Nova Scotia wins Clipper Race 11 start

by Clipper Event media on 25 May 2008 Nova Scotia led the Clipper 07-08 fleet across the start line at the beginning of Race 11 from Jamaica to New York. They were several boat lengths ahead of the following group of Durban 2010 and Beyond, Liverpool 08, New York and Hull & Humber. All ten of the yachts crossed the start line within two minutes.

In a light easterly breeze the yachts put in four tacks before rounding the first mark, one mile along the coast from the start line. Nova Scotia turned first, sneaking inside the South African entry. Liverpool 08 was third to round the mark followed a minute later by Hull & Humber, Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper and Qingdao who had moved up from the back of the field, having crossed the start line in eighth and ninth places respectively.

The 1420-mile race to New York, the latest stage of the 35,000-mile circumnavigation, will take them past the island of Cuba and up the east coast of North America, following the Gulf Stream current.

Preparing to leave Port Antonio where the fleet has been enjoying Jamaican hospitality since their arrival two days ago, the skipper of the Canadian boat, Rob McInally, said, 'The crew are very fired up. We had an interesting race here, we got caught in some amazing electrical storms which I will never forget, but after those we had a two hour sort of dead patch in which we didn't move which was the distance between us and the lead boats. That's just one of those things, we've accepted that and now we're looking forward to the next race and getting ourselves into New York.

'The conversation I had with the crew was that we need to be competitive about this race and that's about us doing the best that we can as a crew of people. We did that and there's only so much you can do and as long as you put in all the effort then you'll get the maximum out of it. Hopefully that's enough to get some good results, but it doesn't always work like that.'

Skipper of current overall leader, Hull & Humber, Danny Watson, is hoping to add to his growing list of things to celebrate. In addition to his mum, Barbara's birthday today, the crew also learned of Hull City's win over Bristol City in the Championship play off final and their promotion to the Premiership today. Danny said, 'We're very confident onboard, without being over the top. We've got the same core crew and five new crew joining here but two of those have been on before, so we've still essentially got the same core group there. We've still got great morale, having great fun on board and sailing and racing hard. So we're not going to change anything, we're going to carry on doing what we've been doing, striving for podium positions and trying to keep within the fleet, not going out on big chances.
So yeah, I'm looking forward to it again; nothing's really changed, we're still enjoying it.'

Joff Bailey, Race Director says, 'We've had a great stopover in Jamaica and everyone is looking forward to this race. The skippers are all fired up for this last leg, pushing for the last points that will secure the podium positions. The winds will be light for the first part of the race but once the fleet gets north of the Bahamas it will be a great sail up to New York.'

The ten internationally-backed 68-foot ocean racing yachts slipped their moorings in Errol Flynn Marina at midday local time (1700 GMT) and sailed in formation out of the harbour towards the start line at Folly Point Lighthouse. The Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard cutter, HMJS Cornwall, led the procession from the harbour and provided their services as the committee boat for the Race Team.

Joff says, 'I'd like to thank Lieutenant Commander Robert Aldred and the crew of HMJS Cornwall for their assistance and hospitality today, as well as the crew on Southern Cross who did a great job of holding position as the windward mark while the yachts passed within feet of them.'

During the short stopover in Jamaica the country's Tourism Minister, the Honourable Edmund Bartlett MP, visited the fleet in the Errol Flynn Marina, to welcome the crews to Port Antonio. During the prizegiving ceremony he said, 'Clipper is for us the latest of the great adventures of the seas that have found Jamaica an exciting place. So I want to welcome you to a proud country, a proud land that has a beautiful history with wonderful people. We have been blessed with geophysical features that are unique in these parts. You are in a country that has learned how to do things well and one of the things we do best is to welcome visitors and to make them feel irie. Now we want to tell you that the yacht that bears the name of Jamaica is going to leave Port Antonio to New York and I will be there to see when it wins on that leg! So I congratulate the team that came in first to Port Antonio and I say to you, watch the Jamaica boys, they are at home now!'

Jamaica's skipper, Simon Bradley, said, 'No pressure then! We look forward to seeing the Minister again and hopefully it'll be the right result. We'll do everything we can to do it as we have done in every single race - we'll just have to work even harder.'

Of the crews' time in Jamaica Simon said, 'This has been absolutely fantastic, absolutely brilliant, the best stopover in the race so far and the only one that will come close will be Cork, but it'll still be second to Jamaica. It's a shame we're not here longer. The Jamaica Tourist Board has been absolutely wonderful and all the Jamaican people have been absolutely fantastic.'

The fleet is due to arrive in New York on 1 June.

With 72 points, Hull & Humber currently leads the overall standings in the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race, three and a half points ahead of New York, with Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper in third place on 63 points. Nova Scotia is currently eighth overall. Four races remain in the 14-race series, which will finish on 5 July in Liverpool, the European Capital of Culture 2008.

Latest positions and the full leaderboard can be viewed at www.clipperroundtheworld.com.


Berths are now available for the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race. For more information on applying to become a crew member email oceanracer@clipperroundtheworld.com call the Crew Recruitment Manager on +44
(0) 2392 526000. The Clipper Race is open to anyone over the age of 18 and there is no upper age limit.