Bristol still have the lead
06:30, 16 March 2003
by Robin Macdonald

Bristol may still have the lead , but the skippers and crews have still got it all to play for. The latest radio sched shows Bristol edging further ahead once more...or do they? Colin has already explained the potential pitfalls of the inside passage , foul tides and fickle winds. We all knew from the outset that this race in particular was going to be an exciting sprint with the boats staying in relatively close proximity to each other. But which of the deciding factors/tactics would win ?

All eyes have been placed upon Sam and the crew of New York since their flyer earlier in the week, what will the outcome be ? Can she pull another win out of the bag whilst the boys do battle amongst themselves ?? Stay tuned and we will keep you posted, whichever way it goes it'll be close.

Meanwhile the majority of the jostling has been contained to the mid fleet with only ten miles between Cape Town , Liverpool , Hong Kong , Glasgow and London. Over the past few days there have been alot of place changes within the fleet , least of all Cape Town with a welcome return to the leading pack , Roger and crew looking for an elusive podium finish which will , I'm sure boost crew morale no end.

So far in this race there have been no close encounters with the authorities except maybe....for a slight brush with the "fish police" . Which saw Liverpool altering course quite quickly due to a large netted area , several brightly coloured buoys and an irate local. But thankfully no harm done and a poignant reminder to keep a keen lookout at all times. Rory on the other hand aboard London has informed us that it's just like being back in Southampton water with the amount of commercial traffic they're having to contend with and obviously the proximity of said vessels. Possibly not as exotic as he was hoping for.

Finally things will look alot clearer once the boats have passed the Admiral Togo waypont , which will then give them a clear wayline to the gates and subsequently to Shanghai. All being well and the wind staying with the fleet , this should have happened for all the boats within the next twenty-four hours.

Source: Clipper 2002/2003 Round The World Race Official Site