CLIPPER 2002 RACE REPORT
Cape Town Catching Up!
28 November 2002

On a day that has seen mileage gains throughout the fleet, the highest run
has come from last placed Cape Town Clipper. This improving performance will
be a great boost to Roger Steven-Jennings and his crew; now only thirty
miles behind they will have Glasgow Clipper firmly in their sights.

After yesterday's tactics proved less successful for Rupert Parkhouse and
the Glasgow crew, they too are now tracking more to the north in the hope of
reeling in Liverpool Clipper once more. The Cape Town crew should gain some
satisfaction from the fact that Liverpool created a 20 mile lead on Glasgow
in just over 24 hours, so with over a week still to go anything could
happen.

Another factor that seems to be affecting the fleet is a change in the wind
pattern as they head to the west. The race office weather forecast this
morning shows an initial decrease in the wind strength, which it seems is
already being felt by the leading boats - _blank York's average speed has been
almost 2 knots less than that of Cape Town over the last 24 hours.

The more the fleet compresses, the more interesting the race outcome as the
leading boats slow down and the trailing ones catch up. Sam Fuller
skippering _blank York Clipper will certainly have a different perspective on
this though and the NY supporters will be encouraged by Race Officer Jon
Hilsden's prediction that this change will eventually work in _blank York's
favour.

However the race unfolds, it currently does not seem to pay to be in the
south. Ed Green and the crew aboard Jersey Clipper report a mere 12 knots of
wind from the east. They are flying their light weight kite (spinnaker) in
an attempt to catch as much wind as possible, but are finding that in the
swell it is getting rather "flopsy whopsy." Anyone who has tried
unsuccessfully to fly a kite when there is not enough wind, will have a
pretty good appreciation of the frustration the Jersey crew are presently
experiencing.

Richard Butler and the Bristolian crew continue to make good progress to the
west, but have slowed in the decreasing wind allowing small gains to be made
by both London and Hong Kong. Crucially they are now also well to the north
so it will be interesting to see if they pick up any advantage from this
over the next few days.

LATEST POSITIONS
04:00, 28 November 2002

Pos    Yacht       Distance to Finish
1    _blank York   1420.49
2    Bristol      1555.25
3    London    1612.82
4    Hong Kong    1687.96
5    Jersey    1759.63
6    Liverpool   1772.78
7    Glasgow    1791.19
8    Cape Town    1820.54

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