Clipper Yacht Race: Fleet begins

After the “Le Mans” start from Qingdao, China, in sun and light winds, at 0100 UTC, 0900 local time, the Clipper Race fleet is now going towards a south easterly direction under light spinnakers.

On the first day of the Seattle Pacific Challenge, the easing winds must last for approximately twenty-four hours, before a stronger northerly wind returns, and the strongest band might be on the east side of Yellow Sea, where the pack is, with gusts up to thirty-five knots.

The reports that came in today, Skippers show on the magnificent hospitality of Qingdao during stopover, and also on huge 5768 nautical mile challenge before the race to Seattle, United States – where the first prize is a week’s free sailing with Croatian Yacht Charters. Garin is presently leading the pack with Da Nang- Viet Nam in 2nd spot and Derry “Londonderry” Doire in 3rd, even though just 9 nautical miles separates 1st spot from 12th. The yachts are making between 5 and 6 knots.

Ash Skett, the Garmin Skipper, describes the 1st eight hours at sea. He said that they glide along under light spinnaker in a perfectly flat sea under clear blue skies. The offshore start went very smoothly and they were the 1st boat to get the spinnaker up after the ten minutes of the enforced post-start sail plan had elapsed. Then they decided to go fairly deep looking for more winds. play casino online real money