Rev it up - again
11:13, 24 May 2003
by Sarah Beaugeard

Once more the fleet are moving. There was a sigh of relief this morning as the position report came in from Hong Kong Clipper. The fleet were no longer drifting at a sad 2 knots, once more with 20 knots of wind to play with the Clipper fleet are reeling in over 200 miles each on the way to Mauritius.

The Scousers remain out front with New York Clipper nipping at their heels 2.8 miles behind. Bristol Clipper, as ever, is not too far behind and Adam and Ross will be watching them carefully. Losing such a long standing lead is a bitter pill to swallow, and this morning lead Richard has reported that the rain clouds that were so disrupted and caused them to lose their lead yesterday have now cleared and they are back on the pace carrying out lots of spinnaker peels to keep the boat moving fast. Richard is obviously planning to fight back to the front of the fleet, stating “We are doing lots of peels now, but we’ve still got lots of wool to re-tie the kites”

The other position change worth noting is the further drop down the leader board of Jersey Clipper. With wind conditions getting a little stronger, Simon and his heroic sewers will have been desperate to finish off their mammoth stitching task so that they can get their All purpose kite working again. Joining this ‘elite’ bunch of stitchers today are the crew of Hong Kong Clipper. Justin briefly mentioned in his report to us that both his lightweight and medium weight spinnakers were under repair of some sort. Once more, the secretive radio scheds will be in full flow as I am certain that other boats will have suffered sail damage in these squally conditions.

Throughout the remainder of the fleet positions have essentially remained the same, with distances to go ticking by with the hours. Glasgow Clipper and Jersey Clipper have peeled away from the main pack that has developed. Rupert and his crew onboard Glasgow have broken away and taken over the Northern flank of the fleet, and Jersey has dived further south perhaps in search of more developed trade winds. This should make interesting sailing for both boats and gives the main pack something to watch over the coming twelve hours.

Lastly we finish with a story from the fleet to make everyone smile for the Bank Holiday weekend. As always, crew onboard a Clipper yacht keep a careful watch scanning the horizon for masts and sails and signs of competition. It is almost easier at night to spot a clipper as the glow of the masthead light is visible even at quite a distance. The only disadvantage to night time scanning is deciphering what is a mast light and what is a star…Bristol Clipper had a moment of panic last night trying to figure out why there was no yacht showing on the radar but someone was seemingly was gaining on them fast….Venus Clipper is perhaps a new entry for the 2005 race but is certainly not a member of this years fleet. Go back to sleep Binks!

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