12 minute read
Clipper 2019-20 Race Preview
Clipper Race Director Mark Light outlines what Race Crew can expect as the epic circumnavigation unfolds race by race
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LEG 1
2 Races 6,370NM
LONDON, UK // PUNTA DEL ESTE, URUGUAY
30-36 days at sea
1 September 2019 – 12-16 October 2019
RACE 1
LONDON TO PORTIMÃO
After kicking off the circumnavigation with an impressive parade of sail along the iconic River Thames, the first challenge will be to negotiate numerous fast-running tides around the UK and Northern France. The Bay of Biscay, notorious for violent storms and heavy seas, could prove challenging and teams will be eager to cross it quickly.
With the adrenaline-filled start over, teams will need to settle into watch systems fast as they look to break ahead of the pack in the five-day sprint to Portimão, Portugal.
RACE 2
PORTIMÃO TO PUNTA DEL ESTE
After a short stop, the first major tactical decision of the Clipper Race awaits; teams will need to decide whether to sail to the east, west, or straight through the Canary Islands. Pick the wrong route and teams will get stuck in the lee of the land, watching the rest of the fleet accelerate towards the Cape Verde islands.
The Doldrums will be waiting to test the teams mentally and physically with unpredictable conditions, big wind holes, squalls and high temperatures.
Teams will need to decide how best to take advantage of the Doldrums Corridor race rule, which is a tactical mechanism allowing teams to motor-sail through six degrees of latitude (or 360 miles), so long as they are within the set gate and time limit.
The first equator crossing of the race will see King Neptune pay the boats a visit and turn Pollywog crew into Shellbacks – a real highlight.
Teams will then continue south to pick up the easterly trade winds, being careful not to get too close to the South American coast, and head to Punta del Este.
LEG 2
1 Race 3,555NM
PUNTA DEL ESTE, URUGUAY // CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
15-18 days at sea
23 October 2019 – 7-11 November 2019
RACE 3
PUNTA DEL ESTE TO CAPE TOWN
Upon leaving South America, teams will encounter the trade winds and rolling swells as they head towards the Southern Ocean with spinnakers flying.
Big tactical decisions await; previous editions have seen podium places decided by just 15 minutes. Heading south before turning east will be the longer route, but may offer consistent wind conditions. Heading east shaves off hundreds of miles, but could leave the yachts too close to the windless centre of the St Helena High (South Atlantic High).
Race Crew will be closer to the International Space Station than to land
As the fleet ducks south, long rolling swells will provide fantastic conditions for surfing down waves. An exhilarating leg, boat speeds will easily be in excess of 20 knots. Previous teams have reported speeds of more than 30 knots as impressive fountains of water emerge over the bow.
The Asymmetric Spinnaker features heavily in this leg, although crews will need to be careful not to overpower it as a blown spinnaker will compromise performance for the rest of their race.
Mighty Table Mountain will be visible from quite some distance away, but the race will not be over yet. The wind shadow of Table Mountain offers one last hurdle in a race that is known to be a closely fought battle right until the very end.
LEG 3
1 Race 4,750NM
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA // FREMANTLE, AUSTRALIA
22-27 days at sea
17 November 2019 – 9-14 December 2019
RACE 4
CAPE TOWN TO FREMANTLE Also referred to as the Southern Ocean Sleigh Ride, this leg offers some of the most extreme and testing conditions of the entire circumnavigation, with teams dipping into the notoriously strong winds of the Roaring Forties.
Once clear of Table Bay, which is stunning but well known for its tricky, fickle wind patterns, teams will head for the first Great Cape, The Cape of Good Hope. It’s then on to the Agulhas Bank, where the meeting of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans causes very disturbed seas.
Spinnakers are likely to re-appear and ocean-racing tactics will be in full flow. Teams will discover exactly what the Clipper 70s are made of as they surf downwind on swells higher than buildings.
Despite the gruelling reputation that the Roaring Forties command, this is a place respected by sailors as one of the best places to fully appreciate Mother Nature in her most powerful glory.
LEG 4
1 Race 3,415NM
FREMANTLE, AUSTRALIA // THE WHITSUNDAYS, AUSTRALIA
18-21 days at sea
22 December 2019 – 9-12 January 2020
RACE 5
FREMANTLE TO THE WHITSUNDAYS
Leg 4 is an action-packed, cold, fast, holdon-to-your-hats type of race. The fleet will leave Fremantle and dip down into
the Southern Ocean – the most southerly point of the entire circumnavigation. Vigilance will be key as crew experience some of the most inhospitable parts of the planet where icebergs flow north from Antarctica.
