Arrivals into Panama: Day one

After 27 days at sea, the Clipper Race fleet began to arrive in Flamenco Marina, Panama, during the afternoon of 30 May after the conclusion of Race 11: #SailConnected with SENA.

The first stage of Leg 7, down the West Coast of North America was a tactical test for all the teams. Following its conclusion at Mandatory Gate 2, approximately 1000nm from Panama, the fleet combined into groups to motor-sail the final miles to make the allotted Panama Canal transit dates. The Panama Canal will be a momentous and memorable part of the edition for Race Crew, Skippers and First Mates alike.

The first to arrive in the marina was Qingdao, on the back of its second win and fourth podium result.

Image: Winners arrival!

As soon as the yacht was safely alongside in Flamenco Bay Marina, Philip Quinn, the Qingdao Skipper leant over the rail to speak to the Clipper Race team who was waiting on the dock.

Says Philip: “We crossed the line but didn’t know if we had won as no one was on AIS. During the night we had picked up some squalls and some good boat speeds so we had hoped we had done enough. But we didn’t know we had won until the email came through from the Race Office. Everyone was so happy.”

Image: Skipper Philip Quinn

Next up to chat about the win was Qingdao First Mate, Henry Hallatt who reported: “Leaving Seattle was interesting, still pretty cold, and strong upwind for the start of the race. Quite an introduction for the new joiners but the whole team did really great.

“Then it changed into quite strong downwind conditions, which is fantastic for the boat, really fast, just good fun. We slipped in positions at the time, but were just really loving it. Then it slowly changed to wind holes, lots of concentration required, very difficult sailing and everyone just did really well, that's where the real gains happened.”

Image: Qingdao team

For Feng Tian, Qingdao Ambassador, this race was tougher than expected: “I was told this would be the easiest race of the whole round the world edition, but it seems to me this is not the truth. The beginning was extremely cold, then extremely hot. 28 days on board was tough but we are so glad to have achieved the win, congratulations to the team. We saw a lot of dolphins, whales, turtles, flying fish, squid and lots of marine life. Every night we had visitors on board [squid] which kept it interesting. “This is the first time for me to visit this part of the world. We had a short stop in Costa Rica, but in Panama we will have more time. We have a couple of days before we transit the canal which will be a highlight.”

Berthing next was Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam, with a second place finish in Race 11. By picking up bonus points at the Scoring Gate and in the Ocean Sprint, the team has overtaken Perseverance and now tops the overall leaderboard.

Image: Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam team arrive in Panama

Speaking on arrival, Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam First Mate Cameron McCraken said: “It was long, it was hot, and extremely frustrating, but pretty good for us, we did really well. “When you have got the light forecast you can aim for the currents but after the first gate, there weren't any that were really noticeable so we just went the shortest route and rhumb lined it.”

Image: Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam First Mate Cameron McCracken

Skipper Bob Beggs agreed, saying: “This race is one that can cause lots of ups and downs. The team really works, it's a great team.

“First place on the podium overall is more of a possibility, there's a long way to go. Ineke and Perseverance are very very good, they have their Joker as well. We will work hard to maintain leads on the upcoming races, but it’s all up to Ineke now really if she can make the double whammy work then she will lead the way. But we will do our darndest to keep it from them.”

For one of the team’s circumnavigators, Jaci Smith, the marine life was a real highlight during this long race: “It was really awesome. We saw a bunch of dolphins and some whales, a ray that jumped out of the water, jellyfish, squid, yeah a ton of animals - so cool.”

Image: Panama smiles from Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam

Niel Holt, who joined Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam for Leg 7 in Seattle, and who is competing against his son Ben who is on board Our Isles and Oceans, on arrival explained: “It’s been an amazing trip, we have had highs and lows. Big seas, cold weather, unbelievably hot weather. It was a great experience, fantastic to come second, I'd have preferred first but hey.”

PSP Logistics celebrated its third place finish on arrival in Panama. After beating fierce competition in the final few miles from Zhuhai, Perseverance and Yacht Club Punta del Este to clinch the final podium spot in Race 11, the team secured its second podium finish of the circumnavigation so far.

Image: Smiles from third place PSP Logistics

Mike Miller, Skipper of PSP Logistics, whilst leaning over the guardrail to chat to those on Clipper Race Live, said: “What a great result, we are really pleased. Lovely to be here, third time in Panama.

“It just goes to show you have to keep racing to the end, I think that's the secret. We kept pushing and pushing. Nano could have pinched it from us right at the end so we had to keep pushing. We finished on the first finish gate right on the outside and looking at the weather forecasts all the wind was out in the middle of the ocean, so we stayed right out on the right hand side, got the wind and had a good result.”

He added: “Great to live up to what PSP Logistics, our Team Partner, hoped for us, so we are super pleased.”

Image: Welcome beers after 26 days at sea

Leg 7 crew member on PSP Logistics, Christopher Luce said: “Amazing to be on the podium, I just joined for this leg. I got on in my home city, Seattle and we finish where my daughter goes to university in Washington, DC so she will be there to greet me at the end.

