Clipper fleet heads north at fast pace
'Qingdao crew Nicole and Gary hard at it - Clipper 07-08'
Clipper
Ventures Plc ©
Overnight the fleet has cleared the Bahamian islands and the ten teams now find themselves out in open waters once more. Their latest positions reveal that they are currently situated in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle, a mythical area where over centuries legends about ships and aircraft mysteriously disappearing have been written.
Race Director, Joff Bailey, says, 'With the whole fleet now back into the North Atlantic and making great speeds, it will not be long before they all arrive in the 'Big Apple'. At this rate of progress we are expecting the first boats to arrive in North Cove Marina, Manhatten, over the weekend after crossing the Race 11 finish line which is situated at the famous Ambrose light house.'
Qingdao and Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper are still battling at the front to gain the upper hand in near perfect fast reaching conditions. Qingdao's skipper, Marcus Cholerton-Brown says, 'It's been a case of 'West Side Story' as we nipped to the west of the Crooked Islands last night and it seems to have done us well. The move has been wholly appropriate as our two watches are called the Jets and the Sharks.'
Watching as Qingdao and Glasgow: Scotland with stye Clipper gained their advantage and disappeared from view was the team representing Western Australia. Skipper of westernaustralia2011.com, Martin Silk, reports, 'From a racing perspective our performance could have been better over the past 24 hours, however things seem to have improved in the latter half. Since letting Qingdao and posse escape overnight, we've had the second pack nipping our heels and have managed to hold off all bar one. The day has been fairly busy with sail changes and minor sail repairs, all of which have been made difficult by a moderate swell and a quickly building breeze.'
With the winds forecasted to stay favourable for the next 24 to 36 hours the fleet will continue to make fast progress north. Hoping that the wind direction changes in their favour are Liverpool 08 and Nova Scotia who have suffered from their earlier tactical decision to leave the Crooked Islands to port.
Joff Bailey says, 'The tactical advantage that the skippers will be trying to get hold of now will be the gulf stream. This powerful Atlantic current flows out of the Gulf of Mexico in a northerly direction at a speed of up to 3 knots, following the western coast of the USA before heading across the Atlantic to Europe. If any of the teams can latch onto this flow and stay with it then they will clearly have an advantage. However, they will need to be careful as there is also the possibility of catching a backward eddy, which will have the reverse effect and slow them down.'
Despite the lumpy conditions currently being experienced, all the teams are happy to be back in the open ocean once more. Skipper of overall race leaders Hull & Humber, Danny Watson, says, 'We have re-entered the North Atlantic Ocean after an absence of eight months, it is now starting to feels like we are entering home waters.'
Berths are now available for the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race. For more information on applying to become a crew member email oceanracer(at)clipperroundtheworld.com call the Crew Recruitment Manager on +44 (0) 2392 526000. The Clipper Race is open to anyone over the age of 18 and there is no upper age limit.
by Clipper Event media 
nedlands, WA
