Leap year blues on board JAMAICA

As the image above shows team JAMAICA have rounded the Southern tip of Japan and are now bearing down on the rest of the fleet in the Pacific ocean en route to Hawaii.

It's fair to say that we've got them seriously worried. None of the other 9 Clippers are aware of our secret tactics and are wondering what we've got up our sleeve. Little do they know that to be 150 miles off the lead and playing a watching brief at the back of the fleet is actually what we had planned before setting off from Qingdao, oh yes!

The spinnaker wrap which put us effectively out of competitive racing for 24 hours was a smokescreen and they'll be laughing on the other side of their faces when we come in first in Hawaii. For those doubters amongst you - we will be reminding you on 20th March that you read it here first - JAMAICA WILL WIN. There's still over 3,500 miles and a lot of racing to go.

Ahead the fleet is splitting to follow two different approaches as the graphic shows :

There are two options to choose from for the onboard tacticians on the ten internationally-backed yachts competing in Clipper 07-08:

Go further north, cover more miles but stay with better wind strength and angles; this is a tactic currently being pursued by overall race leader Durban, Western Australia, Qingdao and Nova Scotia or

take a more direct route with fewer miles but with the potential for lighter winds and also headwinds, which is the option current race leader Hull & Humber, New York, Glasgow, Liverpool and Singapore are taking.

Only time will tell which tactic will prove to be the winning one. The speeds posted overnight seem to suggest that the more direct route has gained the greater number of miles and the tacticians on board JAMAICA will be watching both options very carefully.

But back to the leap year : we understand from our web cam on board JAMAICA that we have some very worried bachelors on board today. What could there be more romantic than in the middle of an ocean having a gorgeous Lady grasp the leap year opportunity and propose to her hapless beau ? Knees trembling (due to the constant rolling of the boat not in expectation!) she pops the question and back comes the response - "just one sugar thanks, no milk".

Whoever said romance is dead?

JAMAICA reducing the deficit

After the disastrous spinnaker wrap on Tuesday JAMAICA finds herself in 10th position and 100 miles behind the rest of the fleet.

As the illustration above shows we are still to round Sata Misaki off the Southern tip of Japan whilst the other boats are already in the Pacific ocean, the largest ocean on Earth.

There is still a huge way to go in this race with the first boats scheduled to arrive in Hawaii on 20th March.

JAMAICA has managed to make up some lost ground over the past 12 hours as they have been enjoying stronger winds in the Yellow Sea than the rest of the fleet in the Pacific where the winds have dropped to some 5 knots. We will have to reduce the deficit as much as possible before the next big winds hit later today.

Let us hope that the bad luck which his beset JAMAICA is behind us as the crew looks forward to a safe and enjoyable crossing of the mighty Pacific.

The reason for JAMAICA losing ground

We have just received exclusive access to the crew on board JAMAICA. Round-the-Worlder and chief sail repairer Bernard Tissier has confirmed our worst concerns :

Another spinny wrap from hell!!.

Sailed on mainsail alone for 24hrs so lost out to rest of fleet. Am currently working on repair.

Weather starting to get less cold, but still not warm.

Our thanks go to Bernard for sending us this message and also for the fact that Bernard is the main person on board who repairs the sails when such disasters take place. His efforts are invaluable to our success.

No present from Santa for JAMAICA

Following the snow which fell upon the fleet at the start of this race we were hoping for an early present from Father Christmas to help JAMAICA on their way. Sadly, it appears Santa has not delivered a boost as the 06:00 posting this morning showed.

Currently in 10th and some 125 miles off the lead we have not been able to keep pace with the rest of the fleet. As we know JAMAICA had problems on day 2 of the race with an anchor wrap around the keel which severely delayed us but at this stage, and without any communications from the crew on board, we do not know why she is lagging behind.

Indeed if one looks at the race viewer at the top of the page it is clear that JAMAICA is following the same course as the other boats which means that her slow progress can not be down to tactics ..... regrettably something is awry.

The predicted northerly wind has increased and the fleet is tearing down the Yellow Sea covering nearly 250 nautical miles per day.

The current winds should propel the fleet of ten internationally-backed 68-foot racing yachts out of the Yellow Sea past the southern tip of Japan and into the Pacific Ocean over the next 48 hours or so.

Joff Bailey, Race Director, says, “The majority of skippers are reporting that they are either using a poled out headsail or are risking their heavy weight spinnakers as they break through the 20 knot boat speed barrier with one skipper reporting more than 22 knots.”

As soon as we can make contact with JAMAICA readers of these pages will be the first to know.

You read it here first

Yesterday, jamaicaclipper.com predicted Christmas in the Pacific due to slow progress in the becalmed waters off Qingdao. Well it would appear Christmas came early to the start of this race.

We exclusively reported that JAMAICA skipper Simon Bradley, as lead skipper exiting Qingdao, had requested that the fleet could motor as they were in danger of being pushed back to the Marina because of the adverse current. This request was turned down but in the end the whole fleet had no option other than to drop anchor. When they resumed, thick snow lay across the decks.

In addition to hoisting sails made heavy by the snow and in yet another dramatic stroke of bad luck JAMAICA also had to free themselves from a tangled anchor warp.

Skipper Simon Bradley explained,

“We have spent an entertaining hour sailing our anchor warp off from around our keel where it had decided to wrap itself during the night! The three inches of snow on deck has made it all very pretty and our Rasta snowman was watching with amusement. One love!”

Indeed, we have just received this message from one excited crew member, Katie Hearsum, who also thinks Christmas has come early :

No time for email in Qingdao...only 1 day off can u believe! Light winds at the start which died after only a few hours. The tide turned so we dropped anchor at the end of our watch and got woken four hours later by a very excited JB because it had been snowing and it still is. Enough to build a snowman, dress it in rasta wig! Its fair to say its cold!

This has clearly meant that JAMAICA has lost time and at the 06:00 posting this morning they found themselves in 9th place, as the race viewer below shows, and some 38 miles off the lead, but a tiny distance in a race with more than 4,200 miles to go.

With our newly found clairvoyant skills we at jamaicaclipper.com are going to focus on a JAMAICA victory in Hawaii and if that works, we'll start thinking lottery numbers ............. if you know what's good for you you'll keep watching this space!

Team JAMAICA photocall

JAMAICA 9th after 24 hours

At 06:00 today JAMAICA had raced into a commanding 9th place, fully 1 mile ahead of 10th placed Nova Scotia (and counting) and just 6 miles off the lead boats.

There really is nothing in it at the moment. The boats exited the Olympic Marina at Qingdao yesterday at a snail's pace in becalmed waters and sub zero temperatures. The relatively slow progress has been confirmed by this morning's postings when only one boat achieved a distance over 12 hours of 20 miles - the rest were in their teens.

