Clipper Race Blog – race 15
Race 15 of the Clipper Round the World race sees a relatively short hop from Derry-Londonderry, Northern Ireland, to Den Helder in the Netherlands. Taking just three days and only 770 nautical miles, the pressure is really on the crews to make the most of the tides and variable winds.
Team Garmin skipper Jan Ridd says, “We are back at sea on the penultimate race, it was with some regret that we left the amazing city of Derry-Londonderry yesterday morning after enjoying an incredible stopover. The send-off was spectacular and I would like to thank Derry-Londonderry for making us feel so welcome.
“This race is going to be a tactical race as each yacht decides its course to make best advantage of the strong tides that flow around the British Isles. The start at the entrance to Lough Foyle allowed the boats to take advantage of the last of the ebb tide, which we used to get out into open water before tacking ensuring we could clear an island off Malin Head on the other tack. Other yachts decided to tack earlier and some later which saw the first split in the fleet. The crew have got back into the routine of racing very quickly and have been sailing the yacht very well, as it is a relatively short race any mistake will be costly with very little time to make up lost miles.”
Current weather conditions are light and variable, but Team Garmin is holding out, currently in third place. There are just three nautical miles separating the top three boats, with Switzerland just one mile ahead of Team Garmin, behind race leaders Henri Lloyd. Here at Garmin HQ we’re all watching the race viewer and wishing good luck to Team Garmin!
Race 15 is due to finish in Den Helder on 2nd or 3rd July. To follow Team Garmin’s progress go to www.clipperroundtheworld.com
ENDS
1st July 2014
