Please select your home edition
Edition
Zhik 2024 December

Hull & Humber leads in harsh conditions to Qingdao

by Clipper Event media on 12 Feb 2008
Qingdao weathers the storm - Clipper 07-08 Clipper Ventures PLC . http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com
This race from Singapore to Qingdao, China, is proving to be the hardest so far of the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race.

It can be seen from the tracks on the race viewer on www.clipperroundtheworld.com that the teams are still sailing upwind towards the finish line and the northerly winds are due to continue for the near future. However it does appear that the fleet has managed to break away from the very strong winds down the Taiwan coast that battered the yachts over the weekend.

'The wind is now very patchy, going from 16 to 25 knots and the back again,' says Durban 2010 and Beyond skipper, Ricky Chalmers. 'The direction is changing also. All this is making progress very frustrating.'

Hull & Humber skipper, Danny Watson reports a, 'Long black night with oscillating wind making it quite unnerving on the helm. Temperatures are down and mid-layers and thermals dug out. Morale is very good on board.'

Hull & Humber and New York appear to have come through the weekend's heavy weather sailing most successfully, at the cost of Jamaica and Uniquely Singapore who have dropped down the leader board.

Jamaica skipper Simon Bradley says, 'Having lost the lead that we held for about 12 days we are now fighting to get it back. No doubt like the rest of the fleet we are licking our wounds after a couple of tough days, the weather took its toll on both crew and yacht, but we never give up on Jamaica - One Love!'

Two years ago during the Clipper 05-06 Race the area the fleet sailed through during this stage was a mass of Chinese fishing boats. This year the Race Committee has included some waypoints further offshore to try to keep the fleet clear of this hazard. Even Dame Ellen MacArthur, who was making a record breaking attempt around the Asian coast onboard B&Q, commented that it was the largest number of fishing boats she had ever seen. So far, based on the reports coming back from the fleet, the additional waypoints have helped reduce this hazard.

The Race Office is now established in Qingdao and the team is preparing for the fleet to finish later this week and over the weekend in time for the formal prize giving for Race 6 on Sunday night. The media office, maintenance team and the rest of the shore team will be on location at the Olympic Sailing Harbour by Thursday.

Security at the marina is extremely tight and nobody is permitted entry without a pass.

Berths are now available for the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race. For more information call +44 (0) 2392 526 000 or email oceanracer(at)clipperroundtheworld.com.

RACE POSTIONS AT 1200 GMT, 11 FEBRUARY 2008

1. Hull & Humber: Distance to Finish (DTF) 519
2. New York: DTF 503 (Distance to Leader +11)
3. Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper: DTF 540 (+21)
4. Durban 2010 and Beyond: DTF 546 (+27)
5. Jamaica: DTF 564 (+45)
6. Uniquely Singapore: DTF 573 (+54)
7. westernaustralia2011.com: DTF 577 (+58)
8. Liverpool 08: DTF 609 (+90)
9. Nova Scotia: DTF 645 (+126)
10. Qingdao: DTF 738 (+219)

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350Selden 2020 - FOOTERMaritimo M50

Related Articles

Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup Day 2
Philip Köster triumphs again in Pozo Izquierdo The 37th edition of the Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup delivered a thrilling second day this Sunday, once again marked by strong winds and the talent of the world's best windsurfers.
Posted today at 8:47 pm
A perfect start to the 5th annual AEGEAN 600
Cloudless blue skies, crystal clear waters and perfect 12-15 knots of northerly wind At the very southern end of the Greek mainland at Cape Sounion in Attica, today's start to the 5th edition of the AEGEAN 600 was perfect: cloudless blue skies, crystal clear waters and perfect 12-15 knots of northerly wind.
Posted today at 8:39 pm
29er Europeans at Lake Garda day 4
One race, one storm, and one big lay day vibe With qualification wrapped and the fleet now split into six groups—Gold, Silver, Bronze, Emerald, Purple, and White—Day 4 of the 29er Europeans kicked off with early optimism and an earlier-than-usual launch in pursuit of the morning breeze.
Posted today at 7:09 pm
iQFOiL Worlds a Aarhus day 1
Full foiling conditions launch the World Championship with four high-intensity races for both fleets The iQFOiL World Championship kicked off today in Aarhus with dynamic and demanding conditions that truly tested the world's top foiling windsurfers. The wind was anything but steady, shifting in both direction and intensity throughout the day.
Posted today at 7:01 pm
Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais overall
American Magic Quantum Racing win Rolex TP52 Worlds after breezy week in Cascais. Doug DeVos' American Magic Quantum Racing crew were crowned 2025 Rolex TP52 World Champions today in Cascais, Portugal.
Posted today at 6:54 pm
Red Bull Sailing Academy Opens
A new hub for current and future superstars to reach the top of their sport Marina Monfalcone, North Italy, made waves yesterday, as sports superstars gathered to open the Red Bull Sailing Academy, marking the beginning of a new era in the sport.
Posted today at 12:53 pm
Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup Day 1
Philip Köster edges out Marcilio Browne in one of the closest finals ever Philip Köster edges out Marcilio Browne in one of the closest finals ever as Pozo delivers 50 knot winds and waves.
Posted today at 11:42 am
America's Cup: French give the Brits the "Hurry-up
Frustration builds between Cup factions over lack of progress with Protocol. Last weekend's missive from the French America's Cup challenge team is further evidence over the building frustration with progress towards the 2027 America's Cup in Naples.
Posted today at 11:12 am
The oldest video footage of Moth sailing
A look back into our video archive, to when the name of this class first settled down We delve into our video archive to find the oldest possible videos that show Moth racing. Are these International Moths, British Moths... or was the name still Olive, Inverloch 11ft, National Moth or Brent One-Design?!
Posted today at 11:00 am
GKSS Match Cup & Nordea Women's Trophy overall
It is the first time the Match Cup Sweden title has been won by a Danish Skipper Denmark's Jeppe Borch/ Team Borch Match Race, and France's Pauline Courtois/ Match in Pink by Normandy crowned the new champions of Marstrand in a day of fierce weather for the final of 2025 GKSS Match Cup Sweden and Nordea Women's Trophy in Marstrand.
Posted today at 7:14 am