Some teams may choose to head south of the rhumb line to take advantage of stronger winds, though this will add extra miles to their race and teams will need to watch for building low pressure systems heading west. Stay too high and teams risk lengthy wind holes in the Great Australian Bight.
The next stage will see teams race against the dominating East Australian Current (EAC). Speeds in the core of the EAC, the oceanic current that moves warm water down from the tropical Coral Sea, are some of the strongest in the South Pacific.
Each team will need to agree on the best race tactic; stay closer to the current where speeds are stronger or add miles to the race by heading further offshore.
Crews will also encounter parts of the Bass Strait (nicknamed the Paddock). Known for its Jekyll and Hyde personality, the Bass Strait is renowned for its ability to serve up some very challenging conditions referred to locally as ‘Southerly Busters’. Luckily, the stunning surroundings of the Whitsundays, and its 74 Island Wonders, will be the reward.
LEG 5
3 Races 5,550NM
THE WHITSUNDAYS, AUSTRALIA // ZHUHAI, CHINA
30-35 days at sea
18 January 2020 – 2-3 March 2020
RACE 6
THE WHITSUNDAYS TO SANYA
Leg 5 is the most fast-paced of the entire circumnavigation. Teams will be tested mentally and physically as they are faced with a host of varied conditions in the form of short sprints.
The first Le Mans start of the Clipper Race will set the fleet heading north and as the temperatures begin to soar and Race Crew reach the equator, the breeze may drop. High levels of concentration will be needed as every tweak will affect the boat speed and a team with strong light wind sailing skills will use this to its advantage.
The second equator crossing will see the return of King Neptune for his second visit of the circumnavigation.
As teams cross the equator, they are likely to witness some spectacular lightning storms and passing squalls, which can offer some much-needed relief from the heat, but can bring some heavy conditions with them.
Continuing north, the wind will start to build, and the teams will be looking to pull away as the fleet enters the North East Monsoon. The final rush will be rewarded with a spectacular welcome into the tropical paradise resort of Sanya.
RACE 7
SANYA TO SUBIC BAY
After a tropical stopover in China’s best kept secret of Sanya, teams will kick-start the first in a series of short sprints. A quick 750nm dash to the Philippines will be a close, action-packed few days to keep crews busy and Clipper Race Viewer addicts glued to their screens at home.
Image: Brian Carlin
RACE 8
SUBIC BAY TO ZHUHAI
The pace switch up will continue as the teams race back to China, this time to a brand new Host Port on the Clipper Race circuit – Zhuhai. The ‘City of Islands’ will welcome the teams after their 650NM dash from the pit stop in the Philippines and after the second back-to-back sprint race, teams will be pleased to recuperate ahead of Leg 6, the Mighty Pacific.
LEG 6
2 Races6,920NM
ZHUHAI, CHINA // SEATTLE, USA
34-39 days at sea
9 March 2020 - 19-24 April 2020
RACE 9
ZHUHAI TO QINGDAO
This race is one of extremes. Plummeting temperatures, tough headwinds and choppy seas will be waiting for the fleet as the teams make their way around Taiwan and head up to Qingdao.
With conditions likely to be some of the more extreme of the race, due to the steep seas and headwinds to the east of Taiwan, crews will be working to keep the boat racing as efficiently as possible as they cross the East China Sea.
Weather conditions aside, one of the biggest challenges the teams will face during this leg is the world’s largest fishing fleet. By night, fishing boats can light up the entire horizon like a city and spotting lines or debris will require focus, vigilance and clear communication within the teams.
Finally, heavy fog and commercial shipping will challenge crew as they head across the Yellow Sea and into Qingdao.
RACE 10
QINGDAO TO SEATTLE
This is referred to as ‘The Big One’ and with good reason. The North Pacific is the world’s largest ocean and at times the closest humans to the Clipper Race teams will be those on the International Space Station.
Before teams reach the North Pacific Ocean, they are likely to have to navigate fog as well as fishing boats coming out of Qingdao. It is then a race to the tip of Japan, where the ‘Black Stream’ (Kuroshio Current) runs west to east. This vicious current can help propel boat speeds, but it can also come at the cost of big seas with confused waters.
RACE RULES
There are eleven teams competing in the 2019-20 edition of the race, and 15 individual races within eight legs.
Race position points are awarded to each team. The winning team of each individual race is awarded eleven points, second place gets ten points and so on, down to one point for the team in eleventh place.
Race position points are doubled when a team plays its Joker. They must declare their intention before the individual race starts and can only play their Joker once during the circumnavigation.
In addition, teams may gain bonus points at strategically placed Scoring Gates or by winning Ocean Sprints within each individual race. These are not affected by the Joker.
