Clipper 2002 - 4th Clipper round the world race - zur Übersicht CLIPPER 2002 RACE REPORT A Funny Old Game! 26 November 2002 Now past half way and having spent over two weeks at sea the fleet positions have reindexed fairly constant over the last few days, reflecting the difficulties of making big gains in steady weather in mid ocean. _blank York Clipper, helmed by Sam Fuller, continue to lead and the crew reindex bullish, but the lighter winds in their northern section of ocean are reflected in their boat speed - the lowest of the fleet over the last 24 hours. This should not be a cause of immediate worry for Sam and her crew as they retain a healthy lead, but with a long way still to go, it is not something they will enjoy. Meanwhile Cape Town Clipper's position at the back of the fleet was not helped by a nasty spinnaker wrap in the early hours, which cost them what was otherwise promising to be fast day. Sailing is a funny game, and one in which the vagaries of the weather are of course all important. The first week of this race saw the fleet beating in to strong headwinds and wishing for it to start blowing behind them. It now is, yet this will bring it's own raft of problems. Sailing with the wind directly behind the boat is in fact the slowest way to sail, the ideal being to have it "on the quarter" or about 40/50 degrees off the stern. With the wind currently blowing from the east and the boats wanting to sail to the west, this means that a straight line is a very slow option. Instead the boats will choose to zigzag their way towards Cuba, sailing first to the northwest then gybeing to the southwest. Some boats will choose to do this frequently and their track on the chart will show a steady course to the west, whilst some will choose to stay on the same gybe for longer, thus showing a steady track to the north or south of west. Cape Town, Glasgow, Liverpool and Jersey have all gone for the former option, whilst Hong Kong, London and Bristol have chosen the latter over the last 24 hours. There are pros and cons to both options but on the whole, staying as near to the rhumb line as possible is normally the most efficient. Hong Kong Clipper have achieved little by taking a long dive to the south west as it has slotted them well and truly behind London and Bristol, despite the highest days run. Bristol Clipper however are right to have continued with their more southerly track as it has enabled them to successfully cover the trailing pack. Jersey Clipper are sticking to the southern flank and have had a good day with steady winds of force 5 from the east; perfect spinnaker weather! On the wildlife front, Richard Butler aboard Bristol Clipper reports a pod of Minke whales surfing down the waves beside them. Over 40 feet long, but surprisingly agile as they dive down under the hull, this is an incredibly impressive sight. To find out more, visit the crew diaries at www.clipper-ventures.com ENDS - Submitted by Tim Hedges, Assistant Race Director Clipper _blanks Distribution Clipper Ventures Plc Tel: +44 (0) 2380 237088 Fax: +44 (0) 2380 237081 Email: distribution@clipper-ventures.com www.clipper-ventures.com Copyright © 1996-2016 - SEGEL.DE