Please select your home edition
Edition
V-DRY-X
Product Feature
Bluewave Turnbuckle, body only
Bluewave Turnbuckle, body only

Clipper 2017-18 Race Leg 1: Liverpool to Punta del Este - Day 28

by Clipper Race 17 Sep 2017 18:29 BST 17 September 2017

Three of the twelve teams, Visit Seattle, Unicef and GREAT Britain, are in Stealth Mode hiding their positions from the rest of the fleet. With this, the leader board currently has a very different feel, with Sanya Serenity Coast, Qingdao and PSP Logistics in the top three spots.

Visit Seattle's position will show again from 1200 UTC; Unicef's and GREAT Britain's positions will be hidden until 0600 UTC tomorrow. We will have to wait until tomorrow to see what tactical choices were made by these teams, and whether those decisions have paid off.

The yachts furthest south have had another day of downwind sailing but are aware of the tricky weather pattern ahead to navigate before their arrival into Punta del Este. Sanya Serenity Coast Skipper, Wendy Tuck, said: "We have less than 1000 nautical miles to Punta del Este via the Rhumb Line (shortest way) but in reality, we have to get an ugly gybe out of the way, the one when we head into the coast. Thrown into that will be the tactical decision of where to do it and try and stay in the light winds for the smallest amount of time."

Qingdao came out of Stealth Mode at 0600 UTC this morning. It appears that the decision has paid off for Qingdao, maintaining its lead over PSP Logistics and moving in front of HotelPlanner.com, but it was still unable to shake off GREAT Britain. Skipper, Chris Kobusch, said: "We spent the last 24 hours in Stealth Mode, only to be seen by GREAT Britain, who are still close by and have been following us almost the entire race so far. Annoyingly we can't pull away from them."

HotelPlanner.com made the decision to gybe, inland, earlier than the rest of the leaders. In the short term this has cost it a couple of positions but, with the squally shifting wind ahead, will it succeed in the long run? Skipper, Conall Morrison, reports: "Today felt like a much better day than yesterday. I was disheartened after a few evolutions going wrong but, on reflection, buoyed up by how the crew rallied around to make the situation right again. We put a lot of prep into our hoist of the Code 2 mediumweight spinnaker at around 9am. Since then we have been averaging speeds in the 11 and 12 knot range. Spirits onboard are high and we look forward to the close sailing in the coming days."

The result of the Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint was welcome news onboard Garmin. Skipper, Gaëtan Thomas, said: "It was good to know that we finished third in the Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint, so close behind Greenings and Visit Seattle. It did help my crew to realise how the little details can make the difference, especially with a race with the same boats; the sailors make the difference!"

He added: "Now we are looking to see how the weather will be in a few hundred miles as an unstable low is developing and a mix of some wind holes and some nasty fronts with a lot of destroying winds might happen. Some boats start to be on stealth mode, playing the last tricks. Very interesting!"

Storming along the inside line, Dare To Lead has overtaken Liverpool 2018 and is hot on the stern of Garmin. It was a long night for Skipper, Dale Smyth, but with the crew's hard work, it is now constantly holding boat speeds of 12 knots and peaked at 19.2.

For Greenings, victory in the Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint was hard earned. Relief Skipper and Deputy Race Director, Dan Smith, said: "[It was] what we needed after some tough sailing in an area away from the others, where it is harder to judge performance and motivate ourselves. The team now understand and have seen a reward from eating, sleeping and breathing on the high side, steer ing straight and helming well."

He remains focused on the task in hand, adding: "The weather in front is going to make finishing very hard work for the Skippers. We just need to hope that there is a way that we can pick our way through it and that the leading boats get slowed a little meaning that we can make our hours of redress count."

Nasdaq had a better run yesterday, helped by wind and sea conditions that are gradually becoming more favourable but Skipper, Rob Graham, reports: "We are still waiting for the spinnaker conditions the boats further south are reporting, but sense that it can't be far off now."

The weather ahead is not going to be all champagne sailing. Just off the coast, where the fleet has to pass through before turning into Punta del Este, is looking very messy, with lots of gaps and holes between two low pressure circulations. Simon Rowell, Clipper Race Meteorologist, reports that the front c reeping north is still quite active, with lots of upward vertical moisture movement. Generally, what goes up eventually goes down, so strong squalls and occasional heavy rain awaits the most southerly teams.

To read all the Skipper reports in full, and also read the Crew Diaries for insightful views into life on board, visit the Clipper Race Team Pages.

To stay up to date with the fleet's positions keep a close eye on the Clipper Race Viewer. All positions correct at time of writing.

www.clipperroundtheworld.com

Related Articles

Clipper 2025-26 Race to return to Puerto Sherry
After tourism boosting debut visit The Finish Line of the opening stage of the Clipper 2025-26 Round the World Yacht Race will be set against the backdrop of El Puerto de Santa María as Puerto Sherry returns as a Host Port Partner for the international sailing event. Posted on 25 Jun
Punta del Este announced as Clipper host port
4th time the city will host the Round the World Yacht Race fleet The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is set to return to Punta del Este, as the Uruguayan city is officially announced as a Host Port for the Clipper 2025-26 Race. Posted on 17 Jun
Clipper Race announces Official Logistics Supplier
Warrant Group offers a deep understanding of the complex operational demands As it gears up for its 14th edition, the Clipper Race has announced that Warrant Group will be the Official Logistics Supplier for the upcoming circumnavigation, with the UK-based firm also making its racing debut with a team entry named in its honour. Posted on 13 Jun
Clipper Race & UNICEF mark a decade of partnership
Fundraising efforts from race crew will continue to support UNICEF's work globally Today, the leading child rights organisation, UNICEF, was announced as a Team and Charity Partner of the Clipper Race once again. Posted on 6 May
Clipper Race announces line up of First Mates
Each First Mate will assist their Race Skipper in leading their teams of non-professionals The Clipper Race First Mates who will be helping to lead a team in the toughest endurance challenge on the planet have been announced. Posted on 26 Apr
Seattle set to host Clipper Race stopover
Tenth anniversary of first visit, returning with team entry Seattle is set to host the Clipper 2025-26 Race as the global sailing event has announced the city will feature on its race route. Posted on 4 Apr
Clipper Round the World Race to return to Oban
After tourism boosting debut visit last summer The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race will be returning to Oban to "bring global focus on the area as a great place to visit and invest" as the West Coast town is announced as a port on the event's 2025-26 edition. Posted on 31 Mar
Clipper Race announces its new line-up of skippers
“Sailing is a level playing field – with the ocean an equaliser” The next roster of eleven Clipper Race Skippers taking on one of the toughest jobs in sailing has been announced. Each will lead teams of non-professionals, making six ocean crossings on the 40,000 nautical mile, eleven-month race around the globe. Posted on 28 Mar
Clipper Race celebrates 30 years of adventure
One of the secrets to the success and longevity of biennial event is the highly experienced team This month marks 30 years since Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo, non-stop, around the world, founded the Clipper Race. Posted on 7 Mar
Clipper Race to return to Portsmouth
On the 25th anniversary of its first departure from the city When its fleet departs from Gunwharf Quays this August, the event will be celebrating two milestones - the 25th anniversary of its first departure from the city and 30 years of training people to cross oceans and sail around the world. Posted on 3 Mar