Clipper Race: Frustrating Winds for Nasdaq

Published on September 24th, 2017

(September 24, 2017; Day 35) – The fans and supporters in Punta del Este are now just waiting on one final arrival, with Nasdaq in the final stages of its 6,400 nautical mile race from Liverpool, UK to Uruguay, the Clipper 2017-18 Round the World Yacht Race, Atlantic Trade Winds Leg 1.

Nasdaq is currently 144.99 nautical miles from the Finish Line, and is expected to arrive between 2200 and 0200 tonight local time (0100 – 0500 UTC Monday 25 September).

It has not been an easy finish to the longest opening Leg in Clipper Race history for Nasdaq, whose Skipper Rob Graham reports: “The wind has continued to frustrate us here on Nasdaq. Generally, it’s blowing directly from where we are going so that we can’t head directly to Punta Del Este, but now it has swung around to the south, we are making a better course. We are now just looking at getting our Code 1 (lightweight spinnaker) up for the last few hours, if conditions turn slightly more favourable.”

According the Clipper Race Meteorologist Simon Rowell, the small high-pressure cell in Nasdaq’s location is going offshore, meaning the winds should gradually build as the team approaches the Finish Line.

Simon stated, “There’s some low stratus around, so Nasdaq might get a bit of drizzle under it. There’s no cloud right now though, so let’s hope it dissipates, as the team gets closer in”.

Nasdaq will finish the Atlantic Trade Winds Leg 1 in twelfth place and claim one point, whilst Greenings was last night crowned the overall winner.

Unless Nasdaq is delayed into Punta del Este, the next Daily Update will be on Thursday October 5, the day after the fleet begins the South Atlantic Challenge Leg 2 to Cape Town, South Africa.

Race 2 of the Clipper 2017-18 Race starts on October 4, departing Punta del Este and heading back into the Southern Atlantic as teams take on the 3,560 nm mile journey to Cape Town, South Africa.

For ETAs for the teams… click here.

The 12 teams started the 6,400 nm leg from Liverpool, UK to Punta del Este, Uruguay on August 20, which is expected to take approximately 35 days to complete, making it the longest ever in the race’s 21-year history.

Event details – Race facts – Race viewer – Facebook

Background: Held biennially, the Clipper 2017-18 Round the World Yacht Race got underway August 20 for the fleet of twelve identical Tony Castro designed Clipper 70s. The 40,000 nm course is divided into 13 individual races with the team having the best cumulative score winning the Clipper Race Trophy. Each team is led by a professional skipper with an all-amateur crew that signs up for one, some, or all the races. The 2017-18 race, expected to take 11 months, has attracted 712 people representing 41 nationalities, making it the largest to date.

Race Route – Race Schedule and Miles