News

Clipper fleet storm round the island

18 July 2007

With a crew of corporate guests onboard, Ricky managed to hold off the other eight Clipper 68s racing to win the class. It took Durban Clipper just 8 hours and 14 minutes to circumnavigate the Isle of Wight, finishing at 1314 BST after a 0500 start.

Danny Watson sailed the Hull & Humber Clipper into second place after opting for an inshore route around the Isle of Wight days after he was selected to skipper the region’s yacht around the world later this year.

‘We had a cracking race’ said Danny after finishing at 1318 BST minutes behind race winners Durban Clipper. It took Danny and the crew of Hull & Humber Clipper just 8 hours and 18 minutes to circumnavigate the island, a distance of just under 70 miles. The Clipper 68s were racing in their own class in the world-renowned annual race.

It was the first time Clipper Ventures Plc’s fleet of matched Clipper 68s has raced in the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race. Hull & Humber Clipper has not yet been allocated her race crew and today Danny was racing with a selection of 07-08 race crew. On Saturday the full line up of Hull & Humber Clipper crew will be named at Portsmouth’s Guildhall.

Compared to the ten-month round the world race that lies ahead for the Hull & Humber Clipper, the circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight was a very different challenge with close racing in a fleet of almost 1,800 yachts.

After lining up for a 0500 BST start and a closely fought race, Danny said: ‘It was a very early morning with a busy start for what turned into a very tactical race and a close finish - everything you would expect from the Round the Island Race’.

http://www.westernaustralia2011.com finished in third place at 1337, Qingdao Clipper finished in 4th at 1341, Glasgow finished in 5th after taking a time penalty despite being third over the line. Cardiff Clipper finished 6th at 1353, Uniquely Singapore finished 7th at 1403, Jersey Clipper finished 8th at 1423 and Victoria Clipper finished 9th at 1426.

The Clipper Fleet, along with three of the marine events company’s Clipper 60s, raced alongside Clipper Race Chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston on his Open 60 LOMBARD Marine Finance. Sir Robin, who injured his elbow during the race, has recently completed the VELUX 5 OCEANS round the world race and will oversee the sixth Clipper Round the World Race when the 200 non-professional crews head off from Liverpool in September.