Clipper Race: Putting points on the board

(September 23, 2019; Race 2, Day 8) – After the success of crossing the Scoring Gate yesterday first, Visit Sanya, China is currently leading the Clipper 2019-20 Round the World Yacht Race fleet. It remains tight at the top, however, with less than 20 nautical miles separating Visit Sanya, China from Qingdao and Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam.

After hiding its position from the rest of the fleet by using Stealth Mode, Qingdao reappeared to cross the Scoring Gate in second place at 13:04:00 UTC, one hour, 27 minutes and 45 seconds behind Visit Sanya, China. Qingdao is now two for two in picking up bonus points, with the team to add another two bonus points to its overall tally.

Skipper Chris Brooks remarked: “With tough black nights and no lights to guide us, Qingdao continues to track the leaders. Stealth Mode allowed us to creep up unseen to gain second to the Scoring Gate to take two points.”

Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam was the third team across the Scoring Gate (13:41:15 UTC) and will earn one bonus point. Skipper Josh Stickland said: “Firstly a big well done to the crew they have plugged and plugged and sweated away to get that point and now I have to tell them well done but there is still another 4,000nm to go! I’d gone off watch and heard a massive cheer when we crossed the line that brought a smile to the corner of my mouth.”

With the fleet benefiting from a day of consistent trade winds, GoToBermuda Skipper David ‘Wavy’ Immelman reflected on the conditions: “The wind has been ranging from 15-20 and back as is the want of trade winds, the sun has been out and the sea state lovely. All the guys have been helming well and GoToBermuda has been trucking along nicely.”

The comments have been reflected by those of Jeronimo Santos Gonzalez, Skipper of Punta del Este which as a team have opted for a route round the Cape Verde Islands rather than through. He said: “We had another day of constant trade winds. Spinnaker flying non stop and trying to surf as many waves as possible. The temperature has increased and so it’s the excitement of approaching the doldrums, especially with some interesting weather forming in the next few days, at the time of our crossing.”

The interesting weather mentioned by Jeronimo is a developing tropical low which is moving across the path of the fleet. Clipper Race Meteorologist Simon Rowell reports that if the low develops into a hurricane, as forecasted, later in the week – well away from where the fleet will be – it will leave a band of no wind in its wake, making negotiating the Doldrums Corridor extremely interesting.

Unicef Skipper, Ian Wiggins, on the upcoming day ahead reflected: “Today promises more of the same as we charge towards the Cape Verde Islands and the start of the Doldrums Motoring Corridor. For now the weather is stable, and we are making up good ground on the leaders, but it will take all of our skill luck and determination to successfully navigate the squalls, storms and wind holes ahead.”

Race 2 began September 15 and will take the 11 teams along a 5195 nm course from Portimão, Portugal to Punta del Este, Uruguay, with their expected arrival between October 12 and 16.

Race details – Skipper list – Race route – Tracker – Facebook

About the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race:
The Clipper Race was established in 1996 by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world in 1968-69. His aim was to allow anyone, regardless of previous sailing experience, the chance to embrace the thrill of ocean racing; it is the only event of its kind for amateur sailors.

Held biennially, the Clipper 2019-20 Round the World Yacht Race gets underway September 1 for the fleet of eleven identical Tony Castro designed Clipper 70s. This 12th edition has attracted 688 crew representing 43 nationalities for the 41,000+ nm course. The race finishes on August 8.

The course is divided into 8 legs and 15 individual races, with some of the crew in for the entire circumnavigation while others will do individual legs. The team having the best cumulative score over the entire course will win the Clipper Race Trophy.

The Clipper 2019-20 Race Route:
The fleet departs from London, UK to Portimão, Portugal; across the Atlantic to Punta del Este, Uruguay; the South Atlantic to Cape Town, South Africa; across the Southern Ocean’s Roaring Forties to Fremantle, Western Australia; around to the Whitsundays on the east coast of Australia, back into the Northern Hemisphere to China where teams will race to Qingdao, via Sanya and Zhuhai; across the mighty North Pacific to Seattle, USA; to New York via the famous Panama Canal; to Bermuda and then it’s a final Atlantic crossing to Derry-Londonderry in Northern Ireland; before arriving back to London as fully proven ocean racers.

Source: Clipper Round the World Yacht Race