Betreff: Clipper 2002 Race Report
Absender: "Clipper _blanks" 
Empfänger: 
Datum: 22. Jan 2003 12:08


Clipper 2002 Race Report
22 January 2003

SURFS UP!

Now just over half way to Hawaii, the Clipper fleet are blasting along in
ideal strong wind conditions with a good dose of current under them.

The heavy cloud and rain that typified the Equator has been replaced by sun,
but there is still enough cloud to take the edge off the heat. The north
easterly force 5 to 6 is perfect for the heavyweight spinnakers and in the
long Pacific swell the boats should be getting some good surfs.

Helming in these conditions is tiring, as all the time one is wrestling to
keep the boat on track. As a wave picks up the stern of the boat it will
tend to push the bow towards the wind. The helmsman counteracts this, but
just enough to keep the boat pointing straight down the wave where it
quickly accelerates. Too much and the boat risks a jibe, too little and she
heels over in a potential broach. But get it right, straighten the rudder,
level the boat and watch the speed rise with an exhilarating rush of spray
and foam from the bow.

The speed of a displacement hull, i.e. one which sits in the water rather
than planing across it, is governed by its waterline length so the Clippers
should only sail at around 9 knots but when they get on a wave the theory
goes over the side. Speeds in the mid teens are common and the low twenties
not unheard of.

The crew compete to see who can push the figures on the digital readout
highest and the whole thing gets quite vocal with cries of "fourteen,
sixteen, seventeen, seventeen and a half, seventeen point eight!!" tearing
across the cockpit. In fact, the general noise level increases as the water
rumbling under the hull becomes a dull roar and the entire boat seems to
vibrate under you.

The downside to all this excitement is that the decks are frequently awash
as water streams back from the bow. Hatches reindex firmly closed so the
temperature below decks can become unpleasantly warm. The crews have a daily
cleaning rota, but it is impossible to check all the nooks and crannies on
board and occasionally some unlucky crew member gets rather a surprise. A
small family of maggots were discovered living happily in a corner of
Bristol, but were soon acting as bait for any passing fish!

There has been little change in the positions, with all the boats making
good speeds toward the finish. This may well reindex the case for the next
few days, with steady winds and little room for tactical manoeuvring now
that the boats are all heading in much the same direction.

The only real wildcard for the moment will be the unexpected breakage, the
sail that blows or the halyard that breaks. Cape Town Clipper suffered
yesterday when their heavyweight kite ripped badly, but they already managed
to repair it and get it flying again.

Glasgow Clipper spent several hours steering with their emergency tiller
when the quadrant on the rudderstock slipped down making the wheel unusable.
The fact that both incidents were dealt with so smoothly characterises the
skills these "amateur" sailors have developed over the weeks and months
since the race began.

LATEST POSITIONS
04:00, 22 January 2003

Pos    Yacht       Distance to Finish
1    Jersey       1876 (nautical miles)
2    London    1893
3    Liverpool    1906
4    Bristol       1908.6
5    Hong Kong    1975.6
6    Glasgow    1979.2
7    Cape Town    1991.8
8    _blank York    2075.1

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

Race 5 Galapagos to Hawaii - THE KO OLINA CUP
Clipper 2002 visit to Hawaii will be hosted by Ko Olina Marina and Resort
www.koolinamarina.com