With each of the clippers travelling at just over 1 mile in each and every hour, it must be very frustrating out there and with still more than 4,380 miles to go to the finish line in Hawaii, Christmas 2008 somewhere in mid Pacific could be a possibility. Can Santa deliver his presents mid Ocean ? (of course) where will Simon stick his Christmas tree ? (former crew members need not offer any comments) will Harry be able to pull a cracker ? (that'll be a first)

With that borne in mind, may we be the first to wish all our readers a Happy Christmas and a prosperous 2009 ?

Hawaii here we come

And they're off!

At 1530 local time (0730 GMT) this morning Race 7 of the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race to Hawaii began. The race restart marked the end of a successful stopover in Qingdao’s Olympic Sailing Centre and a dress rehearsal for the sailing events of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The ten-strong international fleet crossed the start line in approximately ten knots of breeze from the south west flying their Yankee One headsails at the start of the 4,400-mile race across the Pacific from China to Hawaii.

Having stormed over the starting line in an impressive .......... 10th position, simply to lull the rest of the fleet into a false sense of security, the crew of the Rasta Rocket, JAMAICA, are keeping the other boats firmly in their sights.

Starting 10th is a clear tactical decision, oh yes! Having led Race 6 for 12 days, eventually finishing 5th, the crew are clearly employing a watching brief in this race.

At 12:00 today, as can be seen below, there was just 1 mile separating 1st and 10th place. If we stay that close to the leading boat after 4,400 miles we'll be very happy !

However, here at jamaicaclipper.com, we have just received an insight directly from JAMAICA as to the true conditions in the China sea.

Crew member John Brathwaite, had just finished a four hour watch at 11:00 UK time when he sent this message :

The fleet is becalmed off the harbour and skipper Simon Bradley (who had been presented on arrival in Qingdao with this rather dashing red cape) has telephoned Joff (Race Director) to ask if the whole fleet can use their motors. The first request had been turned down.

The crew have had their first meal and that went well. Apparently the supermarkets were good for shopping. Ralph had acted as 'mother superior' as Bernard had flown home for a well earned break.

John and the rest of the crew have replaced a lot of their personal equipment that went overboard in the conditions including hats, gloves that leaked and water bottles that got lost and equipment that failed in the conditions - ipod and torches/lights. Leaking boots were not able to be replaced.

It is clear from both John and Dinshaw's messages (see Dinshaw's article below) that they are testing all the equipment to the extreme.

Good luck JAMAICA and safe and happy sailing.

Memoires of a crew member and recommendations for joining crew

The Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht race will restart on Sunday at 1530 local time (0730 GMT) for the 4,400-nautical mile stage across the Pacific to Hawaii.

Ahead of the race start we bring you one crew member's memories of leg 4 and another's recommendations of kit for joining crew :

First, round-the-worlder and watch leader on leg 4 John Braithwaite recounts the ups and downs on the race from Singapore to Qingdao :

Ni hao!

It's great to write to you from Qingdao, it means we're all off the yacht, in one piece having finished in our best position yet, 5th. With a few days of luxury in a hotel the rose tinted glasses have started to set in and I'm beginning to forget quiet how tough the race up from Singapore was; a good thing as we are starting off for Hawaii in a few days.

This was the hardest race we have had so far. It was like living on the side of a mountain for 3 weeks in the winter, with the occasional gale blow over you, having to get up out of your sleeping bag every 4 hours, put on wet clothes and climb further up the mountain. For those of you who know my fear of heights fortunately the analogy stops there as the waves were never more than 6 meters or so. With the wind always coming from the direction we were travelling; be it North East, North or North West we were always sailing 45 degrees off our optimum course and with the yacht heeled over at 30 degrees it made for hard work living below as well as above deck.

We had an unfortunate 24 hour period where everything seemed to break, ropes snapped, sails ripped, the battery charger got flooded and the engine fuel supply (which we were then using to charge the batteries) failed. Fortunately our crew were very resourceful and a work around was found that meant we could keep our batteries charged. However, the engine only drew cooling water on starboard tack, so tacking became less tactical for best race position and more a necessity for keeping power for our navigation systems and lights (both of which also failed at points during the race!)

All this was more than worth it for the welcome we had in Qingdao. Its been amazing. The prize giving (normally a few speeches in a yacht club and a lot of beers) was a sit down 4 hour banquet that was live on Chinese TV for 4 hours. There were dancers, opera singers, kung foo exhibitions and Mongolian bamboo dancing which were very impressive, although we still managed a beer drinking competition!

Today we've been on a city tour organised for us, the highlight of which was a Taoist temple (see picture) and Tsingtao beer factory (Nigel drank my beer for me!) It's been great to have a few extra days away from the yacht, but now I am looking forward to getting to know our new crew on the training sail.

I hope you are all well and enjoying a British winter. I'm looking forward to sailing towards the sun again and the time when we'll be sailing in shorts and T shirts again, as opposed to the 8 layers that will be required when we start the leg.

Bye for now JB

Our thanks to John for his candid account of life on board.

Next Dinshaw Avari talks of his experiences and gives a valuable recommendation for future members of how to make life on board a little more bearable :

Dear friends

Reflecting on my experiences on Leg 4, I thought I’d give a run-down on the kit for the upcoming legs. The views expressed hereunder are my own- and may very well differ from what others on the same leg experienced (& these comments are targeted to cold weather legs) –

1) Ensure you have a good woolen cap which pulls down over, and covers, your ears (in my case, not only did I have the Henri Lloyd (HL) cap but I also wore a woolen ski cap below the former).

2) A scarf to cover the neck – somehow the wind and water finds its way in otherwise.

3) A “smock”??? I may have the name wrong, but basically this item covers the face and nose, leaving the eyes open to see through. It gives protection to the exposed areas of your face (especially the nose)- and if you’ve got a nose like mine … boy does it need protection!

4) I wore SEVEN layers of clothes under my red Henri Lloyd oilies (this represented ALL the clothes I had with me)- 2 woolen vests, 2 pairs of woolen socks, 2 HL long johns, 3 T-shirts, the black HL jacket and HL mid-layer (this was the best investment ever- salopettes and jacket). This actually kept me very comfortable (not the feet- more on that below). So many are not required if you have good warm underclothing/base layers/thermals. The main point here is that your legs and body must be warm- which was NOT the case for some of our team members. Good, warm socks are a MUST too.

If I did not have the mid-layers, I don’t know what I would have done. Get a good quality mid-layer (both the jacket and the salopettes) and that will act like a good insulation plus keep the dampness out of the rest of your clothes under the mid-layer.

