Clipper 07-08 fleet finishes Race 9 - Race News

Clipper 07-08 fleet finishes Race 9

08 May 2008

All ten of the internationally-backed yachts competing in the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race have now finished Race 9 from Santa Cruz to Panama.

Following a thrilling race in which a group of six yachts battled it out for the podium positions, matching each other move for move, Hull & Humber emerged victorious to score their third win of the 14-race series. Qingdao finished second, just nine minutes ahead of New York who maintained their reputation for strong finishes by taking their sixth podium place in nine races.

Nova Scotia, who had enjoyed some close quarters racing with Qingdao missed snagging a podium place by a little over an hour. Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper, who had taken the lead several times were stymied in the last 24 hours by a wind hole which held them back from the line in the final stages of Race 9. A disappointing result for the Scottish crew have yet to get their hands on the elusive yellow pennant awarded to the winning team but they remain in good spirits after finishing fifth.

Sixth placed Liverpool 08 took the most offshore course and sailed more than 300 nautical miles further than their rivals as they searched for stronger winds. It was a move that almost paid off and one that they are proud of.

Crossing the finish line at 1709 GMT on 7 May, skipper Ben Galloway said, “It was interesting to watch the majority of the fleet stick together but as per usual Liverpool 08 decided to run our own race making tactics based on the weather we were given at the time. As you may have seen, we went for the offshore route. Although we were not in sight of any other race boats, we kept pushing hard as we knew it would be a close finish especially if the race was called early.”

Uniquely Singapore, who had also briefly held the lead in a race where overall control was hard to come by, also finished overnight, crossing the finish line in seventh place at 2327 GMT on 7 May.

Jamaica, who were involved in the three-way fight for sixth place with Liverpool 08 and Uniquely Singapore, struggled in very light airs as they approached the finish line off the Mexican coast. They ghosted across at 0039 GMT today to claim eighth place.

Skipper Simon Bradley says, “The last few miles took forever to complete as the wind died away on us. We saw Liverpool 08 then Uniquely Singapore finish before us, very frustrating as we hoped to beat both of them to the line. Well done to them both. We’re motoring now to Panama and this will bring its own challenges: the noise, the heat and not running out of fuel. But it will allow us to get most, if not all, of our maintenance jobs done en-route.”

Durban 2010 and Beyond were languishing in a wind hole and managed to cover just 25 miles in 12 hours yesterday. The Race Committee offered skipper Ricky Chalmers the option to accept their position as their final placing on this race in order to allow them to catch up with the rest of the fleet in Panama. The crew voted and decided to accept tenth place on Race 9.

westernaustralia2011.com fared even worse, at one point recording a 12-hour run of just 12 nautical miles. They were offered the same opportunity as Durban 2010 and Beyond, to accept their current position as their final standing in Race 9, but turned it down. Psychologically for the crew of the WA entry it was important to cross the finish line after the drama of their dismasting during the race across the Pacific and missing the start of Race 8 from Hawaii as their new mast was built and the yacht re-rigged.

Their fortunes appeared to be changing, as skipper Martin Silk reported. “It feels like we’re on a different ocean,” he says. ”Not only have winds have reached ten knots but the air seems to have some weight in it. In ninth position and less than 40 miles to the Angel Gate all that is left is to cross the finish and make best speed to Panama. This will involve plenty more sailing, providing an excellent training platform for the next race. In terms of helming it’s experience without the pressure of the race.”

The first yachts are expected to arrive in Panama on Monday 13 May.

FINISHING TIMES (all times UT/GMT)

1. Hull & Humber: 20:22:25 6 May
2. Qingdao: 23:13:15
3. New York: 23: 22:12
4. Nova Scotia: 00:25:00 7 May
5. Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper: 02:47:15
6. Liverpool 08: 17:09:58
7. Uniquely Singapore: 23:27:58
8. Jamaica: 00:39:26 8 May
9. westernaustralia2011.com 12:00:00
10 Durban 2010 and Beyond: accepted tenth place 13:00:00 7 May

All the results are provisional until the skippers have submitted their declarations and the Race Committee has ratified the results.