Atlantic Scoring Gate - Latest

UPDATE 1800 UTC

GREAT Britain crossed the Atlantic Trade Winds Scoring Gate at 1518 UTC to take 2 points followed by Derry ~ Londonderry ~ Doire at 1637 to claim the final point; jubilant skipper Daniel Smith reported: "Today we have gained our first point as we crossed the Scoring Gate in third place. The crew has been working hard with a drag race with GREAT Britain which they have beaten us in, this time.

"However I am proud of the crew and their achievements thus far; it has been great to see their energy and enthusiasm to keep the boat moving as fast as they can, despite the heat of the day. All are in high spirits and looking forward to the remaining miles of the race to Rio. Bring it on!"

LMAX EXCHANGE CLINCHES 3 POINTS AT SCORING GATE

LMAX Exchange has crossed the first Scoring Gate of the Clipper 2015-16 Race, winning an extra three bonus points.

The Scoring Gate is a line on the course between two points at 19N 26W and 19N 23W where teams can win extra points, but it is not compulsory to cross it.

Olivier Cardin, Skipper of LMAX Exchange, said: "Three Points! Is it basketball!? No It's the first three points awarded to us on the Clipper 2015-16 Race.

"On the route to Rio, Brazil, the Clipper Race Office defined a line called the Scoring Gate about 200 nautical miles north of Cape Verde, half way between London and Rio. The rule is easy, first boat to cross gets three points, two for the second and one for the third.

"We just crossed this line this evening at 1842 UTC. On board we are all proud of this first part of the leg. As we have been leading the race almost all the time since the beginning, it's fair to collect the three points.

"Next challenge - to collect the Ocean Sprint points."

It looks as if Derry~Londondery~Doire and GREAT Britain will cross in second and third place, picking up two and one point respectively. Garmin and Qingdao also appear to be battling it out to cross the gate further to the east of the course.

Earlier this morning, Garmin Skipper Ashley Skett said his team had an important decision to make on board in the fight for potential bonus points, but didn’t reveal whether he had chosen to go for the gate, or head straight for Rio.

Keep following the Clipper Race on Twitter and Facebook to see the latest updates on who will gain the fthree remaining extra Scoring Gate points.