Please select your home edition
Edition
GP Watercraft

Clipper Yacht Race – Day 2, Race 1 – Strong tides divide fleet

by The Clipper Race on 22 Aug 2017
Day 2, Race 1 – Clipper Round the World Yacht Race Clipper Ventures
Strong tides running North have divided the fleet tactically overnight, with the front of the pack heading close inshore to seek faster routes.

Dale Smyth, Skipper of third placed team Dare To Lead, reported: “It was an interesting night with the front of the pack all deciding to head close inshore to Wales in order to escape the north flowing tide.”

The gap between first and last place has widened over the last 24 hours, with 68 nautical miles separating the teams and a group of four teams pulling away from the pack. At the top of the leader board is Unicef which has crept four nautical miles ahead of Visit Seattle this morning despite sitting in second place overnight.

Dare To Lead and Sanya Serenity Coast are just two nautical miles behind and with the top four still in eyesight of each other, it is a closely fought battle as the teams head towards Northern France.

Dale Smyth added: “The front four leaders all made a break away as the tide reversed.”

Despite fickle winds dominating the second day of racing for the Clipper Race fleet, good progress has been made as teams reach their first milestone of the race; bidding farewell to the Irish Sea until July 2018.

Roy Taylor, Skipper of PSP Logistics, currently in seventh position, reports: “At last we have broken free of the Irish sea and put it to our transom for a year.

“We are now making good progress towards the south west to intercept the westerlies that will give us a good passage across Biscay.”

For the HotelPlanner.com team, however, tactical lessons were learnt as the front of the fleet pulled away. Skipper Conall Morrison reported: “Conditions in the Irish sea have been changeable so far and I’m pleased that we are now rounding St David’s Head in North Wales.

'In retrospect, I’m not sure that we have made the best tactical decisions, however each one remains a learning point. Onwards and upwards!”

The changeable conditions faced by the fleet mean that frequent sail changes are still required which is physically demanding for crew.

Crew members on board Greenings have had a busy night with the most sail changes of the fleet. In his report today, Skipper David Hartshorn said: “An interesting few watches have passed. We have gone from our lightweight kite (Code 1) to Windseeker. From Windseeker, we went to Yankee 1 this afternoon and changed down to Yankee 2.

“It cost us a place but there needs to be a special mention to Charlotte Hauser, our lead bow crew member, who doesn’t stop giving 100% or laughing. She is currently sporting a ‘headsail change hairdo’. Not sure it will catch on!”

Overnight, some teams were rewarded for their persistence when encountering a pod of dolphins swimming amongst phosphorescent plankton, creating one of nature’s most mesmerising light shows. Leg 1, the Atlantic Trade Winds Leg is 6,400nm long, the equivalent of ten Fastnet Races, and this morning, Skipper David Hartshorn was noting that they were just 1.7% of the way through the journey.

For the Clipper Race Skippers, embarking on the longest ever leg of the Clipper Race, a settled crew has provided chance to think about the adventure ahead.

Wendy Tuck, Skipper of Sanya Serenity Coast notes: I’m happy to be back out to sea, but sometimes it does seem a bit surreal that our next land fall will be Punta Del Este, Uruguay...”
P&BCraftinsure 2023 FOOTERGP Watercraft

Related Articles

British Keelboat League returns to Rutland
Second qualifier to be hosted at the club is in 10 days The British Keelboat League is returning to Rutland Sailing Club for another weekend of fast and fun racing at the premier inland venue.
Posted today at 9:42 am
2025 EurILCA Europa Cup at Warnemünde overall
Favourable conditions on the final day for the 302 sailors from 32 countries The 2025 EurILCA Europa Cup GER concluded yesterday after four days of competition in Warnemünde, Germany. Favourable sailing conditions allowed all 302 sailors from 32 countries to enjoy the final two races in the ILCA 4, ILCA 6, and ILCA 7 classes.
Posted today at 8:53 am
Rooster RS700 National Tour at Dabchicks
The large home fleet looked forward to welcoming visitors to their magical sailing facilities Back on the schedule for 2025 the large home fleet looked forward to welcoming visitors to their magical sailing facilities. With some visitors arriving in advance on Friday night, our hosts were ready to receive and ready to open the club bar.
Posted today at 8:37 am
29er Europeans at Lake Garda overall
Record-breaking event closes in style More than 250 teams, 29 nations, six days of varied racing, and a fleet of young athletes pushing high-performance sailing to the next level. The 2025 29er European Championship, hosted by Fraglia Vela Riva, has officially wrapped.
Posted today at 8:14 am
RYA Female Scorpion Project camp 2
Great coaches supported by a World Champion and an Olympian The RYA Female Scorpion Project Camp 2 at Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy in Dorset was fortunate to sail in a full range of light, moderate and breezy conditions, testing both the boats and the sailors.
Posted today at 7:47 am
Dragon Edinburgh Cup in Torbay Day 1
Sunshine, lighter airs, and no shortage of high-calibre racing Tuesday 8th July welcomed the opening day of the 2025 Edinburgh Cup in Torquay with sunshine, lighter airs, and no shortage of high-calibre racing.
Posted today at 7:14 am
Meet the CYCA's Admiral's Cup Team
Meet the skippers and sailors, get to know their roles and discover what makes their programs unique Meet the skippers and sailors, get to know their roles and discover what makes their programs unique.
Posted today at 6:59 am
Topper Rooster Southern Travellers at Stokes Bay
The home club duo of Reuben Wealthy and Joel Keen took all four first places in the 4.2 fleet Saturday's planned training event may have fallen victim to strong winds in the Solent but thankfully the fleet and race team was greeted with more appropriate conditions on Sunday morning with twelve 5.3s and seventeen 4.2s boats tallied on and away.
Posted today at 5:11 am
Who made the right call to get to the breeze?
And how technology is changing the Transpac Race to Hawaii Boats racing in the 2025 Transpac continue to reel in the offshore miles toward the finish line off Honolulu, Hawaii, in the 53rd edition of this historic 2,225-nautical-mile race.
Posted today at 12:54 am
ORC DH Europeans Short Offshore Race
Racing opens in Helsinki with tight racing and shifting winds The 2025 Garmin ORC Double Handed European Championship got under way in Helsinki with the Short Offshore Race on Tuesday, July 8. This marked the official start of racing after days of measurement, safety checks, and a practice race.
Posted on 8 Jul