Uniquely Singapore first into New York City
by Catherine Green 1 Jul 2006 07:33 BST
Uniquely Singapore is first into New York City on leg 10 of the Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race © Ingrid Abery /
www.hotcapers.com
Uniquely Singapore claimed another win today in the Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race as they took first place position in race 10 -the 1400 mile sprint from Jamaica to New York City.
The Singaporean entry crossed the finish line at 0949 GMT (0549 local) at Ambrose Light before proudly sailing down the Hudson River, passing the iconic Statue of Liberty along the way. The yacht will be berthed alongside the other nine boats at North Cove Marina, in the heart of the Manhattan metropolis and in the shadows of the towering skyscrapers.
This marks the second win for Uniquely Singapore whose recent outstanding performance has notched them up the leaderboard, giving them a real chance for an overall podium finish.
Skipper Richard Falk said; 'This is a fantastic feeling! We are delighted to get another first place and to have such a strong finish. This is a huge confidence boost for the crew, they have now seen what they can achieve - I have a very effective and competitive race team.'
The Singaporean entry held a very strong lead from the start of the race as they took a more easterly route than the rest of the fleet, grabbing onto more favourable weather systems which helped them gain distance from their nearest competitors by the day.
Falk continued; 'This race was a short sprint, but for the next big race across the Atlantic, we have to maintain that performance for two to three weeks. My crew are well primed and raring to go!
'My main objective as a skipper is to see the crew come together and develop as a team, we have not only achieved this, but we are winning races too. At this present moment I am euphoric, the tiredness will kick in once the adrenaline stops pumping!'
Whilst devouring pizzas and champagne on the dockside, spirits were lifted even higher when the crew of Uniquely Singapore were told that the Singapore Tourism Board would provide luxury accommodation for the night. So once the partying stops, the crew will manage to get lots of sleep - in the city that never sleeps!
Westernaustralia.com finished several hours afterwards at 1315 GMT with the New York boat scoring a podium position into their home city in third place at 1409 GMT. The rest of the fleet will arrive throughout today.
The race will remain in North Cove, Manhattan until 5 July giving the crews a chance to enjoy the Independence Day celebrations on 4 July.