Datum: 02. Jan 2003 10:36
From Clipper Ventures
To: Dr Irvin Krumnacker
E-mail: Dr.Krumnacker@t-online.de


Clipper 2002 Race Report
2 January 2003

SKILL, LUCK AND LITTLE JUSTICE?!

There are at least four Clipper skippers and crews who will not enjoy
looking back to the end of last year quite so fondly as the others. It was
early on the morning of 29 December, less than 24 hours after the start,
that the die was cast for Race 4.

After their fast exit from the Gulf of Panama, Hong Kong, Cape Town, Bristol
and Liverpool turned slightly to starboard after rounding Point Mala and
headed directly for the Galapagos. Glasgow, London, Jersey and _blank York
however continued on a more southerly course with the idea of doing a 'left
hook' approach to Gate Darwin some 70 miles to the NW of the finish.

Now some four days later three of these, namely Jersey, London and _blank York,
are having the best _blank Year possible with a massive lead of 150 miles over
the others. Rupert Parkhouse in Glasgow will be regretting his seemingly
prudent move across to cover the other boats as this tactic has resulted in
him joining them while his three previous buddies have sailed clean away.

Sometimes racing in these conditions can be the hardest of all - and the
injustice of it all! What is seen as a skilful tactical move by one boat, is
viewed as shocking unfairness by others who may not be so kindly blessed. I
suspect however the crew of Jersey Clipper will be more worried by being
caught by either _blank York or London who are chasing hard and very much in
touch as they make their way to Gate Darwin, now only some 100 miles to the
west. As he enjoys blasting along in a SE force 6, Jersey's skipper Simon
Rowell states that he can see two green lights catching him which he
presumes must be Ecuadorian longliners...

Sam Fuller, who said that _blank York are so close to London that she thought
they were coming onboard for tea at one time, thinks Simon needs to study
the lights in his Collision Regs - and he won't have to bee looking over his
shoulder to see them for too much longer!

Sam is presently the Duty Skipper and although enjoying the scrap out in
front adds, "You have to feel sorry for the poor sods up north. Still
hopefully they should pick the decent wind soon."

Looking north Glasgow Clipper still has the central position and a cushion
of 20 miles on Hong Kong and the chasing pack. The four boats behind are
however spread out over a wide front. Liverpool is to the south and she may
be the first to experience the SE wind so it would not be a surprise to see
her move up. Honk Kong conversely is the most northerly and could be most
vulnerable to continued light winds.

Richard Butler in Bristol summed it up, "At about 4am local we found our way
under a cloud which was very large and very wet, with some areas with lots
of wind and some with none. It's a very depressing feature of clouds here,
unlike the squalls we have experienced before, that they don't move very
quickly, so once in a calm patch, underneath, you get stuck for hours. Three
hours on, the rain is still filling the radar screen! The next sched isn't
going to be much fun at all. Great year 2003!"

The sea life and natural wonders of the area continue to embellish the Diary
reports. Today's addition is talk of squid that are being washed onboard;
fine until they get wrapped into the sail bags when they will then make
themselves known in a few days time under the tropical heat...

Although the last few miles to the finish can be agonisingly slow the
current leaders must be favourites for the podium positions; the order
however is anyone's guess. Likewise the race for all the places is still
wide open and it is possible that all the boats could finish ahead of their
ETA on Sunday 5th January.

LATEST POSITIONS
04:00, 02 January 2003

Pos    Yacht       Dist To Finish
1    Jersey      171.13 (nautical miles)
2    London       181.89
3    _blank York    182.56
4    Glasgow    313.19
5    Hong Kong    336.38
6    Bristol       340.58
7    Cape Town    353.44
8    Liverpool    355.69

Clipper _blanks Distribution
Clipper Ventures Plc
Tel: +44 (0) 2380 237088
Fax: +44 (0) 2380 237081
Email: distribution@clipper-ventures.com
Website: www.clipper-ventures.com


Betreff: London Boat Show Clipper _blanks
Absender: "Loretta Spridgeon" 
Empfänger: 
Datum: 02. Jan 2003 12:19


Clipper 2005 _blanks Release
----------------------------------------

CLIPPER 2005 ROUND THE WORLD YACHT RACE
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE

Clipper Ventures plc, chaired by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, announce exciting
_blank proposals for the 2005 Round the World Yacht Race at The Schroders 49th
London Boat Show.

