11.07.2012
RACE 14: DERRY-LONDONDERRY - DEN HELDER DAY 5
Wind hole puzzle for Clipper Race fleet
The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race fleet has been hit by light winds, as the ten teams fight for position in the important last 24 hours of Race 14 to Den Helder.
“Sailing frustration is when you wake up to the sound of flapping sails and the boat is too calm to believe that we are in open seas and miles offshore,” says De Lage Landen skipper, Stuart Jackson. Pulling out all the stops, the Dutch entry is keen to arrive into home port in prime position.
Meanwhile, overnight there has been a tight battle between Gold Coast Australia, Singapore and Visit Finland. Singapore took the lead during the night, seeing its competitors becalmed around them.
“Sailing clean round Gold Coast Australia and Visit Finland last night while they languished in a windless hole was the highlight in the past 24 hours and enabled us to shift into first. There but for the grace of the wind gods go any of us so we are careful not to be too jubilant just yet,” says Singapore skipper, Ben Bowley.
Singapore is currently one mile ahead of Gold Coast Australia while Visit Finland is only two miles off the frontrunner. The back of the fleet is juggling for the best position too as Derry-Londonderry, Qingdao and Geraldton Western Australia have all moved up the leader board.
The Clipper Race fleet is expected to arrive into Willemsoord Marina in Den Helder tomorrow morning with the yachts arriving all throughout the day. Keep an eye on the website for latest arrival times.
A festival will be held in Den Helder over the weekend which includes an international food market, street theatre, music and more. The Clipper Race Roadshow will also be there, with presentations for anyone interested in taking up the adventure of a life time on a brand new fleet of yachts. Download the programme on www.clipperroundtheworld.com/denhelder.
Read all skipper reports here: http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/index.php/follow/skippers-reports/
Latest boat positions (0900 UTC)
Position Team DTF DTL
1 Singapore 186NM 0NM
2 Gold Coast Australia 187NM 1NM
3 Visit Finland 188NM 2NM
4 Qingdao 201NM 15NM
5 Derry-Londonderry 201NM 15NM
6 Welcome to Yorkshire 202NM 16NM
7 De Lage Landen 206NM 21NM
8 Edinburgh Inspiring Capital 210NM 25NM
9 Geraldton Western Australia 226NM 40NM
10 New York 228NM 42NM
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