Clipper Race: Two teams delayed for next start

Published on October 6th, 2015

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (October 6, 2015) – The second leg of the Clipper 2015-16 Round the World Yacht Race will begin tomorrow (Oct 7) for 10 of the 12 teams, but repairs to LMAX Exchange and Qingdao will postpone their start for the next race to Cape Town, South Africa.

The two boats are anticipated to be delayed no more than four days, with a start expected on Sunday, October 11. LMAX Exchange and Qingdao will match race each other across the South Atlantic and have their positions decided on an elapsed time basis with the rest of the fleet.

LMAX Exchange ran aground in the early hours of Wednesday 30 September at Restinga da Marambaia while on the way to Verolme, Angra Dos Reis, to be lifted for branding repairs. Qingdao took supplies to the scene and stood by to support operations. However, it suffered a ‘propeller wrap’ when a line was caught by the propeller; the boat drifted without engine and was washed onto the sand.

Both boats were successfully refloated and taken to Marina at Verolme, Angra Dos Reis where repairs are being conducted.

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Report by event media.

Background: The 40,000 mile Clipper 2015-16 Round the World Yacht Race began in London, UK on August 30 for the fleet of twelve identical Tony Castro designed Clipper 70s. The series is divided into 16 individual races, with the team with the best cumulative score winning the Clipper Race Trophy. Each team is led by a professional skipper with an all-amateur crew.

The second leg on October 7 takes the fleet 3932 miles from Rio de Janeiro to Cape Town, South Africa.

The ports along the race route are Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Cape Town, South Africa; Albany, Sydney, Hobart and Airlie Beach, Australia; Da Nang, Vietnam; Qingdao, China; Seattle, USA; Panama; New York, USA; Derry-Londonderry, Ireland; and Den Helder, Netherlands before returning to London by late July.