21.05.2008
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Hull & Humber wins Race 10 to Jamaica in Clipper 07-08
Errol Flynn Marina, Port Antonio, Jamaica
Just 57 seconds separated the first and second placed teams in the race from
Santa Cruz, California, to Jamaica, Hull & Humber securing a fourth victory
in the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race.
Crossing the finish line running a mile due north of Folly Point lighthouse,
Port Antonio, Jamaica, at 2223:29 local time (0323:29 GMT) Hull & Humber
brought to an end three days of fast and furious racing, beating New York by
the narrowest of margins in the 590-mile race from Colon, Panama.
Eight of the ten internationally-backed yachts were in sight of each other
as the fleet raced towards Port Antonio, the leading pack separated by 13
miles or less for much of the last 24 hours. The skippers pushed crews and
boats hard to gain every extra knot of speed to put distance between
themselves and the opposition.
The favourable easterly breeze helped the fleet speed towards their
destination, a welcome change after the light airs on the race from Santa
Cruz to Panama.
Spraying celebratory champagne over his crew, Hull & Humberıs skipper Danny
Watson said, ³Another win! Obviously it was very, very close. We had the
other boats in sight for three days and squalls in the distance at night so
the positions were always a bit of a mix up during the night time but we
pushed hard. The guys just had belief all the way through. We had a good
lead coming in to the end and found a bit of a wind hole but we just kept
belief and it came good in the end.²
The victory extends Hull & Humberıs lead over New York to three and a half
points, with Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper, who finished third in
Race 10, ten points behind the English team.
Race Director, Joff Bailey, says, ³This has been a very intense race and all
the skippers are now focussed on the overall result of this competition.
Itıs a bit like the end of the Premiership season and itıs all building up
to be decided on the last weekend. This is possibly the closest contest
since the Clipper Race began in 1996 and there are still a lot of points to
be won in a very short space of time. There are two big battles brewing at
the top of the table and in the middle and it would be very easy for any of
the teams to slip up as we saw during Race 9 from Santa Cruz when tactical
choices failed to pay off.²
Port Antonio on Jamaicaıs northern coast is Jamaicaıs third largest port and
one of the islandıs most important tourist attractions. Now a centre for
eco-friendly projects and untouched by mass tourism, it became a boom town
in the 1880s after the beginning of the banana trade and promotion of the
port as a destination for wealthy American travellers. It was glamorised by
Hollywood as a model of paradise in the 1940s and 50s, an image reinforced
by the arrival of movie star Errol Flynn when his yacht washed ashore in bad
weather. His house on Navy Island overlooks Errol Flynn Marina in Port
Antonio where the Clipper fleet is berthed for the duration of the stopover
in Jamaica.
Jamaicaıs Tourism Minister, The Honourable Edmund Bartlett MP, will visit
Port Antonio during the Clipper 07-08 visit. Minister Bartlett will present
the pennants to the first three teams at the prizegiving ceremony at the Ken
Wright Cruise Ship Terminal on the evening of Thursday 22 May, and will meet
the crews and visit the yachts on Friday 23 May.
The race will restart from Port Antonio on Saturday 24 May at 1400 local
time (1900 GMT). The boats will leave Errol Flynn Marina at 12 noon (1700
GMT) and sail in formation past Folly Point where spectators will be able to
have an excellent view of Jamaica and the other nine yachts in the Clipper
07-08 fleet.
Berths are now available for the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race.
For more information on applying to become a crew member email
oceanracer@clipperroundtheworld.com call the Crew Recruitment Manager on +44
(0) 2392 526000. The Clipper Race is open to anyone over the age of 18 and
there is no upper age limit.
For more information visit www.clipperroundtheworld.com
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