures