News

Clipper Race: Extra points ahead

Published on February 8th, 2020

(February 8, 2020; Day 20) – The Clipper 2019-20 Round the World Yacht Race leaderboard positions remain unchanged, with Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam, Visit Sanya, China, and Qingdao continuing to lead the charge towards Subic Bay in Race 6 of the global series.

Said Visit Sanya, China Skipper Seumas Kellock: “In sailing news the wind is getting light, as forecast, before we get the build and the backing just prior to us heading into the Dell Latitude Rugged Ocean Sprint, hopefully we can harness this building wind and propel us across the sprint and grab some extra points.”

The Dell Latitude Rugged Ocean Sprint is the next opportunity to secure bonus race points decisions are been made ahead of the upcoming weather system.

Guy Waites Skipper of Dare To Lead, which has been neck and neck with Zhuhai, reports: “Our companion of the past few days has now departed, vanishing from our AIS screen, two Clipper 70s divided by a common rain cloud, we each have our strategy, perhaps we’ll meet again somewhere on an Ocean Sprint?”

Across the fleet the consistent and favorable sailing conditions have led to some incredible days on the water. Skippers have had the opportunity to reflect on the progress the crew have made, with new leggers coached by the round the worlders. The circumnavigators on board are halfway to become part of an elite group to have sailed around the world.

Rich Gould, Skipper of WTC Logistics, said: “After four and a half days under kite, and a relatively flat boat it’s going to be a bit of a shock to the system to be all leany again. The crew have been doing a cracking job at running the deck, Dan and I have had a pretty relaxed time over the past few days, listening to the team coaching and guiding each other really shows how much we have developed, even in the short space of time since leaving Airlie Beach almost three weeks ago.”

Race details – Team list – Race route – Tracker – Facebook

Delayed: Originally scheduled to begin on January 18, Leg 5/Race 6 – a 4280 nautical mile race from the Whitsundays, Australia to Sanya, China – was postponed twice, initially due to watermaker issues on three boats and then because of light winds. The 11 teams finally got underway January 22.

Course change: The fifth leg was to be divided into three races (6, 7, 8), with the first race to finish in Sanya, China. However, due to the coronavirus outbreak, a course change was enacted and the fleet will skip Sanya and now finish where the second race was to conclude in Subic Bay, Philippines.

Motoring: In case of light winds and slow progress within the defined Doldrums Corridor, teams on Race 6 had the option to use their motor for prescribed amount of time and distance. Details.

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.