Betreff: Clipper 2002 Race Report
Absender: "Clipper News" 
Empfänger: 
Datum: 16. Sep 2003 12:00


Clipper 2002 Race Report
16 September 2003

BRISTOL CLIPPER BACK IN FRONT

Yesterday was a bad day for Jersey Clipper. They started off by losing their
long held first place to New York Clipper, but as if that wasn't bad enough
by the afternoon radio schedule they had been overtaken by both Liverpool
and, worse still, Bristol.

Skipper Simon Rowell and his Jersey crew did the only thing possible;
harnessed the returning wind and went for it! After a twelve-hour run of 110
miles, they now sit in second place - just one mile behind Richard Butler's
Bristol team.

The mood on board Jersey is good, as Simon explains: "A very grey day today!
But no complaints at all, as the wind built gradually into a beautifully
steady SW Force 4 or 5, allowing us to spend the last 16 hours broad
reaching under the medium kite."

Meanwhile the New Yorkers have been less fortunate. After their blast to the
front of the fleet skipper Ross Daniel knew the importance of heading north
to consolidate their lead, but the wind would not allow it. Firstly its
direction was wrong; blowing from the north north east it forced them to
sail to the east, then after dying off completely it returned to favour the
boats in the north first, so explaining Liverpool and Bristol's success.

So this morning sees New York in fifth place, although their push to the
north should at least enable them to cover the boats behind. Hong Kong and
Glasgow have also concentrated on heading towards the stronger winds by
pushing to the north east, running almost parallel to New York's track, and
though a sensible strategy to get further onto the conveyor belt to the
finish line in Jersey, in the short term it has caused them to lose miles to
the rest of the fleet.

Cape Town, in contrast, are continuing to push to the east in the hope that
the stronger winds will continue on down towards them. If this does happen,
they will have saved wasted miles to the north and could well jump Glasgow
and New York, though we won't know that for another day or so.

At the front of the fleet, Bristol have certainly earned their first place
with one sail change flowing swiftly into another as they fight to take full
advantage of every wind shift. Currently flying their heavyweight kite, the
Bristolians are reaching in about 20 knots of apparent wind, a very useful
force five to six from the northwest.

The Liverpudlians are just off Bristol’s port quarter whilst further to the
south, London Clipper is in hot pursuit of Jersey. Yet again we have good
breeze, excellent sailing and only six miles separating the first three
boats. And if that wasn't enough the icing on the top is a knot or so of
favourable current, helping to push them to the expectant crowds on the
island of Jersey.

Clipper 2002 - Race 15 Positions
03:00, 16 September 2003

Pos     Yacht          Dist To Finish (Nautical Miles)
1     Bristol          1,234
2     Jersey         1,235
3     Liverpool     1,240
4     London         1,255
5     New York     1,293
6     Hong Kong      1,313
7     Glasgow      1,325
8     Cape Town     1,342

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Clipper 2002 Round the World Yacht Race
Race 15 Halifax to Jersey ETA 23/09/03


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