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As Clipper Round the World Race visits Brazil

With the podium decided for Race 13 of the Clipper 2002 Round the World Series, all eyes turned to the intense battle still raging as the rest of the fleet raced to Brazil.

At 17:43 UTC (14:43 local time) London Clipper, skippered by Rory Gillard, was the fourth yacht to finish Race 13 in Salvador. With No 1 yankee and one slab in the main, she came storming across the line on a lumpy sea and amidst pouring rain.

Rupert Parkhouse and his team on board Glasgow Clipper then sailed over the finish line in fifth place at 19:43 UTC. Whilst their colleagues already alongside had not seen the coastline due to their arrival in darkness, the Glasgow crew also had to use their imaginations as all around them was torrential rain.

The Brazilian weather had truly closed in and the wind was ensuring that the final placings would be well fought out.

As the remaining three yachts converged on the finish, Liverpool Clipper still had the edge on both Jersey and Hong Kong and the Scousers steamed over the line at 00:24 UTC to take sixth place. With their spinnaker up they looked a picture against the then clearer skies over Salvador; a great fight by Adam Kyffin and his crew who had eked their way ahead over the day.

Jersey Clipper, skippered by Simon Rowell, took seventh place finishing at 01:07 and astonishingly Justin Taylor's Hong Kong crew claimed eighth place at 01:10 - an incredible way to end such an exciting race.

After some 3,375 nautical miles, the last boats were separated by a mere three minutes. Now that's what you call close racing!

CLIPPER 2002 - RACE 13 FINISHING ORDER:

Pos Yacht Finishing Time (UTC)
1 New York 01:28 on 18/07/03
2 Bristol 06:10 on 18/07/03
3 Cape Town 07:34 on 18/07/03
4 London 17:43 on 18/07/03
5 Glasgow 19:43 on 18/07/03
6 Liverpool 00:24 on 19/07/03
7 Jersey 01:07 on 19/07/03
8 Hong Kong 01:10 on 19/07/03

CLIPPER 2002 (PROV.) OVERALL POSITIONS AFTER 13 RACES:

Pos Yacht Cumulative Points
1st Bristol 75
2nd Jersey 72
3rd Liverpool 54.5
4th Hong Kong 54
5th London 52
6th Glasgow 48
7th New York 46
8th Cape Town 22