5) Get good gloves – ones that keep your hands warm. Especially for helming, get good HELMING GLOVES. We were fortunate that Simon had one pair, which we transferred from helm to helm, shift to shift. We ensured it remained dry on the inside and managed to pull the last 5-6 days with these. If each of you get your own set of helming gloves, then when someone’s becomes wet from inside you’ll can at least share with others. Chris had an unique idea- getting gloves from dive shops which specialize in cold water diving.

6) The main problem I faced were the BOOTS. I’ll reserve my comments on HL for a private letter to that company, but please PLEASE ensure you get good, warm, waterproof boots; with good quality gaters which will ensure water stays out. Most of us were wearing plastic bags (in some cases two plastic bags) over our socks to stop the water getting into our socks & feet. That, though, did NOT stop the cold from getting in. In most of our cases, we might as well have been wearing nothing because our boots were wet from inside. Try Musto- I believe they are very good. If you feet are cold, you will be miserable and can lead to other complications.

7) Being a cold weather leg, there was CONDENSATION everywhere- on the ceiling, the walls, the sail covers, the floor. Nothing stayed dry. My suggestion is to keep some large plastic/garbage bags to cover your bags with (don’t rely on the boat’s garbage bags as these will run out if you’ll start using it) -which will ensure the moisture/condensation stays out. All my clothes were damp. Another thing is to keep your clean clothes in Ziploc bags (or self sealing bags) in your bags. This will also ensure moisture does not wet your clean clothes.

Relating to this, when you retire from your shift and want to get out of your clothes, put those clothes into plastic bags too- otherwise, in 4 hours these will be wet and dripping. Trust me, it’s not a good experience wearing damp clothes in cold weather!

When you go off-watch, get out of the clothes you are in and get into comfortable and warm, loose fitting clothes. Keep some spare sets of these “below-deck” clothes which you can get into. Don’t forget to store those “above-deck” clothes in plastic bags (other wise they are going to become wet!).

8) One of the best investments you can do is to purchase Ocean Sleepwear sleeping bags. These were damp from the outside (nothing you can do) but warm and comfortable in the inside. Ensure the sleeping bags are not kept open when not in use. I used to fold it up when not in it and let it lie on the bunk.

9) Lastly, the overalls/oilies. Get the BEST quality oilies you can get. The ones I had … well, the less said the better- they were absolutely useless! Maybe there’s a spray that needs to be sprayed on or whatever, but ensure you get those off-shore oilies which will allow you to do a sail change without worrying about water getting in. This is the worst experience because you will be miserable and cold as I was.

Friends, as mentioned, there is condensation & moisture everywhere. That means NOTHING dries. It is worth taking MORE clothes rather than less. Especially in the upcoming leg 5 (to Hawaii), the first 2-3 weeks are going to be cold & wet and possibly uncomfortable. The more comfortable you are the better your outlook and experience is going to be. There’s no place to dry your clothes either- once wet/damp, they remain so, unless you get some sunshine to dry them out in.

Those doing the warm legs, you don’t have to carry too many clothes because you can wash them once a week after your mother watch and dry them out on deck..

Hope the above helps and good luck to all of you for the upcoming legs. More than anything, ENJOY yourselves. This is an experience which will remain with all of us forever. The experience and fun is what will count in the end. Warmest regards.

Go Team Jamaica!

Dinshaw B. Avari

We extend our thanks to both John and Dinshaw and wish the crew starting leg 5 tomorrow safe sailing, great fun and Godspeed.

Richard Burton reflects on his experience on board JAMAICA

With the crew in Qingdao trying to catch up on some well earned rest, yet busy trying to fix all of the bits which broke, we bring you an article just submitted by Richard Burton about life on board in legs 2 & 3.

So whilst friends and family are planning your trip to support the team in Jamaica (availing of some of the great deals we highlight below) spare a thought for the experience of one crew member who is now back in blighty. And for those crew members still to join the boat, heed some excellent advice :



Just got back into the UK after finishing legs 2-3; that’s over a Month's holiday one cries after my two months at sea. I thought I would miss the boat and crew, but with my last sail being a corporate jolly it just felt great; no pressure just a nice trip out with lots of new enthusiastic crew and some old. Not much work for us to be done (well that’s how it felt). Just prep the boat for sea make 6 or 7 Journalists and guests happy, O and "just put the main sail back on and check those reefing penents they need to be good for the race. Sorry we did not have time" said Simon. Nice easy sail, put the boat to bed and I took the opportunity to just sneak off, hope I will see them all some time.

It's back at work and the brain feels over strained already, the body still feels like I've been run over by a steam roller. Have just started thinking (missing) about my mates on the boat and all those jobs I could have or should have done instead of sleeping so much or just sitting waiting for the next evolution or wave to hit.

The boat has needs:

High work rate, checking for worn ropes and as few mistakes as you can = fast boat.

Physical lost:

10Kgs in blood sweet and tears and 2ins around the waist, 20 grand, 5 pairs of glasses, 3 RH Gloves 2 LH glove, all my socks, Luggage bag in Heathrow (full of dirty washing and gifts from Fiji, Aus and New Zealand)

Physical broke:

Luggage bag, Camera, Phone, Glasses, No2 penent

Physical damaged:

Back, Left leg, Hip, groin, right foot. head and both ears

Physical gained:

a lot of very good friends and had a great time

Thing that made me scared:

Helming at night with a +30knt wind up the chuff
Changing down the Yankee when it's already to late

Thing I Loved:

Making Breakfast for any one (as long as it was porridge)
Music on the Dog watch
A good mother watch (lots of great mothers out there)
Helming with poled out head sail
Fixing stuff around the boat
Doing as many different jobs around the boat as I could
Getting off the real world just for a short while

My Top Tips:

If you are not fit for the start of the Leg you won't get fit only very tired.
Don’t over grind the main winch it will brake something.
Ocean wear sleep bag and a good pillow.
Ipod as a sleep and privacy aid.
Board shorts 2 pairs in place of underwear.
Neck rap quick dry X 2
Mid layer from Henry Lloyd best bit of kit I have ever had
Open shoes they dry on your feet

My thanks to everybody on the JAMAICA team, without you all this could have been possible.

Richard

Come and support team JAMAICA in ..... Jamaica !

Following our successful finish in leg 6 (see article below) jamaicaclipper.com, in association with the Jamaican Tourist Board, is today publishing some fantastic offers for Friends and Family of Team JAMAICA to come and support your team on this beautiful Caribbean island.

Seen here preparing for the big event and pictured in the offices of the Jamaica Tourist Board in London are Elizabeth Fox, Regional Director, Torrance Lewis, District Sales Manager of the JTB and jamaicaclipper.com editor and crew member Nick Jacobs.

