Fight to the finish expected in Clipper Race as last sprint starts
The world’s longest ocean race is drawing to a close, as the final 260-mile sprint back to Southampton, UK started today. The Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race will finish in just three days, but with a tight overall leader board there is stiff competition for the final podium place.
After a great stopover in Den Helder, on the most northern coast of the Netherlands, the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race fleet today started Race 15 to Southampton at 1100 GMT. As the fleet contended with strong winds of 20-25 knots, De Lage Landen was first to cross the line in its home port, closely followed by Gold Coast Australia and Singapore.
After more than 40,000 miles at sea, the Clipper Race fleet of ten identical 68-foot racing yachts, crewed by non-professional sailors from all walks of life, will have a nail-biting fight to the end as the teams battle for final valuable points.
The fight is on for the final podium place with just one point separating Singapore currently in third overall and De Lage Landen which slipped into fourth on the leader board coming into the Netherlands. Gold Coast Australia is unbeatable in first place and Visit Finland is secure in second place. Further down the leader board it remains tight too, with several teams within a few points of each other aiming for the top half of the table.
Ahead of today’s departure, Singapore skipper Ben Bowley said, “We were ecstatic about taking our first place into Den Helder, which has really spurred the crew on to push themselves even harder for the final race to Southampton. The top of the leader board is so tight, we’re by no means going to start being complacent now; we could easily lose our position if we don’t work hard to keep it. We’ll give it everything we have and I’m confident the crew will make me proud and deliver the result we are all desperate to achieve.”
Mixed weather conditions await the fleet in Race 15, from gale force winds to hardly any at all, as the teams race their way from the Netherlands through the North Sea and back down the English Channel to the Solent.
“The teams have to pull out every bit of skill and expertise they have learned during their odyssey to try to secure the best position overall,” said Clipper Race Founder and Chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.
People from all walks of life, nationalities and ages can be part of the Clipper Race. Reflecting on ordinary people achieving something extraordinary, Sir Robin continued, “All these crew members have achieved something special with their lives. They have ventured out across the oceans of the world facing nature in the raw, whether it be the stifling heat and calms of the doldrums or the ferocious storms of the North Pacific and Southern Oceans. They should all be justifiably proud once on that stage in Southampton.”
The Clipper Race fleet will arrive in Southampton this Sunday 22 July to a huge celebration after 51 weeks of ocean racing, visiting 15 ports of call on six continents. This will complete the world’s longest ocean race, seeing around 500 people from all walks of life celebrating their remarkable achievement after nearly twelve months at sea.
