​The Sailing Professionals on Race 11: Tricky, frustrating, hot

“It’s a gloriously sunny day here in Seattle and we are about to set off on probably my favourite and the most interesting race of the Clipper Race. It is far in the way the most varied and most challenging of all the races.” Says Mike Miller, Skipper of PSP Logistics.

Ahead of the fleet departure from Seattle for the start of Race 11: #SailConnected with SENA, to Panama, the professional sailing staff share their thoughts on what to expect from the upcoming race.

Mike continued: “This race is very different from the previous, it's not a huge storm-tasked race but we will have lots of variety of weather, and the challenge is to maximise the wind that you have. You have to be very careful to not lose any ground through transitions, but because of the huge number of changes in different types of weather, each of those changes presents huge opportunities to make ground and also huge opportunities to lose ground.”

Image: PSP Logistics team

Max Rivers, Skipper of Our Isles and Oceans reports: “So this race is a lot more focussed on downwind, a lot more time with the spinnaker, so a flatter boat. We will be facing the opposite temperature difference to the last race, so warmer weather which has its own challenges. Making sure people are managing sun exposure, making sure crew are staying hydrated, salts, sugars etc. It’s a different challenge altogether but none less exciting.

“We have had a big turn around here, and it’s really nice to get some fresh and new crew on board- lots are returning from previous legs. It’s nice for them to come back and re-experience the boat, get a feeling for what has changed on the boat in the months that they have been gone, and bring back some new energy and new ideas that they have whilst they have been away.”

Image: Our Isles and Oceans team

For Bekezela Skipper, David Hartshorn, this is his third time taking on this race, having been successful in this leg on previous editions he has been preparing his crew for not only the conditions they will face but the impact they can have on the team dynamics on board. “A lot of people underestimate this leg, the first 7-10 days of this race can be really cold and tough just like we have just done. We had a briefing on board and we talked about when it gets hot, people need to manage themselves, and look after themselves and how the crew need to look after each other. We all know that when it gets hot people get irritable and that's when you need to be really empathic and remember you can't change people's behaviour only your attitude.”

Image: Bekezela team

Similarly for Nano Antia, Skipper of Yacht Club Punta del Este this will also be the third time he takes on this tricky race to Panama. “To be successful in any race you need to keep the team focussed until the last moment when you cross the finish. Tactically, there is an opportunity to go near the coast, which I think is best and has been paying off. But we will see how the wind settles in. Offshore there is more breeze but more distance so lots of things at play and to put in the balance.

“One of the best things about Race 11 is that you can put the spinnaker up and go all the way down. Then the wind starts getting lighter and it’s sunny and beautiful. There is a lot of sea life, whales and dolphins and even flying manta rays. There are so many surprises. I love this race.”

Image: YCPE team

AQP Charlie Warhurst, reports that all on board Dare To Lead are really looking forward to this next race and says consistency is key.

“As of now the conditions for the first week look amazing with nice downwind sailing to get us going. The six finish lines are a good way to keep the race interesting towards the very end but it won’t change our tactics too much. The last little bit isn’t where you need to be pushing the most, you should just be consistently keeping the energy and boat speed up through the whole thing anyway.”

Adding: “It’s also a really good leg for wildlife with us passing through the migratory paths of lots of whales so it’ll be nice to see all of that too.”

Image: Dare To Lead

Following the North Pacific crossing, the conditions the crew will face on the next race will vary greatly as they go from the cold to heat near the Equator. Washington, DC Skipper Hannah Brewis said: “Race 11 is a lot different from the one we have just done, it's all downwind and in pretty light winds. The joke is you start the race, hoist up your Code 3, the heaviest spinnaker that you use for the windiest of wind, you sail until you can’t fly it anymore. Then you hoist your Code 2, then you hoist your Code 1, which is the lightest spinnaker, once you can’t fly that, then you hoist your Windseeker which you use for the really really light winds, then you fly that till you can’t and the race ends.”