• WHEN ?

The fleet is due to sail into Port Antonio Marina on Monday 19th May, 2008. Leg 7 which starts with the race from Port Antonio to New York will herald the departure of the boats on Saturday 24th May. Many of the new crew members joining the boat for leg 7 are arriving on Friday 16th May. Many friends and family are arriving before.

• WHERE ?

About 100 kilometres from Kingston, lies Port Antonio, Jamaica’s third largest port and one of the island’s most important tourist attractions. Until the 1880s it was a sleepy coastal town. Then Lorenzo Dow Baker started the banana trade on the island and successfully promoted Port Antonio as a destination for wealthy American travellers and it became a boom town.

Now Port Antonio is untouched by mass tourism and is charmingly old-fashioned. It is developing as a centre for eco-friendly projects. It is the kind of place sought out by travellers who have no need for boutiques and postcard stands and it’s still possible to have lunch in a place where you are the only non-Jamaican.

Note from the editor : Port Antonio is a beautiful sleepy little resort and as a result does not have such a huge amount of accommodation as would be found in larger resorts such as Ocho Rios. So, if you want to stay local, do book early!

• LOCAL TRAVEL AGENTS

Our race sponsor the Jamaican Tourist Board has recommended local travel agents with a wide experience both of Port Antonio and Jamaica as a whole :

Charmaine Harrison
Managing Director
Great Vacations (CA) Ltd
Suite #10 New Kingston Shopping Center
30 Dominica Drive, Kgn(10)
Jamaica W.I.
Tel: 1-876-929-6290-5
Fax: 1-876-920-8139
Charrison@greatvac.com
http://www.greatvac.com/

Here are just some of the great local accommodations with which Charmaine has negotiated special rates : Jamaica Crest, Fern Hill, Jamaica Palace and Ocean Crest. Contact her for further details.

Many villas in the Port Antonio area are represented by Yvonne Blakey :

yvonne.blakey@cwjamaica.com


For further information about Jamaica as a whole you are welcome to contact the Jamaica Tourist Board in London on 0207 225 9090 or mail@visitjamaica.uk.com or visit their web site http://www.visitjamaica.com/

• ACCOMMODATION - PORT ANTONIO AREA

The following are placed in alphabetical order :

• Goblin Hill

Goblin Hill offers one bedroomed and two bedroomed villas at special rates for JAMAICA clipper family and friends as follows :

i) 1-bedroom Superior villa (Wide Ocean View & king-size bed) US$166.50 plus 8.25% tax per night for up to 2 persons in the villa.
ii) 1-bedroom Standard villa (Ocean View & 2 twin beds which can be combined) US$139.50 plus 8.25% tax per night for up to 2 persons in the villa.
iii) 1-bedroom Garden View villa (Garden View & 2 twin beds which can be combined) US$112.50 plus 8.25% tax per night for up to 2 persons in the villa.

iv) 2-bedroom Superior villa (Wide Ocean View with 1 king-size & 2 twin beds) US$193.50 plus 8.25% tax per night for up to 4 persons in the villa.
v) 2-bedroom Standard villa (Ocean View & 4 twin beds which can be combined) US$184.50 plus 8.25% tax per night for up to 4 persons in the villa.
vi) 2-bedroom Garden View villa (Garden View & 4 twin beds which can be combined) US$171.00 plus 8.25% tax per night for up to 4 persons in the villa.

At the time of writing they have availability for over 30 persons.

Contact Jacqui Neil through info@goblinhill.com or visit http://www.goblinhill.com/

• Jamaica Palace Hotel

The Management & Staff welcome Clipper fans to their 80 bedroomed property with the following preferential rates :

- Deluxe US$ 136.00 Regular rate is US$ 170.00
- Superior US$ 152.00 Regular rate is US$ 190.00
- Suite A US$ 168.00 Regular rate is US$ 210.00
- Suite B US$ 184.00 Regular rate is US$ 230.00
- Suite C US$ 200.00 Reguilar rate is US$ 250.00

Please note, theses rates are per room / night inclusive of all taxes and service charges.

Visit http://www.jamaica-palacehotel.com/ or contact them on pal.hotel@cwjamaica.com

• Mocking Bird Hill Hotel

Already pretty much sold out for the event Mocking Bird Hill has just one room left at the time of writing at US$ 165 per roon including taxes. However, they are offering a number of special events for the friends and family as follows :

- A welcome breakfast on the day of arrival of JAMAICA clipper (due to be 19th May, subject to change) offering local specialities and a famous local band

- Complimentary shuttle from the Marina or other hotels for dinner

- Art gallery visits and afternoon tea

- Introductory culinary session to Jamaican cuisine by prior appointment

- Massages

- Tours

Visit http://www.hotelmockingbirdhill.com/ or contact Barbara Walker on info@hotelmockingbirdhill.com

Please note the above list is not exhaustive and represents only the accommodations who have come back to http://www.jamaicaclipper.com/ with special rates. Please also refer to the travel agents and Visit Jamaica web site as detailed above.

• Rio Vista Resort Villas

Rio Vista have a number of villas available as follows :

2 bedroom villas $185 a night for 4 person.
One bedroom villa $170 per night 2 persons.
Suites $115 per night. Deluxe 2 persons $90 per night

Please contact Sharon on riovistavillaja@jamweb.net

ACCOMMODATION FURTHER AFIELD

The Jamaica Tourist Board has negotiated discounts with some first class resorts away from Port Antonio including :

• Superclubs

SuperClubs can offer 20% off UK rates for May 2008 at all Jamaica resorts. This will be only for team JAMAICA clipper family members. Prices to follow are per person per night at the standard or garden view category. Pricing for higher categories can be requested.

Grand Lido Negril $127
Grand Lido Braco $127
Breezes Runaway Bay $90
Breezes Mo'Bay $75
Hedo III $114
Hedo II $146
Starfish $58

Details of all resorts can be found on http://www.superclubs.org/

• Couples resorts and sunset resorts

Couples would be delighted to offer the following special rates for the friends / family who wish to travel to Jamaica in May 2008 for the Clipper Yacht Race, details as follows:

- Couples Resorts - For stays 01 May '08 - 15 June '08
- Couples Ocho Rios, Ocho Rios - Superior Garden Room - £93 per adult per night
- Couples Sans Souci, Ocho Rios - Verandah Suite - £102 per adult per night

Rates are All Inclusive and include: 24 hour dining from casual to gourmet, unlimited premium brand drinks, watersports with instruction including scuba diving and waterskiing, tennis with instruction, unlimited golf transfers & green fees to the local 18-hole golf course (mandatory caddy payable locally), a selection of excursions including Dunn's River Falls, transfers to/from Montego Bay Airport, hotel taxes and tips.

