Clipper Race: PSP Logistics wins in NYC

Published on June 13th, 2018

(June 13, 2018; Day 10) – PSP Logistics has claimed victory today in New York City, topping the Clipper 2017-18 Round the World Yacht Race fleet in Race 11: Nasdaq Race, the 1900nm course that began June 3 in Panama.

The PSP Logistics team, skippered by Matt Mitchell, crossed the finish line off the east coast of the USA at 14:41UTC to claim its second win of the 2017-18 edition.

Matt says: “It was a little bit touch and go towards the end but we made it. As a team I think we needed the win, we’ve had a bit of bad luck since the race into Qingdao, China, so it is good to get the win and hopefully it is a sign of our fortunes changing.”

An early tactical split between north and east during the first day of the race proved to be a make or break moment for the final positions on the leaderboard. PSP Logistics was the first team to tack, selecting the most easterly course of the fleet.

As the teams battled through choppy upwind conditions passing through the Caribbean islands, Skipper Matt’s experiences from the previous two editions of the Clipper Race shone through as he and his team held the lead for six of the ten days of the race.

”I decided to make a tactical call to tack early as the long-range forecast suggested it could pay off. In doing so we got greater boat speed and a better angle. We didn’t go for the Scoring Gate as it would have taken boat speed down and with GREAT Britain on our heels for much of the race, it was a good decision.”

Meanwhile, Sanya Serenity Coast has further strengthened its lead in the overall standings after taking second place. The team crossed the finish line at 17:21:48 UTC today to claim its sixth podium of the Clipper 2017-18 Race so far.

GREAT Britain was third across the line, capping off what has been a spectacular Leg 7 with back to back podiums. After officially finishing the race at 18:18:47 UTC, Skipper Dave Hartshorn said: “This podium feels better than the last one, although that was a great feeling. The team has worked so hard to go from second to fourth and pull it back in the last few hours.

“The team worked really, really well. They thoroughly deserved this podium.”

The fight for third went right down to the wire, with GREAT Britain crossing the finish line just nine minutes ahead of Unicef. Speaking on arrival into Liberty Landing Marina, Unicef Skipper Bob Beggs said: “We had a good mixture of wind and the competition was very tight, all round a very good race.

“The team is coming together and we are working well together as a team, we are looking very confident as we complete the penultimate Leg.”

The city that never sleeps lived up to its name, with Garmin, Nasdaq and HotelPlanner.com also arriving against the sparkly backdrop of the Manhattan night-time skyline, whilst Qingdao, Visit Seattle and Dare To Lead are expected to arrive tomorrow.

New York is the home port for Nasdaq and circumnavigating crew member Ineke Van Der Weijden said: “There was a time that we hoped we would come in a little bit better than sixth but the Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint, which we won and picked up three bonus race points in was awesome, we really went for it.

“We were the first boat to tack early at the start of the race which was a bit nerve wracking but soon others joined us!”

All eleven Clipper 2017-18 Race teams are expected to arrive into New York by June 14. The fleet will be berthed between North Cove Marina, Manhattan, and Liberty Landing Marina, New Jersey, until the start of the final leg of the Clipper 2017-18 Race, the Atlantic Homecoming Leg, which sets sail on Monday June 25.

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Event details – Race facts – Race viewer – Facebook

Beginning June 3, the 11 teams began Race 11, named the Nasdaq Race, which extended 1,900 nm in the Atlantic from Panama to New York, USA.

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 40,000nm course is divided into 13 individual races with the team having the best cumulative score winning the Clipper Race Trophy. The race concludes in Liverpool on July 28.

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.

* Twelve teams began the first leg but one yacht (Greenings) ran aground just hours after the start on October 31 of the third leg from Cape Town, South Africa to Fremantle, Australia. The crew was safely evacuated but damage to the boat was deemed too extensive for it to continue in the 2017-18 edition.

Race Route – Race Schedule and Miles