“The highlights were the first few days coming out of Seattle, beating upwind, getting into some rougher weather, bigger waves and experiencing all of that. After that it was a lot of downwind and really a masterclass in spinnaker work, which was fantastic.

“As a team we all gelled really quickly, we focussed on performance and it really paid off.”

Image: Happy third place PSP Logistics

Nicky Miller, Race Crew Supporters Coordinator was on the pontoon ready to cheer the teams in which included her husband, Mike Miller, Skipper of PSP Logistics. Speaking of PSP Logistics’ third place, Nicky said: “I’m so happy for them as the team has worked so hard, over so many of the races and have got stuck in a wind hole in the final stages or just pipped to the post so Mike is really thrilled with this result - particularly for the team who are back on the podium after taking third on Race 2. They are a really happy boat and are so positive, wherever they come.”

Zhuhai was the next to arrive in Flamenco Marina, where the fleet will berth for the next few days to make final preparations ahead of the canal transit.

Image: Zhuhai team arrive in Panama

For Zhuhai Skipper, James Finney, it had been a tough race, having been part of the leading teams early on but missing out on a podium. On arrival he said: “Well, it was a difficult race, a very difficult race. We had a really strong start, first over the Scoring Gate, third over the first gate then we took our eye off the ball a little bit. Got ourselves in the wrong position and paid for it quite dearly in the end. We ended up in the middle between two weather systems and just found zero wind on the last day."

Image: Skipper James Finney

Qiang Zeng, known as Frank, Zhuhai’s Ambassador crew member who is circumnavigating, said: “Especially after finishing Leg 6, this leg was a blessing. Warm but maybe too warm in the last week. In terms of wildlife spotting, we saw loads of dolphins, turtles and the first time I saw a wild ray.

“The (race) result is not as we expected but that's how sailing is.”

Completing the first group of arrivals was ninth placed team, Perseverance, with one of its Ambassador Crew Marleen Bloem, from the Netherlands waving from the stern.

Image: Perseverance team arrive in Panama

Speaking from the pontoon, as she was waiting for her boyfriend, Nick Trahair, was Jessica Morgan from PSP Logistics. On being asked what it was like to welcome her partner and competitor into port she said with good humour: “For once, this is incredible. Perseverance was the only team we hadn’t beaten and this time we managed to smash them so we are pretty proud of that!

“I can’t even describe how amazing it is to have my partner on the race. And especially to have them on a different boat, you have different stories but a shared experience is great.”

With a garland adorned round her neck Perseverance Skipper, Ineke van der Weijden, reported on Race 11: “There was a lot in it, but it was mostly hot and windless. We had bad moments and good moments, not good for us when gate two was called; A wind hole lottery this race. When they called it we were in third or fourth position, but between us and Zhuhai we were in the worst position but I didn't expect us to end up ninth.

Image: Happy hugs for Skipper Ineke

“I actually don’t know but I am guessing we are not number one.”

Laura Blaauw, an Ambassador on board said: “It feels a bit unreal. It’s such a long way but when you are on the boat you just see water but when you arrive you realise oh wow we really did this, so that's amazing. The first week was quite challenging beating upwind, with seasickness then such a different challenge is the wind holes.

“I’m really proud of myself, six months before this I didn't even think I would be doing this and now I am here in Panama.”

Joss Creswell, First Mate on board Perseverance analysed Race 11 saying: “A lot of the races on the Clipper Race are ocean crossings. This is more of a linear race along the coast and that presented a lot of its own tactical challenges. It was really interesting to see who went inshore to get more localised weather conditions and who went offshore to try and get more of the bigger weather systems that lie offshore. It paid off for some boats at different points in the race, but fairly unsuccessfully for Perseverance.

“I think we have dropped down the leaderboard. But the team is quite new, we have had a lot of new joiners so we are on the build but I am really impressed with both improvement and their competitiveness. The whole team is really pushing to win, and they are motivated for the next race from Panama to Washington.”

Perseverance Ambassador, Marleen Bloem recounts: “It was really cool, ups and downs, the wind holes were really annoying but the rest of the race was so cool, we saw a lot of dolphins and a lot of starry nights.

Image: Ambassador Marleen Bloem

“A lot of people are competitive on this boat, constantly trimming, seeing how we can go faster, looking at boat speeds, everyone is excited to race as hard as possible and put in the effort.

“I sailed previously in Dutch so my English sailing is so much better, and I learned a lot about training which I really liked.”

After wrapping up first day of arrivals, Clipper Race Manager, Steve Westwood, who was crew on the Clipper 2019-20 Race and has sailed on this stage of the circumnavigation from Seattle to Panama, said. “It’s awesome to see the teams coming in today, they’ll be very pleased to get here. This race (Race 11) is really tough as there are so many different conditions. You start with proper Pacific conditions and then when you get further and further south you get wind holes and the heat going up.”

The remainder of the yachts are expected to arrive from tomorrow morning, local time and can still be tracked on the Race Viewer. And you can watch back the arrivals on the Facebook LIVE page.