Clipper 2002/2003 Race -Another day, another soaking
09:58, 12 September 2003
by Sarah Beaugeard

The Grand Banks, as Simon Rowell reported this morning is quite big, approximately 300 miles from North to South. As the fleet approach the Western side and The Flemish Cap, reports are that the crews are sailing in large swells, big surfs, and winds varying from NNW to NNE between force 6 – 8. The final Atlantic crossing of this Round the World Race is one that the crews aren’t going to forget easily!

Winds of this strength would, one would assume, make life rather unpleasant and a bit bouncy onboard but reports from duty skipper Adam Kyffin are that the surfing, reaching conditions are being relished by the crew.

It is easy to write this and imagine that a major downside of such conditions would be that you have to climb into foul weather kit time and time again but it is much more than that. When you are changing headsails often, and putting reefs in and out in these conditions, it only means one thing – WET. As waves crash over the foredeck no matter how well zipped, velcroed and buttoned up your kit is, water will always find its way in. This in turn means that when off watch down below, crew are constantly climbing into damp sleeping bags and making a simple cup of tea becomes a major task.

All of this and yes, you did read right, the crew are happy. There can be no better illustration of hard earned miles under the keel when such sailing, constant damp and bouncing around like this become ‘another inconvenience’ in a days sailing, not a major event! Our now weather worn crew are happy to be racing fast and relishing every last bit that this trip has to offer them. Something perhaps you will only recognise when you see their tired but beaming faces climbing onto the pontoon in Liverpool.

Back in the grey windy Atlantic the racing is close with only 30 miles separating first and last. Binks and his crew on Bristol Clipper had “a good sched gaining on the fleet…even Jersey” as Richard reported in his daily diary of their second position. Simon Rowell and his crew onboard Jersey Clipper do however remain eight miles out front, seemingly one boat on one mission and that is to get ‘home’ to the Channel Isle as quickly as they can.

In third place and sharing the same patch of Ocean as the Bristolians is Liverpool Clipper. Adam and his crew have their eyes set not only on a podium position in this race but overall too and with their main competition Hong Kong in the North and back in eighth this morning Adam has reason to be enjoying his time as duty reporting skipper.

Mid fleet and a further eight miles distance from Liverpool are the Scots onboard Glasgow Clipper who are chasing in the wake of Jersey Clippers track and fighting for fifth on the Southerly side of the fleet is New York, the acclaimed ‘Kings of the Atlantic’ and Cape Town Clipper.

With over 1800 miles still to cover, the weather, racing conditions and positions are, as we have all learnt this year, going to change and probably change again! At this point in time probably all we do know is that this is going to be an exciting race to watch.

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