Liverpool extends

Clipper Round the World Race leaders now 100 miles from Jersey

The Channel Island of Jersey awoke today to an enthused Race Director, Colin de Mowbray, revealing the latest Clipper 2002 fleet positions on local radio. The islanders also awoke to a blustery breeze as the forecasted southwesterly winds have arrived and although sunny, there is a good force 5 blowing across the Island.

These winds have kept the Clipper fleet screaming towards the finish line of Race 15 from Halifax to Jersey. The sched this morning shows Adam Kyffin and his crew on Liverpool Clipper, also known as the Purple Peril, out front gaining 11 miles on the fleet having covered 119 miles in 12 hours.

Both nerves and the kit on the Purple Peril will be stretched to their limits throughout the day as they race towards what could be their first race victory of the past eleven months.

In second place, Bristol Clipper is chasing hard in Liverpool's wake; 11 miles certainly doesn’t make Liverpool an unachievable target but, as skipper Richard reports this morning, the crew are tiring and conditions are hard. One thing that will be spurring them on however is the fact that they remain ahead of Jersey Clipper and therefore retain the Clipper 2002 overall lead.

Next up we have an extremely close battle for third. Rory and his crew aboard London Clipper are desperate for another pennant but will it be enough to keep the hungry Jersey team off the podium? With two miles alone separating these two boats, it is going to be a fight to the bitter end for Simon Rowell and his crew of Jersey Clipper who have the entire Island watching their every move and willing them on.

Out rather on their own, New York Clipper in fourth have 204 miles left to run. Neptune may have dealt them a blow when they lost their AP Spinnaker, but since then, luck has been on their side and they have been sailing under headsails or heavyweight spinnaker.

Just five miles ahead of Glasgow Clipper and in fifth place, Justin Taylor and his Hong Kong crew will not be thinking that they fared as well as they wanted to from their Southerly flyer, having covering only 86 miles in the past 12 hours.

Cape Town Clipper in eighth place obviously did not make enough of a sacrifice to Neptune when they last crossed the Equator! Just missing out on catching the front that has produced the Westerly winds and high speeds for the rest of the fleet, they have watched their competition sail away from them, which after three weeks is a bitter pill to swallow.

The island of Jersey is buzzing with the news that the Clipper fleet is approaching and as the winds are due to increase if anything, the first boat could cross the line in daylight. The race finish line is out from Noirmont Point to Le Fours buoy and for the many waiting supporters, Noirmont is a great vantage point to see the boats come screaming over the line as cannons sound their arrival.

The fleet will then be berthing on Number 5 pontoon next to the St Helier Lifeboat Centre and just below the fabulous banners that have been painted for each boat by local school children.

Clipper 2002 - Race 15 Positions
03:00, 22 September 2003

Pos Yacht Dist To Finish (Nautical Miles)
1 Liverpool 123
2 Bristol 134
3 London 143
4 Jersey 146
5 New York 204
6 Hong Kong 252
7 Glasgow 255
8 Cape Town 319