Hull & Humber wins Race 10 to Jamaica - Race News
Hull & Humber wins Race 10 to Jamaica
22 May 2008
Just 57 seconds separated the first and second placed teams in the race from Santa Cruz, California to Jamaica, Hull & Humber securing a fourth victory in the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race.
Crossing the finish line running a mile due north of Folly Point lighthouse, Port Antonio, Jamaica, at 2223:29 local time (0323:29 GMT) Hull & Humber brought to an end three days of fast and furious racing, beating New York by the narrowest of margins in the 590-mile race from Colon, Panama.
Eight of the ten internationally-backed yachts were in sight of each other as the fleet raced towards Port Antonio, the leading pack separated by 13 miles or less for much of the last 24 hours. The skippers pushed crews and boats hard to gain every extra knot of speed to put distance between themselves and the opposition.
The favourable easterly breeze helped the fleet speed towards their destination, a welcome change after the light airs on the race from Santa Cruz to Panama.
Spraying celebratory champagne over his crew, Hull & Humber’s skipper Danny Watson said, “Another win! Obviously it was very, very close. We had the other boats in sight for three days and squalls in the distance at night so the positions were always a bit of a mix up during the night time but we pushed hard. The guys just had belief all the way through. We had a good lead coming in to the end and found a bit of a wind hole but we just kept belief and it came good in the end.”
The victory extends Hull & Humber’s lead over New York to three and a half points, with Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper, who finished third in Race 10, ten points behind the English team.
Race Director, Joff Bailey, says, “This has been a very intense race and all the skippers are now focussed on the overall result of this competition. It’s a bit like the end of the Premiership season and it’s all building up to be decided on the last weekend. This is possibly the closest contest since the Clipper Race began in 1996 and there are still a lot of points to be won in a very short space of time. There are two big battles brewing at the top of the table and in the middle and it would be very easy for any of the teams to slip up as we saw during Race 9 from Santa Cruz when tactical choices failed to pay off.”
Port Antonio on Jamaica’s northern coast is Jamaica’s third largest port and one of the island’s most important tourist attractions. Now a centre for eco-friendly projects and untouched by mass tourism, it became a boom town in the 1880s after the beginning of the banana trade and promotion of the port as a destination for wealthy American travellers. It was glamorised by Hollywood as a model of paradise in the 1940s and 50s, an image reinforced by the arrival of movie star Errol Flynn when his yacht washed ashore in bad weather. His house on Navy Island overlooks Errol Flynn Marina in Port Antonio where the Clipper fleet is berthed for the duration of the stopover in Jamaica.
Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, The Honourable Edmund Bartlett MP, will visit Port Antonio during the Clipper 07-08 visit. Minister Bartlett will present the pennants to the first three teams at the prizegiving ceremony at the Ken Wright Cruise Ship Terminal on the evening of Thursday 22 May, and will meet the crews and visit the yachts on Friday 23 May.
The race will restart from Port Antonio on Saturday 24 May at 1400 local time (1900 GMT). The boats will leave Errol Flynn Marina at 12 noon (1700 GMT) and sail in formation past Folly Point where spectators will be able to have an excellent view of Jamaica and the other nine yachts in the Clipper 07-08 fleet.
1. David Wadsworth, Retford, UK 22 May 2008
Brilliant Hull & Humber, well done Fiona and all the crew on board another fantastic result. Just lets hope Hull City can do it on Saturday to end a perfect week!!( For those none football followers amongst you, Hull City play Bristol City at Wembley on Saturday for a place in the Premiership next season - which would be a first in their 104 year History!!)
All the very best for the next race.
Godspeed,
David
2. Anne Williams, Rufford 22 May 2008
What an exciting finish !
Congratulations to Hull and Humber, but also to Ben and all the crew of Liverpool 08........sorry you won’t be on the podium this time, but what a fantastic race !
Susie is leaving the crew now, but I will still be cheering for you !
Enjoy all the celebrations, and good luck with the remainder of the race.
Have a great holiday, Susie, see you in June,
Lots of love, Anne x
3. Mo, Morpeth, Northumberland 22 May 2008
Congratulations New York on another podium place. Nail biting finish. If you’d had just another few minutes to catch H and H.....Here’s hoping you will be able to beat the home port curse in the next race. Love Mo
4. per, 22 May 2008
Big Hug to you all, 56sek is enought. Keep on going hope you’ll have a great party!!! Cheers Per:)
5. matty brown, hull 22 May 2008
well done hull and humber another great win see you all soon good luck on the next leg matty
6. Erica Revie, Edinburgh 22 May 2008
Back on the podium Glasgow, WELL DONE!!
x
7. Hisayasu Jin, Kobe, Japan 22 May 2008
Danny and all Members of H&H;Congraturations for the amasing victory of Race 10. Well done for this short but tight match race.
BIG LOVE to you all on board H&H;.
8. Pat Morgan, Bristol 22 May 2008
FANTASTIC That’s what you are!!!
9. R A Sheppard, Bishop's Stortford 22 May 2008
Well done to the Black Pearl! Another pennant - will you be flying them when you reach the finish? We are following your progress with great interest.
There was an article about Clipper Ventures in the Daily Telegraph last week, which Sarah is going to try to send to Andrew. Regrettably there has been no news of the race in the Telegraph. Much of what has happened to the boats and crews has been newsworthy, and your reception in China very much so. I tried to get the paper to give some coverage to the race but it said it did not have space for amateur yachting.
We are both looking forward to Andrew’s return in July.
All the best to the crew of the Black Pearl!
Andrew’s Mum and Dad
10. Peter and Ionett, Aberaeron 22 May 2008
Well done New York! I know my sister Joanna has had the most amazing experience with you all. We wish you every bit of good luck for the remaining legs - I guess H+H’s luck has run its course now. Greetings to Dafydd on Glasgow - we look forward to the homecoming in Aberaeron Yacht Club. Fair winds to the fleet. LoL the Lloyd Harveys
11. Dillon O'brien, Liverpool 23 May 2008
Dear Uniquly Singapour,
hope you are winning your race
12. Dillon O'brien, Liverpool 23 May 2008
HOPE YOU ARE WINNING
13. DENIKAH, LIVERPOOL 23 May 2008
HI HOPE YOU WIN THE RAVE BYE !!
14. DENIKAH, LIVERPOOL 23 May 2008
HI HOPE YOU WIN THE RACE ? WHAT HAS THE WETHER BEN LIKE WEVE HAD WIND AND EVERYTHINK. ITS BEEN HARD AND YOU PROBZ BE TIRED. WEVE HAD GOOD AT SKOOL AND I REALLY LIKE IT
15. Barbara & Robert Watson, Beckenham, Kent 23 May 2008
Congratulations to Danny & the Hull & Humber crew on another first. Enjoy your celebrations in Jamaica and another well earned rest and hope you have another successful leg to New York. Very best wishes to all. Barbara & Robert Watson
16. Walt and Carol Oates, Cumbria 23 May 2008
Congratulations guys, look forward to seeing you in Cork - Walt and in Liverpool - Carol
BIG LOVE to all who have sailed and have yet to sail on the BBOB - BIG BEAUTIFUL ORANGE BOAT
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