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Speaking ahead of the race start Jamaica Lightning Bolt’s skipper Pete Stirling, said, “We had a pretty diabolical race on the last leg, finishing in eighth overall which was very unfortunate. It was a bit demoralizing but I’ve told the crew that every boat has had a bad race and that was ours. Having a knock back occasionally is not a bad thing as it makes us stronger. Everyone is really geared up and we’re moving on.“I’ve been looking at the weather and the race could deliver a mixed bag really. It looks like it could be pretty calm to start, with the wind building a bit later on coupled with the possibility of fog, so we’re going to have to be prepared for anything.”
The Clipper fleet treated New Yorkers to a parade of sail past the Statue of Liberty before heading out of the Hudson to the site of Ambrose Lighthouse where Race 11 got underway at 1645 local time (2045GMT) with a Le Mans start.
With winds touching the 30 knot mark, most crews opted for a Yankee 2 and reefed mainsail combination with Cape Breton Island and California first out of the blocks after the Le Mans start. Overall race leaders Spirit of Australia were in hot pursuit though and followed Cape Breton Island's lead in shaking out their reef shortly after the start with the rest of the fleet soon following suit.
Despite their poorest result of the ten month series on the latest leg of the race, Spirit of Australia is still holding a comfortable lead at the top of the overall leaderboard. But with four races still to go and the performance amongst their competitors improving all the time, the Australian team cannot afford to rest on their laurels.
Competition is exceptionally close amongst the teams currently lying in the three places below Spirit of Australia, with just two points separating Cape Breton Island, Team Finland and Jamaica Lightning Bolt, who hold second, third and fourth place respectively. Hull & Humber are also not out of contention for an overall podium and with their first podium place result in Race 8 they will be hungry for another. Further down the order there is Asian rivalry between Uniquely Singapore, who scored their first victory in Race 10, and Qingdao who despite four third place results have yet to make it to the top of the podium. The team on board Cork will be hoping to show what their Challenge 67 is capable of and with stronger weather forecasted for this race than the last, they will be fully in contention. Keen also to prove their worth are California and Edinburgh Inspiring Capital who have yet to get a podium place result – so the final four races of Clipper 09-10 promise to be fiercely contested.In addition to the closely fought points for the individual legs there is an extra dimension to the 800-mile race from New York to Cape Breton Island. Designated the ‘Eagle Spirit Race’ by Cape Breton Island’s sponsors, with the inspiration coming from the magnificent eagle that emblazons the side of their yacht, the team’s will be competing for the Eagle Spirit Trophy. There are three magnificent trophies up for grabs, each depicting a soaring eagle, which will be awarded to the podium placed yachts at the Race 11 prize giving ceremony on June 14 in Sydney.
There is a centuries old tradition of welcoming visitors to Nova Scotia which continues to be extended by the people of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia today. Their famous warm welcome and hand of friendship will be awaiting all the crews of Clipper 09-10 when the race arrives in Sydney between 11 and 13 June.