Special Offer: £20 per adult per night off the above rates for Couples Resorts and Sunset Resorts. Not applicable to child rates. Please quote 'JAMAICA Clipper' at time of booking.

Bookings to be sent directly to Group Promotions ltd by email: reservations@group-promotions.com

• Shaw Park Beach Hotel & Spa

Shaw Park is pleased to offer these special rates for the above-mentioned program.

SINGLE US$140

DOUBLE US$200

RATES ARE ALL INCLUSIVE PER ROOM PER NIGHT

CHILDREN US$ 35 4 - 12 YEARS SHARING WITH ADULTS
3 YEARS AND UNDER NO ADDITIONAL COST

RESERVATIONS : reservations@shawparkbeachhotel.com or shawparkbeach_res@yahoo.com

http://www.shawparkbeachhotel.com/

• Sandals

Sandals are happy to offer a 5% reduction if you call Kamal direct on 0207 590 0202 or email on kabajee@sandals.co.uk and quote Clipper Around the World and she will be able to give a quote.

The crew of JAMAICA clipper look forward to seeing you in Port Antonio

JAMAICA finish in 5th place

Having led race 6 - Singapore to Qingdao - for 12 days the crew of the Rasta Rocket have finished in a highly commendable 5th place given the problems which beset them last weekend.

Regular followers of this site will have read the accounts of crew member Dinshaw Avari who confirmed that they had experienced 2 serious mast problems and 2 sail problems in a short 72 hour period as they were battered by heavy winds and seas. To have come back from that to still manage 5th place was a credit to them.

JAMAICA crossed the finishing line 68.7 nautical miles behind 1st placed New York.

Frustratingly she was only ½ mile behind 4th placed Hull and Humber, which after 2,600 miles and 19 days racing just shows how tight this race has been from start to finish.

It has also been a gruelling experience in relentless headwinds right from the start and as a result the fleet has made slower than expected progress to the finish in Qingdao. At a meeting yesterday the Race Committee, using provisions provided within the Clipper sailing instructions and the International Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS), made a decision to shorten the course.

Clipper Race Committee Chairman, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston said: “The main consideration in this decision is to allow sufficient time for the skippers and crews to carry out routine in-port maintenance in preparation for the next race to Hawaii. The Race Committee believes that this is the best course of action to ensure the overall safety and well-being of the fleet.”

With the fleet now under motor, JAMAICA is expected to arrive in Qingdao at 0900hrs local time Saturday 16 February for some well earned rest and recuperation ....... interspersed with some seriously hard work repairing those broken sails and ropes.

This must have been an incredible and life changing experience from the crew on board. We have just one word for you guys :

RESPECT !

JAMAICA regains 4th place

At 06:00 this morning JAMAICA overtook Hull and Humber to climb back up to 4th place.

This is a very interesting time of the race as the fleet turns left to sail North West into the port of Qingdao which, for the first time, can be seen at the top left of our graphic.

There is sure to be much jostling of positions as the boats assume different tactics passing Shanghai to the West and sailing the last 300 miles through the Eastern China Sea and into the Yellow sea before arriving at their destination later this week.

JAMAICA now sits 10 miles ahead of Hull but is 46 miles behind Durban and Glasgow fighting for 2nd place. They, in turn, are 18 miles behind race leader New York.

5th place overnight consolidated

The 06:00 schedules this morning confirmed JAMAICA had retained her 5th place. With sailing speeds on a par with the rest of the fleet it would appear that the weekend's problems which included two ripped sails and two journeys up the mast in 40 knot winds have been put behind them.

JAMAICA is only 38 miles off the lead where Hull and New York are separated by just 1 mile. Glasgow and Durban are 3rd and 4th and firmly in JAMAICA's sights. We are currently 20 miles ahead of Western Australia.

As the graphic above shows the teams will at some point today tack to the West, roughly following the white line, for the last push towards Qingdao port. With over 400 miles to go there are still plenty of opportunities for the leader board to change, particularly if any of the boats ahead suffer similar misfortunes to the ones which led to our descent this weekend.

This has been a very hard race with both crew and boat battered by the strong conditions. May they return safely and look forward to some well earned R&R when they arrive in Qingdao on Thursday or Friday.

JAMAICA slips to 5th

Having led this race for 12 days JAMAICA has slipped to 5th following a number of problems documented by crew member Dinshaw Avari in these pages over the weekend. Those unlucky incidents have been compounded by the very strong winds they have experienced sailing up the coast of Taiwan. Both the boat and the crew have taken a heck of a battering.

Hull & Humber and New York appear to have come through the weekend’s heavy weather sailing most successfully, at the cost of Jamaica and Uniquely Singapore who have dropped down the leader board.

JAMAICA skipper Simon Bradley says,

“Having lost the lead that we held for about 12 days we are now fighting to get it back. No doubt like the rest of the fleet we are licking our wounds after a couple of tough days, the weather took its toll on both crew and yacht, but we never give up on JAMAICA – One Love!”

JAMAICA now find themselves 45 miles off the lead sailing into the Eastern China Sea. Over the next 24 hours they will be taking a left turn past Shanghai to sail into Qingdao. But with over 500 miles to go, there is still plenty of time for them to climb back up the leader board.

Dinshaw Avari recounts the events which have slowed JAMAICA's progress

With 815 miles to go to the finish line in Qingdao JAMAICA was still retaining a narrow lead at 06:00 today as they sail off the Eastern cost of Taiwan.

This is in spite of a number of catastrophic events which the crew have had to deal with. Crew member Dinshaw Avari has just sent this exclusive message to jamaicaclipper.com to explain what has happened and has resulted in their slow progress :

February 9th

In the last 72 hours we've been hit with a series of unfortunate events :

1. The sheath of the main halyard came out and we switched it to the topping lift by going up the mast

2. Then the Yankee 2 sheet snapped - we replaced it by going up to the clew

3. Early this morning our Yankee 3 clew completely ripped in a Force 8 storm (40 knots)

4. Finally the top most batten came out and Simon went up to retrieve it, we brought back the sail and put it back

All this really slowed us down but no excuses,

DINSHAW

Bearing in mind the adverse weather and the difficult conditions on board we are really grateful to Dinshaw for taking the time to explain today's events. It's all in the day of an ocean going race team.

The chasing pack is now really closing in on JAMAICA. We wish them better luck than they have experienced in the last 3 days and hope that they can continue to sail safely, proud in their achievement thus far.

