Leaving Brazil

The Times Clipper round the world race sets sail for New York today

Clipper Ventures’ fleet of round-the-world yachts will set sail tomorrow on the sixth and final crew leg of The Times Clipper 2000 Round The World Yacht Race, heading for a newly introduced stopover in New York. Race 14 of the sixteen-race series will start from Salvador, Brazil, at 12:00 (local).
London Clipper's immensely popular win into Salvador, having came so close in previous races, has been widely celebrated among the fleet during the week-long Brazilian stopover. All 8 yachts finished the 3,800 mile, 22 day race from Cape Town to Salvador, within 20 hours of each other, which means that five of the eight yachts have now had victories in The Times Clipper 2000.

With this in mind, the skippers and crews turn their thoughts to the complex wind patterns on the 4,200 mile run up to New York. First it will be a beat up to Recife, then the Equator and the fickle winds of the Doldrums, although crossing them in the west Atlantic their effect should not last to long, if at all. Then it will be a case of picking up the trades and eventually the Gulf Stream which should propel the boats to New York at an extra two knots.

The fleet are expected to arrive into Liberty Landing Marina, located in Liberty State Park, on 22nd August. This is a relatively new marina situated due west of Manhattan Island in New Jersey City and just behind the Statue of Liberty.

Following a nine-day stopover in New York, the Clipper crews will set sail on the final transatlantic dash to Jersey on 31st August 2001. To ensure a close and exciting finish the fleet will have a 3-day race stopover in Jersey, before the final sprint to the homecoming celebrations at Portsmouth's Gunwharf Quays on Friday 21st September 2001.

Times Clipper 2000 Overall Positions/Points (after 13 Races)

1st Jersey 78
2nd Bristol 75.4
3rd London 67
4th Plymouth 63
5th Liverpool 61
6th Portsmouth 61
7th Leeds 34
8th Glasgow 30