Betreff: Clipper 2002 Race Report
Absender: "Loretta Spridgeon"
Datum: 31. Dec 2002 14:29


Clipper 2002 Race Report
31 December 2002

Glasgow's push to the front of the pack

for yesterday morning's report did
prove unsustainable and they had already been pushed off the top slot by
yesterday afternoon, but worse was to come.


This morning, a mere 12 hours later, sees them in 7th position having been
outflanked by the southern pack of Jersey, London and _blank York, but what
must be even harder to swallow is that they have also been outgunned by
Bristol and Hong Kong off to the north.


Jersey, London and _blank York are all within sight of each other and are
experiencing steady winds of force 4 from the southeast. Ideal sailing
conditions for their course towards the finish line. Bristol and Hong Kong
are still in northerly winds and have yet to pass through to the
southeasterlies, or in the words of _blank York skipper Sam Fuller, "they have
the light flappy bit still to come."


Wishful thinking perhaps but with just over two miles separating the front
four boats, even a slight reduction in wind will have a dramatic affect and
Glasgow could yet find themselves pushing back up the fleet if Bristol and
Hong Kong slow down. Sam adds "It has been wonderfully painless for us down
south so far! Of course, I've done it now - haven't I?!" Let's wait and see.


At the back of the fleet, Cape Town Clipper currently has a good lead on
Liverpool but they too have yet to pass into the southeasterly winds. Adam
Kyffin and his crew aboard Liverpool will be hoping that their position
further south will enable them to get there first and close the gap a little
and the few days is likely to see some close racing for these two boats.


Whilst most of us think about _blank Years Eve, parties and resolutions, the
Clipper crews will be sailing hard with little to remind them of the
festivities most of us take for granted. No doubt for some it will be the
first time in a long while that they greet the _blank year with a clear head!


Apart from being just another finish line, the Galapagos Islands are a
nature lover's paradise and the boats are already getting a foretaste of
this as Sam's report this morning shows.


"Had pilot whales today and 3 unusually pretty gulls have been with us all
day, perching on our pushpit hopeful of food. Tonight dolphins dancing in
the phossey (phosphorescence) and a lightening storm in the distance. And
people ask "don't you get bored?" No, we don't!"


LATEST POSITIONS

04:00, 31 December 2002


Pos    Yacht       Dist To Finish

1    Jersey       495.36 (nautical miles)

2    Bristol       497.08

3    London    497.10

4    _blank York    497.50

5    Hong Kong    507.88

6    Glasgow    530.52

7    Cape Town    535.28

8    Liverpool    556.66



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