Image: Washington, DC team

Due to the light conditions expected as the route approaches Panama, and the importance of making the Panama Canal crossing time, there are six mandatory gates that the fleet have to pass through, with each potentially being called as the finish line should it be needed.

Continues Hannah: “It can be frustrating to have six potential finish lines, but you don't really think of that till the end. I actually think it's really fun, its small goals to aim for. It can be tricky when it comes down to it, but there is no point in thinking about that till we get there”

Tricky appears to be the word used to describe the tactical question of the mandatory gates. Zhuhai AQP, Mike Davies says: “It’s going to be a tricky one to manage, how you are going to position yourself. You have to try and predict where the Race Committee is going to finish the race and put yourself in the best position for that.”

Following a successful end to the previous race, with success in the light conditions seeing Zhuhai move up the fleet to take third in the last few days, Mike and Skipper, James Finney and the Zhuhai crew are excited about the race ahead.

“All the crew are looking forward to a bit of heat, everyone has their fans ready, bringing the shorts out rather than the foulies. The light air sailing is a completely different ball game. In the last race we made really good gains in light air sailing. I'd like to think we are pretty good at it, so hopefully it’s an opportunity for us again to grab a few places.

“You always want to be hunting, everyone in front of you has something to lose.”

Image: Zhuhai

Competition is fierce not just for Race 11 but also for positions on the overall leaderboard, “We are thinking about it, I think we have always been thinking about it.”.

With two legs left in the Clipper 2023-24 Race the hunt is on for both finishing positions and bonus points. Currently topping the overall leaderboard is Perseverance, with its Joker still to play, Skipper Ineke van der Weijden explains: “Obviously the pressure is on a bit, we are still number one, we want to keep it that way but that means we need to win. The closer we get to Portsmouth the higher the pressure gets, but now it's a bit addictive to be in that position. I have learnt this race that it is easier to be the ‘chasee’ rather than the chased when the pressure is on.

“When I am on the water, most of the time I can let it go, but when the winds get light and if you get stuck and others are moving you can’t do anything about it, that's an additional frustration that plays on your mind. As to the Joker, I can’t say.”

She added: “I am really looking forward to this leg as it will be nice and warm and sunny but it is a highly stressful leg. We are going to run out of wind at some point and that is always frustrating sailing because you lose a lot of control. But as an added bonus on this first race, we get six potential finish lines, and we might know ahead of time which gate will be the finish line, or it could be retroactive which means every single time we need to push like it's our final finish.”

Image: Perseverance team

Podiums finishes in Race 11 are on all the professionals minds Unicef narrowly missed out one in Race 10 with Skipper Dan Bodey saying: “Race 10 was frustrating to go from third to sixth on the finish line, was a tough one. We have shown we can be on those podium places previously, we are looking forward to proving this again in this one, fingers crossed we can get on the podium again.”

After its spectacular victory in North Pacific crossing Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam is on a hot streak. Could this continue in the race to Panama? AQP Cameron McCracken is hoping so, “Well if we can do the same as last time that will be good.”

“Get ahead, stay ahead. Start first, finish first, but I think this is similar to Qingdao’s plan so will have to see how it goes. The first few days look good, I think you will see some good speeds on the Race Viewer a lot of boats swivelling round off the start line and chucking kites up. I think it will be initially quite fast then as we go further south we will lose the wind and it becomes a little bit tricker and currents come into play as well so it will be an interesting one.”

Image: UNICEF team

Phil Quinn, Skipper of Qingdao says the standards have been set on board: “We have done quite well, we have to do the same again is the bottom line. For a while we have finished well, but we have to keep pushing and keep doing the same thing. This is a race and the idea is to get there first.”

On the conditions ahead he said: “It’s going to be a little bit fickle at times, we don’t know exactly what's coming but there are six potential finish gates for a reason, as we get further on the wind is going to die and the race will have to be called, hopefully we are at the front when this happens.”

Image: Qingdao team

He concludes, “It’s been a good stop, very interesting city but there is some racing to be done.”