Clipper Race: Now it gets real

Published on November 17th, 2019

Cape Town, South Africa (November 17, 2019) – The highly-anticipated 4,750 nautical mile southern stage of Clipper 2019-20 Race started today for the eleven strong fleet of identical 70-ft racing yachts, with their 4750nm course taking around 25 days to reach the finish in Fremantle, Australia.

“The crew is going to find it tough but I’m very confident that I’ve got a tough bunch,” notes Nick Leggatt, skipper of Zhuhai. “We are going to see a lot of high-speed downwind sailing – it is going to be cold and wet but it should be quite exhilarating!”

Some 218 everyday people, representing 25 nations including a safari leader, student, teacher and roofer, are taking on one of the toughest ocean crossings on the planet. “I’m sure there is a mix of healthy respect, apprehension, and excitement

as this region is a very special place,” observes Clipper Race Co-Founder and Chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. “Where else do you get waves of that size and where else can you surf these boats other than there? My main piece of advice to Race Crew is to stay safe and enjoy it.”

As the fleet jostled for favourable positions on the start line, it was Unicef that came out on top first pipping both WTC Logistics and Zhuhai to the post. It was then a tactical race down towards fixed racing mark Manex RCYC with Qingdao first round the mark. The fleet then streamed along the coast to mark Milnerton RCYC, making a final turn, keeping the starting buoy to port.

As the fleet headed out into open water, Qingdao, led by Chris Brooks, was leading the pack with Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam, and Imagine your Korea chasing.

Visit Sanya, China and Punta del Este were involved in a collision as they headed towards the first mark. All crew are safe and well and both yachts have returned to the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. Vessel damage will be assessed and current estimates for the repair plan are ten to fourteen days.

As the Cape of Good Hope falls astern, the teams still racing will head towards the 40th parallel. This is where the Roaring Forties start, and the Indian and Southern Oceans provide some of the most extreme and exhilarating sailing in the world.

“You will expect to see big, big conditions, lots of downwind sailing and spinnaker work and perfect surfing conditions,” said Race Director Mark Light. “Initially it is looking like the fleet will get a couple of days of upwind as they leave Cape Town and bypass the Agulhas bank. This is heavy weather sailing for sure but the boats, equipment and crew are all prepared for it and up to the challenge.”

It’s going to be an upwind beat for the first few days before south westerlies kick in, spinnakers can be hoisted and for the sleigh ride to begin. Tactically, two depressions are developing which the fleet will have to negotiate.

In this race, successful teams will stay on the right side of the depressions, staying in the downwind, in the westerly belts. If the teams try to go too far north they may run out of wind, but then there is also a danger of going too far south where a 45° ice limit, set by the Race Office, is in place.

The fleet expected to arrive into Fremantle Sailing Club between December 9 and 14, 2019.

The 11 teams set off on November 17 for the Leg 3/Race 4 of the Clipper 2019-20 Round the World Yacht Race, which takes the fleet 4750nm from Cape Town, South Africa to Fremantle, Australia. The fleet is due to arrive in Cape Town between December 9 and 14.

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.