On day 29, race 2 of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race ended. The winning yacht was Team Finland with UK SAS consultant Andy Phillips onboard. After 676 hours of non stop competition, Race2 from La Rochelle to Rio de Janeiro officially ended at 12.00 GMT yesterday. Those teams that had already crossed the finish line were awarded the relevant finishing position, while the others were awarded the position based on their distance to finish as of noon. Those who are not yet alongside in Rio can now use their engines to get their quicker.
Team Finland, Spirit of Australia and Jamaica Lightning Bolt took the three podium positions.
Ending the race in this way is a standard ocean racing procedure and is called into play by race organisers who must ensure they meet the goals of the teams, the spectators and the overall event. The decision is not one that was taken lightly. In all around the world yacht races, the first priority is the safety of the crews and their boats and this is most certainly the case with the Clipper Race. Race 3 is due to start on Tuesday 27 October and it is important from the point of view of good seamanship that the teams get the opportunity to prepare themselves and their boats correctly for the next stage of the race, which will take them towards the Southern Ocean on the way to Cape Town, South Africa.
Andy's yacht won the pre-race warm-up, Race 1, and now race 2. Can Team Finland maintain their momentum in Race 3? We shall see...