Clipper Race: Light winds hamper progress for final three teams

(April 13, 2014) – It’s been an eventful 24 hours for the final Clipper Race teams as they prepare to complete the 5,600 miles race from Qingdao, China, to San Francisco, USA. With just 10 miles now separating Mission Performance and Jamaica Get All Right, who will be first across the line in the closing stages of Race 10?

With Mission Performance now just 10 miles ahead of Jamaica Get All Right, light winds have once again been forecast at the finish line into San Francisco which could hamper the progress of the final three teams. With an elapsed time of 36 hours, PSP Logistics remain upbeat with their sights firmly on beating Team Garmin to claim ninth place. Skipper Chris Hollis explains:

“It will be very hard to catch Mission Performance and Jamaica Get All Right with 300 miles to go. We need to focus on a speedy finish, which hopefully will see us just in front of Team Garmin on elapsed time and hopefully claim ninth place over all for this race.”

Jamaica Get All Right put their Clipper Race training into action yesterday after Sea Cadet Volunteer and Leg 6 crew member Adam Montgomery fell overboard as he and his watch completed a sail change. Skipper Pete Stirling and team, who had practised the tethered MOB (man overboard) procedure many times before in preparation for such an incident, described the smooth recovery:

“The boat bounced over a wave and sea cadet volunteer and Leg 6 crew Adam Montgomery bounced over the guard rail next to the forestay. Adam was clipped on, as is our safety policy when working anywhere on the deck, and so was dangling over the side to the extent of his safety lanyard.

“The blood curdling call that no skipper ever wants to hear ‘Man Overboard’ went up by all the crew and the team went to the various MOB stations as drilled countless times in training. I immediately heave to in order to stop the boat and Adam was hauled back on board by round the world crew Kris Slezak and Adam Byrtek along with Leg 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8 crew Andy Ryan. Adam was a little battered and bruised and clearly shocked by his ordeal but otherwise okay.”

The latest ETAs into San Francisco will be updated here.

Report by event media

Skipper reports: http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/skipper-reports
Race tracker: http://yb.tl/clipper2013-race10
Race website: http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com

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.

Eleven teams started the 5,600 mile leg from Qingdao, China to San Francisco, USA on March 16. PSP Logistics started the leg on March 19, a result of their late arrival into China due to several setbacks.

All twelve teams are expected in San Francisco by April 13, subject to prevailing conditions. The fleet will be berthed at South Beach Yacht Club until the April 19 start of Race 11 to the Panama Canal. During the Clipper Race’s stay at South Beach Yacht Club, San Francisco there will be several events open to the public.

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.