Betreff: Clipper 2002 Race Report
Absender: "Clipper _blanks" 
Empfänger: 
Datum: 11. Jul 2003 14:59

Clipper 2002 Race Report
11 July 2003

IS CAPE TOWN TOO FAR NORTH?

This race, the thirteenth of the 16-stage Clipper 2002 Series, has tended to
develop into a battle of two halves as the Clipper yachts track their way
across the southern Atlantic to Brazil. The four-strong northern group of
_blank York, Cape Town, Bristol and London have had the edge, but the
southerners have now accepted this and most of them are now cutting their
losses and coming further north.

Cape Town Clipper is truly the Champion of the north. It is just possible
however that the South Africans may have gone too far and could now drop
back as a result. Skipper Roger Steven-Jennings may well be concerned about
this, as over the last 12 hours they have eased south to put themselves
between the finish and third placed Bristol.

Rupert Parkhouse aboard Glasgow Clipper thought they had the edge on the
others in the southern group. With lots of threatening black clouds around,
he had time to write how they were standing by for ages to drop their kite
as a squall came through. As so often it was a false alert and he was
reported that they were able to hold on, thankful that the threat had
diminished.

After a short gap Rupert then wrote to say that the head of their spinnaker
had blown away, one clew had become detached, plus the sail was ripped from
top to bottom and now in two very separate parts. Like Jersey, Liverpool and
no doubt several other boats in the Clipper fleet, their sewing machine will
have been very busy by the time the crew reach Salvador.

Justin Taylor in Hong Kong Clipper has decided that he will not fall in with
the others in the southern group and it appears he has gybed, now heading
directly for Salvador. Race Director Colin de Mowbray commends this spirited
tactic agreeing that there is little to be gained from following the other
yachts.

Justin, like all the skippers, only has limited weather faxes available to
make his decision and he does not have the benefit of surfing the internet
for the weather information. The general trend is that the wind in both the
north and the south of the fleet will start to drop off over the next 48
hours and the crews may well be looking back at their 200 - 220 miles per
day with fondness from now on.

With less than 1,400 miles to go, an arrival on the 18 July is certainly a
possibility, although the fleet could experience a relatively slow run to
the finish so the smart money is on the winning boat arriving on Saturday,
19 July.

Clipper 2002 - Race 13 Positions
03:00, 11 July 2003

Pos     Yacht        Distance to Finish (nautical miles)
1     _blank York      1,389
2     Cape Town      1,434
3     Bristol        1,458
4     London        1,563 (position estimated)
5     Glasgow      1,597
6     Hong Kong      1,604
7     Liverpool      1,624
8     Jersey          1,650

Clipper _blanks Distribution
Clipper Ventures plc
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