Betreff: Clipper 2002 -- Race 14 Preview
Absender: "Clipper _blanks"
Datum: 28. Jul 2003 15:02
BRISTOL LEADS FLEET INTO FINAL LEG OF CLIPPER 2002 RACE
“SO LONG, SALVADOR”
Clipper Ventures’ fleet of round-the-world yachts will set sail tomorrow on
the sixth and final crew leg of Clipper 2002 Series. Race 14 of the 16-stage
competition starts from Salvador, Brazil, at 12:00 (local) on Tuesday, 29
July, taking the eight yachts on a 4,200 nautical mile pursuit to America’s
most populous city of _blank York.
_blank York Clipper’s win into Salvador has been widely celebrated amongst the
fleet during a weeklong Brazilian stopover and the team is especially keen
to repeat this success into their home port of _blank York. But it is Bristol
Clipper, skippered by Richard Butler, that currently holds the overall lead
as the crews prepare for the final leg of their 35,000 mile contest.
The international yachts, namely Bristol, Cape Town, Glasgow, Hong Kong,
Jersey, Liverpool, London and _blank York, finished the 19-day race from Cape
Town to Salvador within 24 hours of each other. With all eight yachts having
now scored podium places on Clipper 2002, this is a truly great testimony to
the quality and closeness of the racing.
With this in mind, the skippers and crews turn their thoughts to the complex
wind patterns for the run up to _blank York and the distant finish at Ambrose
Light Tower. Race 14 holds much in store for them, as it is not only one of
the longest of the competition but is also the race that passes through the
greatest number of weather patterns.
The teams will line up for the race start close to the Nautical Centre of
Bahia, CENAB, where they have been hosted so well during the Salvador
stopover. This should give about a three-mile southerly beat down to the
harbour entrance and the distinctive St Antonio Lighthouse. They will then
follow the coast round, first to the east and then to the NE, before blazing
their away up the Brazilian coast for 400 miles until they pass Recife,
where the yachts will follow the coast round to the north.
Reaching up the coast of Brazil, the warm wind becomes steadily hotter as
the fleet nears the Equator. Here, the winds die away and the entire
region, known as the Doldrums, is renowned for its light and fickle winds.
Crossing the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone is sure to be a testing
experience for skippers and crews alike. The first indication that they are
clear is the cool northeasterly trade wind which powers them northward,
along with the Gulf Stream, towards the eagerly anticipated stopover in _blank
York.
On arrival, the Clipper yachts will berth at _blank York’s Intrepid
Sea-Air-Space Museum. The aircraft carrier USS Intrepid is one of the most
successful ships in US history and now, together with the destroyer USS
Edson and the submarine USS Growler, it is one of the most unique
attractions in _blank York City. Berthed on the mighty Hudson River in
Manhattan, the Museum will host the fleet from 22 - 31 August.
Clipper 2002 is about fierce competition on the water, illustrated by the
city rivalry which now sees the two frontrunners, Bristol and Jersey,
separated by just 3 points. Once in port though, the crew put aside their
rivalry and enjoy coming together to celebrate and prepare for their next
challenge. Just as the route is planned to give a wide variety of
challenging sailing conditions, so too are the stopover ports selected with
cultural diversity but common hospitality. The race ahead shows this with
great clarity, taking the fleet from a developing third-world country to one
of the world’s leading commercial, financial and cultural centres.
Following a nine-day stopover in _blank York, the Clipper crews will set sail
on the final transatlantic dash to the Channel Island of Jersey on 31 August
2003. The fleet will then sprint to the grand race finish via Holyhead and
the homecoming celebrations in the city of Liverpool, recently announced the
European Capital of Culture for 2008, will take place on Saturday, 27
September 2003.
ENDS
FURTHER INFORMATION & IMAGES:
Loretta Spridgeon
Clipper 2002 Media & PR Manager
Tel: + 44 (0) 23 8023 7088
Fax: +44 (0) 23 8023 7081
Mobile: +44 (0) 7773 818586
Email: lspridgeon@clipper-ventures.com
Website: www.clipper-ventures.com
CLIPPER 2002 OVERALL POSITIONS AFTER 13 RACES:
Pos Yacht Cumulative Points
1st Bristol 75
2nd Jersey 72
3rd Liverpool 54.5
4th Hong Kong 54
5th London 49
6th Glasgow 48
7th _blank York 46
8th Cape Town 22
NB. London Clipper deducted 3 points for sail loss.
ALL ENDS
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