Betreff: Clipper 2002 Race Report
Absender: "Clipper _blanks" 
Empfänger: "Irvin Krumnacker" 
Datum: 17. Jul 2003 12:56

Clipper 2002 Race Report
17 July 2003

STORMING TO THE FINISH

At 03:00 GMT this morning (04:00 BST) _blank York Clipper's distance to the
finish was less than their distance covered over the last 24 hours, so in
true ocean race form and unless conditions change dramatically, they will
finish in the dark early hours of tomorrow morning.

Although Bristol Clipper has gained slightly, victory for the _blank Yorkers
does seem fairly secure. The fat lady will not start singing until they are
well and truly over the line, but at present speeds _blank York Clipper
effectively has a five-hour lead on the second placed Bristolians.

It is amazing to think how decisions made soon after the race start can have
such a profound effect. Resisting the temptation to go for an early lead,
skipper Ross Daniel and his crew played it by the book and headed to the
north after leaving table Bay. They held on despite the growing gap
separating them from the rest of the fleet.

Only South African skipper Roger Steven Jennings and the Cape Town Clipper
crew took the same decision, but both then reaped the rewards as the
windless South Atlantic high-pressure system caught the boats to the south.

Cape Town also justly deserves a podium position. Having valiantly held
second for so long, they eventually fell to Bristol but it is still close!
At one point yesterday it even looked as though they might again take
second, but overnight the wind strengthened tipping the balance in Bristol's
favour and there is now 16 miles separating them.

But quite how Bristol Clipper came to be there is another story. Unlike Cape
Town and _blank York they chose a much more southerly initial route and they
too got caught by the high, but in a brilliant display of decisive action
went due north as soon as they had wind to move them. In what looked at the
time like an error in position reporting they drifted gently off at right
angles to their desired course, barely making headway, but it was an
improving situation and they too were soon back in the stronger breeze and
soon outflanking the rest.

Rory Gillard on London Clipper had been further north, but unfortunately
chose that time to gybe to the west. The team passed close to Bristol's
position before heading back towards the northwest. This served them well,
but was not enough to prevent them falling in behind Bristol Clipper a
couple of days later.

Glasgow, Hong Kong, Liverpool and Jersey did eventually escape, but by then
the rest were over the horizon. Nobody can have felt worse served by this
than the crew aboard Jersey Clipper. Having sailed a conservative middle
route they suddenly found that the boats on either side had more wind than
they did and they suffered a painfully slow few days before finally getting
back in the fight.

And what a fight it has become! Glasgow Clipper has done well to pull
slightly further ahead, but the three boats at the back have only 6 miles
between them. This morning's report also shows Jersey edging just in front
of Liverpool Clipper. By 0.1 miles! No-one likes being at the back of the
fleet, but a finish as close as this one promises to be will keep the
adrenaline pumping right to the wire.

Clipper 2002 - Race 13 Positions
03:00, 17 July 2003

Pos     Yacht        Distance to Finish (nautical miles)
1     _blank York     201
2     Bristol          249
3     Cape Town      265
4     London      334
5     Glasgow      394
6     Hong Kong      439
7     Jersey          445.1
8     Liverpool      445.2

Clipper _blanks Distribution
Clipper Ventures plc
Tel SA: +27 (0) 214 213243
Tel UK: + 44 (0) 23 8023 7088
Fax UK: +44 (0) 23 8023 7081
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Website: www.clipper-ventures.com

Clipper 2002 Round the World Yacht Race
Race 13 Cape Town to Salvador ETA 18/07/03