Fog halts Clipper 2013-14 Round the World Yacht Race

(March 17, 2014) – The 40,000 mile Clipper 2013-14 Round the World Yacht Race is stuck in thick fog. The poor visibility that caused the leg from Qingdao to San Francisco to be ceased yesterday shortly after it started, has gotten worse overnight with visibility currently down to just one boat length (70 foot).

Team Garmin skipper, Jan Ridd knows the course well having also skippered in the Clipper 2009-10 Race. “With visibility below 50 metres and an enormous amount of traffic, both cargo vessels and fishing fleets, we have spent most of the morning carefully navigating our way through the traffic.

“We could not have started a yacht race in these conditions, and also it would have been unsafe to bunch all the yachts together for a start with the density of traffic. We are nearly through the worst of the traffic but the visibility is worsening.”

Race Director Justin Taylor is looking for a change in the forecast. “I anticipate that when the wind shifts to more from the west that it will improve and they can begin the Le Mans start. This is looking more likely to be first light tomorrow.”

Race 10 will see the Clipper Race fleet make their first Pacific Ocean crossing, where big seas and downwind conditions are expected to challenge the teams as they cover the 5,800 miles to the California Coast and the highly anticipated San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge finish line.

PSP Logistics will start Race 10 on Tuesday 18 March to provide more time for adequate yacht and crew preparation after its delayed arrival into Qingdao.

Stay tuned to the official Clipper Race website for further updates to the Race 10 re-start.

To track the fleet’s progress on the official Race Viewer click here

All twelve teams are expected in San Francisco between 8-12 April, subject to prevailing conditions. The fleet will be berthed at South Beach Yacht Club until 19 April, the start of Race 11 to the Panama Canal.

Background:
The 40,000 mile Clipper 2013-14 Round the World Yacht Race began in London, UK on September 1 for the fleet of twelve identical Tony Castro designed Clipper 70s. The race route includes Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Cape Town, South Africa; Albany, Sydney, Hobart and Brisbane, Australia; Singapore; Qingdao, China; San Francisco, USA; Panama; Jamaica; New York, USA; Derry-Londonderry, Ireland; and Den Helder, Netherlands before returning to London in July.