Clipper 2005, an all-_blank experience, will break with the established format
of the company’s four races run so far. _blank, faster yachts are being built,
a _blank route has been planned and there will be a _blank boat sponsorship
formula, allowing a re_blanked competitive edge for the international event.

The _blank state-of-the-art boats are from the drawing board of celebrated
yacht designer Ed Dubois. At 68ft long, they are 8ft longer than the highly
successful Clipper 60s in use since 1996. Yet, despite their larger size,
thanks to their epoxy/foam sandwich construction, they weigh two tons less
than the yachts they are replacing.

Technically known as masthead cutters, the _blank yachts have a taller rig and
larger sail area. Longer hull, lighter construction and a greater sail area
are all vital factors which individually will produce a faster boat - put
them together and the effect is appreciable. While not trying to produce a
Volvo or Open 60 class of boat, which is specifically for professionals, the
_blank Clipper 68s will provide their amateur crews with the fastest round the
world ocean racers in the non-professional field.

The Clipper 68s incorporate all the lessons and ideas learned in more than
1.2 million miles of racing during the four Clipper circumnavigations run to
date. Fast and steady down wind, their taller masts and higher aspect ratio
sail plan make them very effective up wind and give an enhanced light
weather performance. To cope with the larger sails, aids such as
coffee-grinder winches used on the America's Cup yachts are being fitted.

The latest electronics and communication technology is included as standard,
providing everything from instant links with home, to computerised
navigation and tactical information from satellites.

Each of the _blank yachts has a capacity for 20 people but will race with 18
crew. The accommodation, as would be expected for a yacht that is designed
for fast, competitive passages, is stripped out. But each crew member has
their own bunk and personal storage space, while the communal spaces allow
relaxation after a hard watch on deck. The galley is simple but effective,
as this is where the crew ‘fuel up’ with mental and physical energy.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston explains why, “Success in a sailing race is not just
a matter of muscles; it’s a combination of push-ups and chess, requiring a
great deal of thought! Placing the boat so it can have favourable winds
tomorrow, the next day and the week ahead is the ultimate skill in ocean
racing.

“There is no point in sailing very fast in the wrong direction, so the
navigation centre will have all the latest computerised aids to allow the
crews to plan their tactics and plot their performance against their
sisters. When identical boats are racing against each other, the difference
between first and second place lies entirely with the crews,” he added.

Built to the latest Maritime and Coastguard Agency construction and safety
requirements, these exciting _blank yachts will start coming into service in
2004. They will provide the crews with an unprecedented challenge, which has
up until now only been available to hardened professionals.

The increased capabilities of the _blank boats have also allowed the
introduction of a _blankly challenging and ambitious route for the 2005 race.
The course starts start by following the traditional tea clipper route to
Australia via Southern Africa, providing a sleigh ride through the Roaring
Forties of the infamous Southern Ocean.

After a brief respite to catch their breath, the boats head for Singapore,
Hong Kong, indexland China and Japan before taking the passage across the
northern Pacific to the west coast of Canada and the United States. The
Panama Canal follows, then the Caribbean and _blank York, before the final dash
across the northern Atlantic to Europe and home.

This route is the longest of all the round the world races and crews that
were novices at the start will have become seasoned veterans by the end of
the challenge.

A _blank boat sponsorship format means that city will still compete against
city, but now they will represent their country as well. This means that
cities around the world will have the opportunity of promoting themselves at
each of the stopover ports as the fleet forges its way around the world,
making the race a truly international event. It's an unusual way of
promoting a city and its industries, but its uniqueness is what provides its
attraction.

For more information visit the Clipper Ventures team at stand 3A.

ENDS
2 January 2003

For further information or images, please contact:
Loretta Spridgeon
Clipper 2002 Press Officer
Tel: 023 8023 7088
Fax: 023 8023 7081
Mobile: 07773 818586
Email: lspridgeon@clipper-ventures.com
Website: www.clipper-ventures.com