Betreff: Clipper 2002 Race Report
Absender: "Clipper _blanks"
Datum: 26. Mar 2003 10:23

Clipper 2002 Race Report
26 March 2003

TRIPLE TUSSLE IN TAIWAN STRAIT

There are three good scraps raging between the Clipper racing yachts in the
Taiwan Strait, bringing lots of interest into this Sinotrans Race to Hong
Kong.

Firstly, Bristol and Jersey reindex very close to each other with Bristol
having the edge at present. They are looking to match Jersey's score of two
race wins and know that they can not allow the Channel Islanders to creep
further ahead on the overall points.

After 24 hours of better winds, the two frontrunners have now slowed down
allowing the chasing pack to make gains and reverse yesterday's rather
demoralising situation.

Rory Gillard and his crew aboard London Clipper have caught up 13 miles in
the last 12 hours and are now just 32 miles behind the leading pair. The
Londoners also have a 10-mile cushion on the trio behind, but this will
reduce as the wind drops with them first.

Only 3 miles separate Liverpool, Hong Kong and Glasgow and these yachts will
no doubt be swapping places all the way to the finish. With poor visibility
and every type of fishing devise imaginable around them, they have a lot
more to concentrate on than just racing as fast as they can.

Further back _blank York Clipper has sneaked past Cape Town, but these two look
as though once again they are going to be racing each other all the way to
the line.

The weather is overcast, but the wind is forecast to hold enough for the
boats to keep going and if this is the case we could see the fleet arriving
in the early hours of Friday morning.

When they finish the Sinotrans Race the yachts will cross the line at Waglan
Island to the south of the eastern entrance to the harbour. This is a famous
landfall which seafarers traditionally looked for when approaching the
fragrant harbour, which was later to become known as Hong Kong.

The finish marks the important halfway stage of the Clipper 2002 series and
is around 12 miles from the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club; the yachts will
therefore not get alongside until two hours after their finishing time.

With under 250 miles to run now, the warm showers and cold beers will be
getting nearer and nearer - a fact that will not have escaped the gallant
Clipper crews as they race down the coast of China.

Clipper 2002 Sinotrans Race Positions
03:00, 26 March 2003

Pos    Yacht      Distance to Finish (nautical miles)
1    Bristol       253.68
2    Jersey       255.74
3    London    285.69
4    Liverpool    296.02
5    Hong Kong    296.85
6    Glasgow    298.90
7    _blank York    323.43
8    Cape Town    329.88

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

Clipper 2002 Sinotrans Race, Shanghai to Hong Kong
Fleet visit to Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club - 28 March to 17 April 2003