​Race 11 Day 5: Stealthy Passage Through Caribbean

The Atlantic Ocean is beckoning but the crafty Caribbean has thrown up a few final hurdles for the Clipper Race teams on Day 5 of Race 11: Nasdaq Race from Panama to New York.

With light conditions raising concerns that the Windward Passage, a body of water between Cuba and Haiti, would prove to be a bit of a misnomer, yesterday’s leader PSP Logistics opted to go into Stealth Mode. Skipper Matt Mitchell explains: “We've been secret squirrels for the last little while, mainly because when entering an area of light wind, you don't want the other boats seeing you on AIS. Perhaps you might be stopped and you don't want anyone to sail around you!

“Progress has been pretty good though as it happens and we only slowed down a little bit earlier on.”

IMAGE: Mike Sweet at the bow of Qingdao.

GREAT Britain, which was in third place yesterday, has also opted to hide from public view for 24 hours as it picks its way north through the Caribbean Islands into the Atlantic Ocean proper. However, due to the close proximity of the teams in the leading pack, both PSP Logistics and GREAT Britain haven’t completely gone off the radar, as Unicef Skipper Bob Beggs reports: “We are now racing through the Windward Passage between Cuba and Haiti and we are in the company of PSP Logistics.

“Not in Stealth Mode and not far away is Sanya Serenity Coast. GREAT Britain looks like it has turned its cloaking device on – it was there one moment then – puff – it was gone.”

IMAGE: All positions correct at time of publishing. NB: PSP Logistics, GREAT Britain and Nasdaq in Stealth Mode.

It’s also close in the chasing group. HotelPlanner.com Skipper Conall Morrison comments: “Early this morning, we were able to see Qingdao, Garmin, and Nasdaq on the horizon before a wind hole and shift sent us off on opposite tacks. For the second half of the day we have been trading tacks with Qingdao and now they have popped up on AIS again a few miles ahead.”

It has been a busy time aboard Qingdao, as the team not only tries to stay astern of the nearby yachts, but also manage the slight conditions. Skipper Chris Kobusch says: “The day started off with the breeze slowly dying and we had to shake a reef and do a racing headsail change. Shortly after the windseeker went up and since then we had plenty of tacks, gybes, and headsail changes throughout the day in really light and shifty winds.”

IMAGE: All positions correct at time of publishing.

The frustrations continue for those at the back of the fleet, as Dare To Lead Skipper Dale Smyth explains: “We finally rounded Mark Beesley and left Jamaica to port. The wind continued fair until we got into the lee of Haiti where the wind literally shut off. We went from Yankee 2 and first reef to full main and windseeker in 5 minutes. We are now battling with Visit Seattle and Liverpool 2018 to make progress north to the Windward Passage between Cuba and Haiti.”

Whilst the breeze is light, it has given the teams a brief respite after beating upwind for the past four days. GREAT Britain Skipper Dave Hartshorn says: “There has been an outbreak of morale as people haven’t had to walk along the sides of the walls to move below decks. Richard Smith couldn’t believe his luck that he was Mother and had nearly flat surfaces to deal with.”

The wind is due to veer and increase once the teams are out of the lee of the larger Caribbean Islands, though it will ease again once the fleet enters the Atlantic proper. But in good news from Clipper Race Meteorologist Simon Rowell, there will be no upwind racing in the open ocean.

The race to New York is expected to take approximately 12 days, arriving at Liberty Landing Marina between 14-16 June. To follow the progress of the teams, keep an eye on the Clipper Race Viewer. You can also read the Skipper Blogs in full in the team pages or learn more about life on board in the Crew Diaries.