Clipper Leg 6: Leaving the Indonesia

Clipper media/amended

Posted: 6  Feb. 2010

Uniquely Singapore is waiting her chance in third place - onEdition pic

After another 24 hours of close racing, the Clipper round the world fleet has now passed Natuna Besar, the main island of the Natuna Besar archipelago, and the final island of the Indonesian group.

Splitting the fleet once more the majority chose to keep west of the island while Hull & Humber, Cape Breton Island, Jamaica Lightning Bolt and California went for an easterly route.

Current race leaders, Hull & Humber, kept their decision to the last minute as skipper Piers Dudin explains, "We made it past Natuna Besar without too much interference although due to the constant wind shifts we were undecided as to which side to go until we were within 20 miles.

"We're pleased with our progress. We’ve finally tacked away from Cape Breton Island and I think our sparing has definitely raised both our games."

The team on board the Cape Breton Island entry will miss the close racing they have had with Hull & Humber but, with the fleet aiming for the Scoring Gate in the Luzon Strait, there is every chance that they will meet again before this race is over.

"Sadly we’ve lost Hull & Humber and we are all looking forward to seeing where they are when we receive the 0600 position report," says the skipper of the Canadian entry, Jan Ridd.

"The last we saw of them was behind us but, with the localised wind conditions we are experiencing it is very possible they have charged to the east and pulled out a substantial lead!"

Team Finland and Spirit of Australia's sparring has also continued overnight and this is all part of the new game plan according to the skipper of the Finnish entry, Rob McInally.

"Tack for tack seems to be the order of the race so far. Matching the Aussies, covering them and trying to stay between them and the finish are our goals. It's not something we've done much of in the past, but it’s a tactic we may employ more as the race for the overall win heats up."

Meanwhile, the crew on board Spirit of Australia has had other concerns when yesterday a small fishing vessel approached the team. "The driver was wearing a balaclava and a young boy on the bow was holding up some impressively large fish," says Australian skipper, Brendan Hall.

"The balaclava had us a bit spooked, but we soon realised that he was wearing it so as not to choke on the acrid, black engine exhaust the boat made when they throttled up. After a brief hand-gesture conversation, they saw we didn't want to buy any fish, so left us alone and went to see if Team Finland wanted some."

It seems that each team has at least one other competitor in close proximity which has led to some exciting close quarter racing for all the crews. "A close battle is brewing between ourselves and California which is on the windward horizon and represent to us the gap between ourselves in sixth and the first of the podium steps,” according to Qingdao skipper Chris Stanmore-Major.

“We made our choices through the islands again last night; but now, as the sun reaches midday, we are breaking out into open water. It will come down to who is the wiliest with their tacking strategy and which team wants it most."

It has been fairly slow and frustrating progress for all the teams as the wind continues to be light and from exactly the direction in which they wish to head.

"There is, however, little opportunity for the crew to get bored," says Jamaica Lightning Bolt's skipper, Pete Stirling. "We have had numerous islands and shoals to navigate around, along with a large amount of shipping and occasional squalls to avoid.

“The weather is still very hot but the night brings respite from the baking heat and with bright moonlight illuminating our path it is a joy to be on deck."

Aboard California, skipper Pete Rollason reports: "We are anxious to see the next position report as we have been on a poor tack for the last six hours and feel we may have lost miles to our competitors, but we feel our position will set us up nicely to make gains as we once again try to track north east.

“The guys have been working fantastically and they are being driven by the hunger for our first podium finish in Qingdao."

Positions at 1200 UTC, Friday 5 February

Boat DTF* DTL*
1 Hull & Humber 2096nm
2 Cape Breton Island 2104nm 7nm
3 Uniquely Singapore 2128nm 31nm
4 Jamaica Lightning Bolt 2132nm 36nm
5 California 2142nm 46nm
6 Edinburgh Inspiring Capital 2145nm 49nm
7 Qingdao 2153nm 56nm
8 Spirit of Australia 2162nm 65nm
9 Team Finland 2162nm 65nm

Positions are updated every three hours and can be found at www.clipperroundtheworld.com

National Maritime Festival 2010

Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2011
11th - 14th February 2011

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