Indeed at 12:00 today they were back up to racing speed having sailed 60 miles in the previous 12 hours compared to second place Hull and Humber's 59. However, our lead is down to 9 miles but a lead it still is.

It is interesting to see that Glasgow, which has been nipping at the heels of JAMAICA for such a long time in 2nd place is now in 3rd and 25 miles off the lead. This is clearly a very fast changing part of the race and the fact that Glasgow has lost so much ground is a credit yet again to the strength of character of team JAMAICA who are still out in front. Stick at it guys and girls - only 785 miles to glory!

Difficult conditions reduce JAMAICA's lead but at 18:00, a lead it still is!

The teams onboard the Clipper Round the World Racing yachts are still pounding their way north against the constant and unrelenting northerly wind as they make their way towards Qingdao. Most of the boats are choosing to hug the Taiwan costline but at 18:00 today JAMAICA has made a tactical tack to the East - this has reduced their speed over water to 56 miles in the last 12 hours. However, we are still hanging on and are 12 miles ahead of nearest rivals Glasgow.

Many of the teams have likened the experience of being onboard a racing yacht in the present conditions to “being in a washing machine on a spin cycle.”

It means that JAMAICA are not only struggling to retain our lead but also to keep the water out of the navigation station.

Skipper Simon Bradley said: “The last time I sailed through the Luzon Strait it was warm, sunny with a moderate breeze. This time wet, wild and windy are the right words to use, there appeared to be more water inside the yacht than outside, but that was just an illusion wasn’t it......wasn’t it??”

As they sail further North they are experiencing colder weather, particularly at night. Combined with the constant bombardment from the sea these are energy sapping conditions. Having left Singapore on 27th January, they have now been at sea for 12 gruelling days. With a further 7 days ahead before they are due to arrive in Qingdao we can only hope that their stamina can see them through this critical time in the race.

Our tacticians on board who have decided on this tactical tack to the East (as can be seen above) are having to innovate in search of a successful master plan. The position of leader, particularly after such a long time, ai so difficult as we have to be the first to try a new approach. The rest of the fleet have the advantage of playing a watching brief and, as the race viewer shows, New York, Singapore and Durban are sailing so close to each other that the Race Committee will have to investigate if this is the first trimaran to have taken part in the Clipper Round the World yacht race!

It is true that JAMAICA's lead has been reduced but they are heros in our eyes for having taken the lead so dramatically; in itself such a difficult position to be in. May Neptune protect them and fate be on their side.

JAMAICA maintains her lead

This morning's 06:00 posting confirmed JAMAICA has maintained her 20 mile lead over Glasgow with both teams matching each other's speed over water.

With another week's sailing ahead of the fleet they are currently experiencing very high seas as they pass Taiwan to their port (left) side. The weather files show the wind strengthening to 30 to 35 knots and coming more northerly over the next 24 hours, and then not abating until the early hours of Monday. This will mean a very uncomfortable weekend of tacking into the wind and a bumpy ride ahead.

For team JAMAICA if they can continue to keep their nose ahead and maintain the position they have enjoyed for more than a week it will be a very happy arrival in Qingdao; a podium (dare we imagine a 1st place?) finish would be just what the hardest working team in the Clipper 07/08 race deserves.

Go JAMAICA !

Glasgow continues to reduce JAMAICA's lead

The chasing pack is closing in on JAMAICA.

For more than a week now we have been ploughing a lonely furrow ahead of the fleet. We are still in the lead - and by some considerable margin - but our competitors are nipping at our heels.

At 06:00 this morning our lead over Glasgow was down to 31 miles. However, as the graphic above shows we are sailing through some very congested waters at the moment as we pass North of the Philippines and South of Taiwan. Up ahead there are is an army of more than 1o major islands protecting the entrance to the Eastern China Sea and which are making the choice of tactics difficult; which gap should they go through before they turn to the North for the last dash to Qingdao?

The high seas are making conditions on board challenging and the colder weather is setting in with the first appearance of the oilies overnight. This has been a very hard leg with the boats sailing into the wind right from leaving the Keppel Marina at Singapore. The first boats were estimated by the Race organisers to arrive in Qingdao around 14th February. Here at jamaicaclipper.com we feel the likely date of arrival is more like 16th February. If that is the case it shows what a tought race this has been ....

... and proves all the more what a fantastic transformation skipper Simon Bradley and his team have made to be leading this race from the very early days.

Still out in front - we bring you three reports from our crew on board

At 12:00 today JAMAICA's lead had been pegged back to 41 miles. Having sailed 60 miles in the last 12 hours, she has lost out a little to the chasing fleet but is still in a commanding position.

Indeed an exclusive report for jamaicaclipper.com which we have just received from one of our crew members on board, Dinshaw Avari, confirms that the problem with the generator they have been experiencing over the past few days has been responsible for the lost miles :

"Finally Simon & Ralph, working all night until 10am today, have managed to make a temporary fix on our Generator problems.

Because of this we've been charging our batteries off the main engine which only works on port tack, so we had to tack the other day and lost miles to others.

On the sea as we head northwards it's colder now. We've started wearing our "oilies". Very soon when we hit Vietnam we'll be in our thermals. Winds have picked up and so have the seas - high chops and bumpy!

Dinshaw."

As the illustration above shows JAMAICA has tacked to the East in order to follow race orders to leave Taiwan to port (to the left of the boat for the uninitiated!) Indeed, JAMAICA appears to be in a good position. If you look at the black line behind JAMAICA showing the direction in which she is sailing, there is every chance that she will be able to clear the Northern coast of the Philippines before having to tack Northwards passing Taiwan (the circular island in the top of the graphic) to their left hand side before turning left and heading North West to Qingdao.

JAMAICA can feel the fleet nipping at their heels but, having worked so hard to build up a good lead in first place, they are doing everything they can to hold onto it despite the various obstacles they encountered through the night: As Skipper Simon Bradley reported :

“Much of last night was spent avoiding two large fishing fleets and several large ships which, in turn, were also avoiding the fishing fleets and perhaps us as well. This meant little sleep and a high level of concentration from everybody on board. We’ve lost miles to the fleet which is not good, so now we’re trying to up our performance.”

In her typically stoical fashion crew member Claire Maloney explains why life at the head of the pack is serious business for the crew :

Well, it’s such a novelty that we’ll remind you again: JAMAICA is still in the lead.

Frankly, we’re going to enjoy this for as long as possible. Our lead is getting shorter, but we still have some miles in the bag, and are doing everything we can to hold onto them.

