Crews start transit of Panama Canal

The first yachts of the Clipper Race fleet will begin the transit of the world famous Panama Canal on Sunday morning.

Henri Lloyd, Derry~Londonderry~Doire, Team Garmin, Jamaica Get All Right, OneDLL and Old Pulteney will begin the transit at approx. 0800 (local time) in Panama.

The yachts will leave the Flamenco Marina on the Pacific Ocean side of the canal at 0600 (local time) and meet a canal pilot who will stay with each yacht throughout the transit.

You can view each of the Panama Canal’s locks using the official webcams, click here to view.

Work began on the canal in 1880 with the project reaching completion in 1914 and is named by The American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the seven wonders of the modern world.

Crew members may decide to visit the fascinating Panama Canal Museum at the Miraflores Locks. The statistics are mind-boggling: the steel lock gates are two metres thick; the locomotive engines that manoeuvre the ships cost more than a million dollars apiece; it took more than 75,000 workers to complete the 82 kilometre (51 mile) waterway.

The schedule for the start of the transits:

Henri Lloyd – Sunday 11 May
Derry~Londonderry~Doire – Sunday 11 May
Team Garmin – Sunday 11 May
Jamaica Get All Right – Sunday 11 May
Old Pulteney – Sunday 11 May
OneDLL – Sunday 11 May

Switzerland – Monday 12 May 
PSP Logistics - Monday 12 May
Qingdao - Monday 12 May

Invest Africa - Tuesday 13 May
GREAT Britain - Tuesday 13 May
Mission Performance - Tuesday 13 May

Once each team has transited the canal the fleet will motor to an offshore start where they will perform a Le Mans style start to begin Race 12, to Jamaica.