Clipper fleet loves Irish hospitality - Crosshaven
With all ten of the internationally-backed yachts competing in the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race now berthed at the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven, Ireland, the crews are enjoying some much-awaited Irish hospitality.
'Qingdao crew celebrate second place in Cork'
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The ten teams are now preparing for the final sprint of the 35,000-mile circumnavigation from Cork to Liverpool, where the fleet will arrive on Saturday 5 July at the height of the city's celebrations of its status as European Capital of Culture 2008.
After 2,080 miles of ocean racing all ten of the 68-foot yachts arrived within 20 hours of each other, the crews happy to enjoy the warm reception at the Royal Cork Yacht Club at the end of an arduous race across the North Atlantic. 
The penultimate contest of the 14-race Clipper 07-08 series was won by New York, who crossed the finish line a little over an hour ahead of second-placed Qingdao and Hull & Humber, who came third. New York has stretched their lead over their closest British rivals to three and a half points.
The final teams arrived overnight and were greeted with burgers and kegs of Heineken, and celebrations have extended into a bright and breezy Sunday afternoon as the crews enjoy their final days together in the world's oldest yacht club. 
Nova Scotia was the final yacht to finish, crossing the line at 0754 local time (0654 GMT) on Sunday morning. Skipper Rob McInally said, 'It's good to finally be here. Since our fantastic send off from Nova Scotia we have encountered all sorts of conditions; lots of fog and light airs to start with, then some strong winds as well. We had some great hospitality in Nova Scotia and Cork's already giving them a good run for their money.'
Hannah Jenner, Skipper of Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper is celebrating her 28th birthday on Sunday after finishing Race 13 in seventh place. She is celebrating her birthday with the knowledge that her team is guaranteed a podium position with an 11 and a half point lead over Qingdao.
Now the ten crews are enjoying some time off in County Cork and preparing their yachts for Race 14 to Liverpool. With ten all-important points still up for grabs, the crews are busy repairing spinnakers damaged during the transatlantic race to ensure that they can be fully powered up as they race up the Irish Sea to the mouth of the River Mersey next week.
The ten-part television series which is being produced by the Clipper Race host broadcaster, Sunset + Vine | APP, is currently being shown in the Republic of Ireland and the UK by Setanta Sports.
Full schedules are published in the multimedia section of www.clipperroundtheworld.com.
Race 14 starts on Thursday 3 July.
www.clipper-ventures.com
by Clipper Ventures.Media 
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