Canada's Cape Breton Island fourth in Clipper 09-10 Leg 2
by Sail-World.com/Clipper Ventures on 22 Oct 2009
Photo: Ian Dickens, Clipper Ventures PLC
Cape Breton Island Clipper Ventures PLC .
http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com
The Clipper Race - Race 2 from La Rochelle to Rio de Janeiro, officially ended at 12.00 GMT today following an issuing of amended Sailing Instructions which were received by the fleet 24 hours ago. Teams that had already crossed the finish line will be awarded the relevant finishing position, while the others will be awarded the position based on their distance to finish as of noon GMT. Team Finland, Spirit of Australia and Jamaica Lightning Bolt took the three podium positions, ahead of Canada's Cape Breton Island and Cork, Ireland also crossing the finish line this morning.
The Canada crew's fourth place could easily have been a second. As young crew member Elisa Jenkins commented 'I was really impressed with how the crew managed the ups and downs of this race. Of course with sailing the only thing that’s for certain is that the wind is going to change, so it’s come to be expected. If you go to sleep for 4 hours on your off watch, guaranteed it’s not going to be the same as when you left it.
So we kind of got used to that and in the last 48 hours we probably had more ups and downs than in the entire race. The pressure was on as we were fighting for a top spot. We made our way up to second but ended up finishing fourth but it was really great seeing the team come together and work their hardest to keep the boat going fast.
'I’ve crossed the Coral Sea but never an ocean. We were 28 days at sea so it’s definitely been my longest crossing yet. It’s my first time in South America and I’m really looking forward to my time in Rio to take in the amazing scenery and Brazilian culture.'
Sixth place now goes to Qingdao, seventh to Hull & Humber, eight to Uniquely Singapore and ninth to Edinburgh Inspiring Capital. California had already accepted tenth place when light winds seriously hampered their attempt to make it to Rio in time for the start of Race 3 next week.
Ending the race is this way is a standard procedure for Clipper Races and is called into play by race organisers who must ensure they meet the goals of the teams, the spectators and the overall event.
The decision is not one that was taken lightly. In all around the world yacht races, the first priority is the safety of the crews and their boats and this is most certainly the case with the Clipper Race. Race 3 is due to start on Tuesday 27 October and it is important from the point of view of good seamanship that the teams get the opportunity to prepare themselves and their boats correctly for the next stage of the race, which will take them towards the Southern Ocean on the way to Cape Town, South Africa.
Qingdao and Hull & Humber are expected to arrive at the marina tomorrow on Wednesday, while Uniquely Singapore and Edinburgh Inspiring Capital look likely to arrive on Friday. With 732 miles still to run, California is expected on Saturday, giving them just four days to prepare for sea again and highlights why the organizers took the decision to end the race now.
Jim Dobie, skipper of Uniquely Singapore, commented, 'It's never nice not to go through a finish line and to still have to motor/sail a few days to get to your destination, but I fully support the race committee's decision and understand why there was the need. This race has been a tough one, not from the physical side but from the mental high's and lows and the agonizing play of events.' However, Jim ends with a positive, saying 'Watch out. The red boat is up for revenge!'
On board Edinburgh Inspiring Capital, a similar mood prevails, Skipper Matt Pike reported, 'It's been a long hard race and the work the crew have put in does not reflect on our finishing position. We have had setbacks with gear failure and some very fickle winds. But we will learn from our mistakes and be ready for the sprint to Cape Town.'
What can be guaranteed is the warmth of the welcome the crews of these boats will receive from their competitors as they finally step ashore and begin to appreciate the scale of their achievement. They have all just sailed one of the major oceans of the world!
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Positions at 1500GMT, Monday 19 October
Finish Time (GMT)
DTP = Distance to Port
1 Team Finland 15:00:36 (19/10/2009) Finished
2 Spirit of Australia 00:25:43 Finished
3 Jamaica Lightning Bolt 04:40:31 Finished
4 Cape Breton Island 09:05:10 Finished
5 Cork 09:17:03 Finished
6 Qingdao At sea DTP 184nm
7 Hull & Humber At sea DTP 241nm
8 Uniquely Singapore At sea DTP 589nm
9 Edinburgh Inspiring Capital At sea DTP 650nm
10 California At sea DTP 732nm
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