All the teams have arrived in Derry LondonDerry. Unicef finished in a respectable fifth place after some problems with their spinnaker halyards. IchorCoal accepted last place but managed to pickup the three points for the Scoring Gate which the other teams had left aside.
Tag Archives: Scoring Gate
Busy days of evolutions
Race 11 to New York has started in light airs which means days of little wind and many evolutions. Unicef had a slow start but are now sailing between Cuba and Haiti creeping up the rankings currently in eighth place. At 1930 nautical miles, Race 11, is less than half of the length of the last race. Sailing down the west coast of the USA from Seattle was over 4000NM, so Unicef will need to keep focused to achieve another podium position.
Scoring gate points while nearing Panama
Team UNICEF are going from strength to strength with not only second place in the race across the Northern Pacific but also scoring three points for passing first through the Scoring Gate this week.
The boats are nearing the dreaded Doldrums where boats can be without any wind for days or weeks, but the Race Office has a strategy to ensure that all boats will reach the Panama Canal on time.
A third of the distance to Panama
The fleet have roughly travelled a third of their way to Panama but then they have to motor through the Panama Canal and north again to New York.
Being back at work in a normal 8 to 5 routine is strange and monotonous after five months of not knowing what will happen in the next few hours, I will have to make sure I keep busy.
Planning, recuperating and following
It is nice to be back for a few days planning the next stage of the adventure, but I am starting to get itching feet already. Today I am in Den Helder where the whole idea of travelling round the world and the Clipper race began and where the boats will arrive on 23 July. Planning the next stage of my adventure is going well; 4 days with the Clipper teams in Qingdao, a 15 day tour through China and flights to visit Seattle and San Francisco to then drive a 20 day route visiting the National Parks on the way to Cedar Rapids. Can’t wait to get going again.