The Ocean Sprint is a time trial between two pre-set lines of longitude or latitude. The fastest three teams are awarded three, two, or one point respectively.
The Scoring Gate is a virtual line between two points some distance from the race rhumb line which teams can choose to cross, or not. The first three teams to cross are awarded three, two, or one point respectively.
Points may also be deducted for infringing the race rules or damaging general equipment or sails. Damage or loss to safety equipment is not affected. Penalty points are calculated and advised following each leg.
At the end of each of the individual races the three podium placed teams are awarded a race pennant, which is displayed in each stopover.
At the end of their circumnavigation the team with the highest number of points overall wins the Clipper Race trophy.
Once clear, the North Pacific Ocean awaits. Race Crew will face some very cold temperatures, huge waves more than 14m high, and dark nights.
This leg is famous for the huge Pacific rollers, which pick up the yachts and allow them to surf at 30 knots down into the trough ahead. Being out here can really help you understand the magnificent scale of our planet and our place within it.
Crossing the International Date Line by sea is a rarely achieved feat and often leads to much debate over what the date is. Once over the line, teams know they are roughly halfway to Seattle, though keeping competitive focus will be key.
LEG 7
2 Races 6,200NM
SEATTLE, USA // NEW YORK, USA
36-44 days at sea
2 May 2020 – 16-19 June 2020
RACE 11
SEATTLE TO PANAMA
As the fleet heads south from Seattle during stage one of the penultimate leg, thermal layers will give way to sunscreen and it will be a tactical light wind game towards the finish in Panama.
The most significant strategic decision teams will face will be whether or not to gain some acceleration from the southflowing California Current. The aid of the California Current may sound tempting, but the heating effects from land may affect winds unfavourably.
As teams head south of California, light wind sailing tactics will be crucial to staying at the front of the pack and temperatures will once again soar, making the racing very intense.
RACE 12
PANAMA TO NEW YORK
Transiting the Panama Canal marks another highlight of the circumnavigation. After completing the 48NM passage of one of the most impressive engineering feats in the world, watching out for basking American and Caiman Crocodiles as they go, the teams will line up for an upwind battle to New York.
After crossing the Caribbean Sea, teams will take the Windward Passage between Cuba and Hispaniola, which marks the entrance to the North Atlantic. Fickle winds are expected in this area because of depressions coming from the North American land mass.
This warm and windy race will offer dramatic thunderstorms. Though spectacular to watch, these passing depressions will keep Race Crew busy as frequent sail changes will be required. It will be gripping for Race Viewer addicts and intense for those on board as distance can be both made and lost quickly.
The Gulf Stream will add a final challenge as the fleet skims the corner of the Bermuda Triangle. Whatever time of day teams arrive into New York, the Statue of Liberty will be waiting to welcome the weary sailors.
LEG 8
3 Races 4,405NM
NEW YORK, USA // LONDON, UK
23-25 days at sea
27 June 2020 – 8 August 2020
RACE 13
NEW YORK TO BERMUDA
With seven of the eight stages completed, it is important for teams to avoid complacency as they begin the final leg of the circumnavigation.
Leaving the bright lights of New York City behind, the fleet will head down the Hudson River and sprint south towards Bermuda. A highly tactical short race to the brand new Clipper Race stopover port will be tense and pressure will be on to take advantage of any extra race points. Luckily, a warm welcome from the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club awaits.
RACE 14
BERMUDA TO DERRY~LONDONDERRY
Taking a popular route across the North Atlantic, the fleet will follow the Great Circle on its way back over towards Europe.
Weather in the North Atlantic can be as heavy as the Pacific with swirling depressions causing high winds and big swells. Continuing east back towards Europe, some fun and fast downwind sailing is on offer in prevailing westerlies – so long as spinnakers have held up sufficiently!
Once back on UK soil, the adventure’s conclusion becomes an ever-impending reality but Derry~Londonderry offers the perfect atmosphere for crew and their supporters to start early celebrations.
RACE 15
DERRY~LONDONDERRY TO LONDON
It’s time! An exhilarating power sprint home to complete the adventure of a lifetime. With podium and final positions likely to be in close contention, and the possibility of some Joker Cards still to play, this will be an intense final fling where anything is possible.
Sailing in conditions most similar to those in training weeks, but now with 40,000NM under their sailing belts, Race Crew and Skippers will need to negotiate heavy volumes of traffic and strong tides in the North Sea and English Channel as they push towards the finish, where glory awaits.
While it may be the end of the adventure, the memories of all that has been endured and celebrated will last forever.
The Clipper 2019-20 Race fleet will travel over 40,000 nautical miles and visit some of the world’s finest ports
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