Clipper Round the World Race - Podium positions in Race 10 announced

by Heather Ewing on 3 May 2012 Clipper 2011-12 Round the World Yacht Race fleet have all completed race ten from Oakland, California to Panama. After fighting off stiff competition and keeping their yachts moving in fickle winds, all three podium positions in race ten have been announced.

Gold Coast Australia was once again victorious finishing in first place out of the ten-strong fleet in the race from San Francisco Bay to Panama. Hot on their heels in second place was the Welcome to Yorkshire entry who came in second, followed by Visit Finland who claimed third position.

The Gold Coast Australia entry crossed the mandatory gate at 0844UTC (Tuesday) not only taking first place, but securing their eighth win overall in the race and furthering their position at the top of the leader board.

The Welcome to Yorkshire entry wasn’t far behind Gold Coast Australia’s win claiming second place in the race with a time of 1300UTC yesterday, after a thrilling tactical gamble which helped them claim their second podium position overall in the race and sees them move up one place on the overall leader board.

Skipper Rupert Dean said, 'What a tactical race it proved to be. We had set ourselves the strategy of sailing the shortest distance to the gates, rather than on distance to Panama. The result will be very good for our team belief as we focus on the remaining five races to Southampton and very intense battles in the North Atlantic.'

Third position went to Visit Finland which crossed the gate at 19:41:19UTC last night – their fifth podium position in the race overall, keeping them in third place on the overall leader board.

Visit Finland skipper, Olly Osborne, said, 'The final couple of hundred miles of this race turned out to be some of the closest racing of all, and we certainly had more than the heat to make us sweat. During the last 24 hours we found ourselves in a four boat battle for the line, with Welcome to Yorkshire and the De Lage Landen team offshore of us and Gold Coast Australia going for a similar more inshore route.

'The crew have worked incredibly hard to squeeze every ounce of speed out of the light airs, and I am glad that they have the reward of being back on the podium after nearly three months. It has been a very exiting race from both a tactical and sailing perspective, and it will certainly be one of the most memorable for me.'

The whole fleet is set to arrive in Panama later this week, where they the boats will await their slot to pass through the canal before commencing Race 11 to New York.

The race started in Southampton, UK on 31 July 2011 and will end there on 22 July 2012 after taking 51 weeks to travel over 40,000 miles visiting 15 ports of call on six continents.

Provisional Race 10 Results
1 Gold Coast Australia
2 Welcome to Yorkshire
3 Visit Finland
4 De Lage Landen
5 Derry-Londonderry
6 Geraldton Western Australia
7 Singapore
8 New York
9 Qingdao
10 Edinburgh Inspiring Capital Clipper Round the World Yacht Race website