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28 October 2014

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BBC Bristol Online > Bristol Clipper

Bristol Clipper plays the waiting game

The clipper fleet leave Yokohama with Bristol in the foreground

Having got away in glorious weather the Clipper fleet have been making excellent progress to the south west in some exciting sailing conditions. The route to Okinawa may look like a straight run but there is lots of interest and there will be some major tactical decisions that will govern the success or failure of the crews' plight to score valuable points on this race. On the water Bristol skipper Captain Bob Beggs has been powering his vessel between waves. Bob is playing a waiting game back in 7th place but has proved he often keeps his highest placing for the last stage of any leg. The first decision had to be taken soon after the start as the 8 mile long Island of O Shima required to be left either to port or starboard. Leeds, Glasgow and Portsmouth went north of O'Sima and they initially appeared to have lost out by this tactic as it drew them into the channel of a succession of smaller islands that spread a further 40 miles to the south west. Glasgow ducked back and joined the back of main group leaving Leeds and Portsmouth to the northern approach. The wind started in the SW giving the fleet a good beat away from the shore but as it gradually increased it also veered (changed direction in a clockwise direction) and the yachts have been having a rip roaring sail with a steady 30 knots of wind with gusts up to 40 kts. They are now clear of all islands but that leaves them with the other two major planning factors of the weather and the current. The Kiro Shimo Current will soon be introducing itself and will be knocking them back.

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Bristol Clipper

Archive stories:

9 March 2001:
Take two for race seven

5 March 2001:
Yachts leave for Shanghai

6 March 2001:
Dramatic recall for
Clipper fleet

Internet links:

Times Clipper website

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More Clipper features:

Race log
Keep up-to-date with the latest positions with BBC Bristol Online's race log.
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