With just 550-miles in which to prove themselves in the short sprintrace to Ijmuiden in The Netherlands, Race 13 promises to be an exciting edge of the seat battle between the ten Clipper teams. The Cork team is now back into the old routine of trying their best to keep their heavier Challenge 67 in touch with the rest of the fleet. Still in with achance of getting an overall podium position as they arrive back intheir home port on 17 July, Hull & Humber has taken one step closer totheir goal by managing to take an early lead. In his report to the race office this morning, the team's skipper, Justin Taylor, explains why hebelieves they have managed to edge ahead.
"We were going to be early for the start so I luffed the boat up head towind to slow right down and, although we managed to hold it for quiteawhile, we inadvertently tacked the yacht and had to start on port tack- heading straight for the rocks at Weaver's Point. Once at full speedwe tacked the yacht on to starboard and crossed the line, not too farbehind the first three yachts. However, we did end up as the windwardyacht with all the advantages this brings and we soon found ourselves in the lead.
"After an early headsail change down to the Yankee 2, we reached thefirst mark of the course in fourth but there was only the width of acigarette paper between us all. All the other yachts were flying theirbig Yankee 1s and our smaller sail plan seemed to pay off as we pulledaway from the fleet. An early reef to the main only seemed to increaseour speed and pointing ability. The crew have been great at adding smallgains to small gains and we now find ourselves approximately three milesahead of the nearest yacht.
"Unfortunately, we will be rounding Land's End on a foul tide and how wenegotiate that will either see our lead increase or diminish."
Although the Irish coastline has now disappeared over the horizon, fondmemories of their recent stopover in Kinsale and Cork will remain with all the teams, none more so than with the crew of the local entry.
"What an amazing reception we received in both Kinsale and the City of Cork, a huge thank you to all for making us feel so welcome andextending us such enjoyable hospitality," says Cork's skipper HannahJenner. "The crew are now getting back into life aboard - life at anangle, which is not something we have experienced in a while, at leastnot sober anyway! We are making good speeds towards Lands End at themoment which we hope to round in the morning and back into the tacticalwaters of the English Channel."
Having enjoyed the pursuit race format across the Atlantic, the Cork team is now back into the old routine of trying their best to keep their heavier Challenge 67 in touch with the rest of the fleet. "Let's hopethe forecast for light winds along the south coast of the UK is wrong!"says Hannah, knowing full well from their recent Atlantic leg that Cork performs best in stronger conditions.
The short race course through the English Channel means that all thecrews will have to keep on their toes - there will be no time to recoverfrom mistakes and sail damage is something they can ill afford. With somany boats in close proximity and the competition fierce it's easy tosee how mistakes could be made.
California's skipper, Pete Rollason, says, "Since our departureyesterday evening, the racing has been very tight, as you would expect,and as we approach the Scilly Isles we have eight other boats in sightof us. The crew have been working incredibly hard in some lively weatherconditions to pull us up to third or fourth place which will set us upnicely for the entrance to the English Channel and hopefully a nicesunshine filled run down these familiar waters."
With Clipper's UK training base located in Gosport on the south coast,the waters of the English Channel are well-known to all the teams and itwon't be long before the familiar coastline comes into sight as theyround the southern tip of Cornwall.
"As dawn breaks now we find ourselves back in UK waters with theexciting prospect of glimpsing the green and pleasant land soon afterbreakfast," says Qingdao's skipper, Chris Stanmore-Major. "It is odd tobe back in an area that is so familiar to many of us after circling theglobe these past ten months - I could barely believe my ears when Iheard Falmouth Coastguard providing the weather update. Land's End andthe turn into the English Channel is our immediate goal and we feel wellplaced to make a good showing in this race. Can we beat our short racecurse? I assure you there are 16 people out here trying very hard to."
Meanwhile, on board Uniquely Singapore there is also a crew tryingequally hard - especially as there are only two points separating theteam from their Asian rivals on the overall leaderboard.
Skipper, Jim Dobie, says, "Straight into it and what a night with asteady Force 6 or so - good boat speed but a little unusual as its beena while since we have sailed upwind. It was with very sad hearts as weleft Cork and Kinsale as the crew had had such a fantastic time with thegreat food, the hospitality and of course the partying. But we are nowfirmly focussed on the rest of the race and gain as many points as wecan. We're currently in sixth place with Qingdao just behind us and Hull& Humber still beatable - it makes these last two races as important asever."
