 | | Jersey Clipper leaves New York |
The Clipper fleet have left New York and are heading for Jersey 3100 miles away in the penultimate race of the round the world event. Well-wishers still turned out to cheer off the yachts, undeterred by the golf-ball sized rain drops which were falling; the crew were soaked before they even reached the Atlantic! This is the final long ocean race and the second time that the fleet will cross the Atlantic; the boats will navigate a direct course favoured by Transatlantic speed sailors. Crews will be hoping to gain extra speed from the Gulf Stream which bring warmer waters to the shores of Britain from the tropics. The greatest current will be where the water is warmest so skippers will monitor the sea temperature. Tim Hedges, the Race Director explains, “tensions are very high at the moment. The top five boats on the overall leader board are very close…there is still a lot of room for movement for podium positions.” The fleet are due to arrive in Jersey on Friday 21 July. | 