The crew are taking things seriously, and are supplementing their usual diet with fighting food, very kindly provided by the Jamaican Tourist Board. Daily Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee and rounds of Jamaican Rum Cake seem to helping. Unfortunately the rum that they also gave us is taped up in a cardboard box and stowed under the Skipper’s bunk - not to be broken into until we reach dry land. Sir Robin might well be right when he declared this a great incentive for the crew to get a move on to Qingdao. As Lisa said, we’re taking the rhumb line to the rum bar.

It was pointed out to me today that all we’re doing is sailing fast into the cold weather… We had a brief interlude of really beautiful weather today. Having been sweltering in the heat and humidity for weeks, we really enjoyed the cooler breeze and gentle sunshine that we had today. It was described as a perfect English summer’s day on the water. The layers are all coming out of the dry bags for the first time, as long sleeves are needed in the evening, but it’s still not really cold. It is still hard to imagine sailing in the chill of the Chinese winter, but people do like to remind us -frequently - that this is the coldest winter there in quite some time. Great.

Apart from the soon coming cold, it is the fishing boats which make sailing this leg so tricky. Last night we came across two fishing fleets for the first time. All we saw were about 15 white lights dotted off our port side, plus the lights on two large ships. The ships were avoiding the fishing boats, we were avoiding the fishing boats and the fishing nets, and the ships might have been avoiding us but we weren’t taking any chances and decided to avoid the ships as well. It made for a busy night. Funnily enough, we haven’t seen any fishing boats at all in the day time.

The schedule is due in any minute now, and we’ll be checking to see miles lost or gained, and working out where the other boats are. Hopefully all still behind us, for now at least.

One love
Claire

Glasgow make further gains on JAMAICA

The 06:00 posting this morning showed Glasgow had made further gains on JAMAICA overnight.

Glasgow achieved 72 miles over a 12 hour period compared to JAMAICA's 67, bringing JAMAICA's overall lead down to 41 miles. But as the illustration above shows there is still substantial clear water between JAMAICA and the chasing pack.

Nevertheless there is still a long way to go in this race as the performance of Durban overnight has shown who have managed to sail a wopping 92 miles in 12 hours, the greatest distance recorded in this race.

With the first boats due to arrive in Qingdao on 14th February we're still hoping to be able to send Valentine's Day congratulations to team JAMAICA.

JAMAICA maintains lead over Glasgow

18:00 and JAMAICA has posted 64 miles in the last 12 hours compared to Glasgow's 63. It means that JAMAICA has maintained a 47 miles lead over its nearest rival. The slight reduction in lead is simply down to a necessary change in tack by JAMAICA to the North East.

As the graphic above shows the chasing pack will have to tack soon so there is hope that when they do, JAMAICA can gain more ground.

There are still over 1,400 miles of racing to go but a long as JAMAICA continues to post speeds greater than or equal to the rest of the fleet (and travel in the right direction, of course (!)) we can hope for a podium finish.

This really is a game of cat and mouse at the moment - in the words of one of our leading supermarket groups ..... "Every little helps".

If anyone from that certain retailer is reading this article please send your charitable donations for our RNLI fund to www.jamaicaclipper.com !

JAMAICA leads the Northerly charge

At 12:00 today JAMAICA maintained her lead over 2nd placed Glasgow.

The first 6 boats are all evenly matched having covered the same distance from midnight last night and only 70 miles separates 1st from 6th.

JAMAICA is still 49 miles ahead of her nearest rival Glasgow whilst as the graphic above shows Hull, Singapore and New York are all sailing within sight of each other.

Meanwhile we have just received an exclusive insight from crew member Katie Hearsum as to life on board. Those readers with a squeamish disposition please look away now - but this really is what life is like on board an Ocean racing clipper :

10 things you never thought you would need to know

1. How to use the toilet while bracing self with 2 hands and 2 feet against the wall



2. How to sleep in a washing machine on spin cycle



3. How to turn every meal into curry



4. How to prevent an outbreak of Spotty Bott - When outbreak occurs (inevitable); how to cure Spotty Bott.



5. On the command 'ready to tack' how to assume the brace position in your bunk



6. How to land safely in your bunk after becoming airborne



7. How to volley off flying objects in the galley



8. How to drink JAMAICA's unique not quite salt free water



9. How to bathe with 6 baby wipes and a bottle of talcum powder



10. How to vomit through the guard rail

Our thanks to Katie for this factual and hilarious insight into life on board the Rasta Rocket .... and in spite of all of the above, they are still managing to retain the lead !

Go JAMAICA !

Glasgow pulls back some of JAMAICA's lead but her crew remain positive

Overnight Glasgow has put in a stunning performance, sailing 80 miles over a 12 hours period compared to JAMAICA's 69. It means that JAMAICA's lead has been reduced to 46 miles but an impressive lead it still is. As the race viewer (above) shows the fleet has tacked North overnight as the weather conditions have changed.

These are busy times for the crew on board but we are grateful to 2 of our crew members who have updated us on their progress. First Chris Parkinson, writing exclusively for jamaicaclipper.com explains :

Hi All!

When the boat is over on its ear like this it is hard enough staying in the nav station let alone using this rubbish keyboard! I have however lashed myself in so that I can send u this email - its ok you can thank me later!!

It is very humid here so sweating away but it has been getting cooler, so oilies came out but back to shorts and t- shirts today - strange weather. We have just about survived a week of beating at crazy angles. Only another couple of weeks to go! You know life has got strange when you practically have to tie yourself in the heads to do the business! We are getting seriously slapped around here and its not even rough. Sleeping is hard; give me downwind sailing any day of the week. Glad to hear its a mild 2degC in Qingdao, hopefully our diesel wont freeze!

Chris

And resident bard Claire Maloney speaks of her joy at being in the lead :

So it wasn’t just a one off schedule: JAMAICA Clipper is still in the lead! We’d love to tell you how we’re doing it, but we’re not too sure ourselves. For once though, we’ve had no major sailing disasters. Ok, so we’re beating into the wind, but this must be the longest time we’ve ever managed without having to repair at least one of the spinnakers. Our resident sail-repairer-extraordinaire, Bernard, is beside himself. Doesn’t know what to do with all this free time, and has never spent this much time on deck. We considered putting him on a ‘Return to Work’ refresher course, to help him get back into the sailing, but he seems to be just about coping.

It’s the galley hands that are suffering the most at the moment. It’s still pretty hot and stuffy below decks, though gradually getting better, and the heel makes for a challenging mother watch. We’re having our fair share of curries at the moment. If in doubt then turn it into a curry. Covers a multitude of sins. We had mutton curry last night, which luckily tasted a lot better than it sounds. We still have some fresh fruit left too. It’s always a turning point in the race when the fresh fruit runs out. It’s particularly devastating if it goes off before we’ve had a chance to eat it –or remembered which inaccessible locker we stowed it in. The potatoes and onions should last a fair bit longer, and we stowed them in their usual places so we shouldn’t forget them.

