Betreff: Clipper 2002 Race Report NY
Absender: "lspridgeon" 
Empfänger:
Datum: 24. Aug 2003 16:45

RACE 14 RAGES ON

Hong Kong Clipper had 17 miles to run to the race finish at Ambrose
Light-tower (NY) at 14:00 GMT today, in order to clinch the next podium
place on the fourteenth stage of the Clipper 2002 Series. Here in
Manhattan though, there is now a strong Northerly breeze which sees
Justin Taylor and his crew tacking all the way to the finish line and
making about 4 knots boat speed.

Neptune seems determined to make these last few miles pretty tough ones
for the Hong Kong crew as they continue to beat into strong 30 knot
headwinds. The Race Office team here at the Intrepid-Sea-Sir-Space
Musuem expect to see the successful second-placed team alongside the USS
Intrepid at 18:00 local time today.

Bristol Clipper, racing for third place, has obviously had a tough day
too. Only managing 32 miles in the last 12 hours, all that skipper Binks
had time to report was that he just hadn't had time to report today!

Liverpool Clipper reindexs in fourth position, having kept the South
Westerly winds longer than the boats ahead and both Liverpool and
Glasgow have now caught up around 20 miles on Bristol. It is not only
the sailing keeping Adam Kyffin and his crew on their toes though. The
weather front passing over the fleet left its mark on Liverpool Clipper
last night as they were struck by lightening; luckily the only damage
was to the wind instruments at the top of the mast.

This same weather front brought with it rather damp and squally sailing
conditions. Passing over Glasgow Clipper around 21:00 local time, her
skipper Rupert Parkhouse reported that this had left the 5th placed
Scots with a North Westerly wind, Force 4 in strength.

Looking at the forecasts these Northerly winds will not be around for
too long. After being headed, it is expected that the wind is going to
once again become light - at best it could blow 10 knots of Southerly
breeze, but not for some time.

Although this will mean that those still racing may be able to hoist
their spinnakers again, we will not see their miles ticking away too
quickly. A pretty harsh blow from the weather gods as the 'so near but
yet so far' stamp is firmly marked.

Back in the pack, London and New York have caught up impressively. This
may of course have something to do with a certain amount of horsepower
they have assisting their sailing! Passing Liverpool and Glasgow Clipper
yesterday, both yachts are not far from Bristol now and will be eager to
berth in New York to begin their indextenance programmes after their pit
stop in Bermuda.

Roger Steven-Jennings and his Cape Town crew also continue to make good
progress towards New York, with the reindexs of the electrical activity
around them.

Clipper 2002 - Race 14 Positions
03:00, 24 August 2003

Pos     Yacht          Dist To Finish (Nautical Miles)
1     Jersey          FINISHED 23/08/03 at 15:45 GMT
2     Hong Kong      62
3     Bristol         233
4     Liverpool     270
5     Glasgow      283
(Rtd)     London      241
(Rtd)    New York      252
(Rtd)     Cape Town      402

n.b. Cape Town, London and New York are motoring to New York.

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Clipper 2002 Round the World Yacht Race
New York Fleet Visit 23/08/03 - 02/09/03

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