Obviously, life on board can’t go totally smoothly. We’re currently struggling with a leak into our comms area, and a temperamental generator. At least it’s keeping the boys busy trying to fix it. They’re much happier when they’ve got something to mend. And we wouldn’t feel right if it was all going according to plan…

One love,
Claire

JAMAICA still in first place

At 06:00 this morning JAMAICA's position showed she is 57 miles ahead of 2nd placed Glasgow.

For the first time in several days her lead has been reduced slightly; Glasgow achieved 70 miles in the previous 12 hours to JAMAICA's 66 as the fleet sails past the disputed Spratly islands off the coast of the Philippines as our illustration above shows.

With many of the chasing pack sailing in sight of each other including Glasgow, Singapore, Hull and New York - in 2nd to 5th place respectively - their crews have the benefit of reviewing the tactics of the other teams and this is driving them on.

JAMAICA is still plotting a lonely course way ahead of the fleet as she has been doing for nearly a week now. It is a highly challenging position to be in but team JAMAICA are doing a magnificent job maintaining their lead.

06:00 & 12:00 today : JAMAICA's lead increases to 61 miles

Giving the rest of the fleet a lesson is consistency at 06:00 this morning JAMAICA had yet again posted the greatest distance sailed in the previous 12 hours - a wopping 76 compared to their closest rival's 71 and an average of 69 across the fleet.

At 12:00 today JAMAICA posted a further 71 miles in the previous 12 hours and maintained her 61 miles lead, which is now equivalent to roughly 11 hours of sailing over her nearest rival Glasgow.

Second placed Glasgow to 6th placed Durban are all within 10 miles of each other but JAMAICA's lead over 10th placed Western Australia is now over 130 miles, fully 24 hours of sailing.

Indeed Clipper's own web site quoted this morning :

As JAMAICA extend their lead further in what appears to be in a race of their own at the moment, behind them the fierce competition for second place rages on.

It is sometimes more difficult to be leading a race as the rest of the fleet is watching your every move looking for clues about weather conditions ahead or even waiting for a momentary lapse. All JAMAICA can do is to continue to post distances at the head of the fleet, something she is consistently doing at the moment.

With over 1,700 miles still to go and nearly 2 weeks of sailing now is not the time to get complacement. The first of the yachts are due to arrive in Qingdao on 14 February where they will be berthed in the marina that has been constructed to host the sailing events of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games later this year.

While the drama unfolds behind them, are they leading a charmed life on board the leading yacht, JAMAICA? Not according to skipper, Simon Bradley:

“Bleeding generator! That’s what we’ve been doing for the last couple of days while we trace where air is getting into the fuel system,” he says. “It’s also what we say each time it needs doing! We might be in front but we still have the normal day to day problems to deal with as well as the problem of staying in front - but we like it!”

So far in this stage of Clipper 07-08 from Singapore to Qingdao, China, the winds have been relatively stable between 10kts – 20kts true from the northeast. This is due to continue for the near future and we will not see any drastic changes in wind direction or strength until the fleet get closer to Taiwan. Hopefully, this will continue to benefit JAMAICA's lead.

18:00 - and still JAMAICA extend their lead

JAMAICA’s rich vein of form has continued overnight and through the day.

Earlier today we reported at 06:00 that JAMAICA had extended their lead to 52 nautical miles. At 18:00 the lead has now grown to 56 miles. At 06:00 JAMAICA had covered 73 miles in the previous 12 hours. At 18:00 yet again they had covered 73 miles in the last 12 hours, yet again the greatest distance of the whole fleet. This is ocean going racing at its most consistent.

They are now 56 miles ahead of 2nd placed Glasgow.

Take a look at the positions chart above to see the mayhem going on behind JAMAICA to try to haul in our lead. JAMAICA has continued a fairly smooth arc allowing them to hold a North Easterly position roughly parallel to the white line of shortest distance between start and finish of the race whilst many of the others boats have had to tack aggresively to the North to try to get more favourable conditions.

“The pressure of being in the front is very different from the pressure of being at the back,” reports JAMAICA skipper, Simon Bradley. “First of all you have to navigate! But it is a pressure that we are very happy to adapt to, given the chance. One Love!”

06:00 Friday 1st February - and still the lead extends

Dare we say it? Things are looking good for JAMAICA.

At 06:00 today the race postings showed that the Rasta Rocket has extended its lead over the rest of the fleet and is now fully 52 miles ahead of the second placed boat Singapore.

She has achieved that by yet again posting the greatest distance of the whole fleet travelled in the last 12 hours - something she is consistently doing - having covered 73 miles; the other clippers are in the 50s with only two other boats just breaking into the 60s. This is impressively consistent sailing.

Since we posted yesterday JAMAICA has tacked to the North East bringing her nearer to the white line (above) which is the shortest distance between Singapore and Qingdao. Interestingly, the rest of the fleet has been so impressed by JAMAICA's tactics that they have diverted their course to follow her as the near horizontal lines in the graphic above show. It also means that JAMAICA has lost no time at all sailing back to the north - a credit to skipper Simon Bradley and his team.

Simon explained this morning that his team is up for the challenge of retaining their lead: “Life is even better than usual on JAMAICA, we’ve been first or second for the last couple of days and we like it! All we have to do is stay there for the next couple of weeks. It’s a good job we like a challenge!”

Joff Bailey, Race Director said: “Simon is obviously using his previous experience as a crew member in the Clipper 2000 race and his tactics of staying further east are paying big dividends. Not only has it given them a better wind direction, it has also moved them away from the adverse current found to the west of them.”

Jamaica has now gone as far east as she can for the time being as the team is approaching the Spratly Island exclusion area imposed by the Race Committee. This archipelago consists of more than 100 small islands and reefs whose ownership is currently in dispute due to their rich fishing grounds and the likelihood of gas and oil deposits in the area. For many years the Phillipines, China, Taiwan, Vietnam and Malaysia have contested ownership of the islands and many of them have military forces based there. In addition to this they provide a navigational hazard as the area has not been surveyed well and it is thought that the position of the islands and reefs may not be accurate.

Joff explains: “This exclusion zone will force JAMAICA to make more northerly progress over the next few days, however, looking at the latest GRIB weather file this may actually see them extend their lead further.”

For the entire fleet the headwinds are continuing to prevent good progress in the direction they wish to travel. Many of the boats have reported a night of tacking and headsail changes as they struggle to reduce the distance to finish.

The wind is forecast to move round to the east over the next few days and enable all the boats to make better progress to the north.

Hopefully, this will continue to favour JAMAICA.