Race 4 started under cloudless blue skies and a brisk south easterly breeze of 15 to 20 knots, typical of a Cape Town early afternoon. It made for a lively start for the stripped down 68-foot yachts as they crossed the start line and tacked upwind to the first mark in Table Bay.
Gold Coast Australia was first to cross the line, marked at one end by the South African Navy mine hunter, SAN Umzimkulu. The yachts were packed tightly together and Derry-Londonderry was just behind the overall race leader with Geraldton Western Australia and Welcome to Yorkshire also crossing on a starboard tack. Singapore approached the line from the eastern end and turned across in fifth place while over at the western end, De Lage Landen, Qingdao and New York were followed by Edinburgh Inspiring Capital and Visit Finland.
As Gold Coast Australia rounded the Royal Cape Yacht Club's Paarden Island turning mark, just 100 metres off the shore, the team hoisted their medium weight spinnaker, while Singapore, who'd tacked their way up the course into second place and also looked set for a hoist, veered off the line and lost some ground to Geraldton Western Australia and Welcome to Yorkshire.
The teams have opted to head away from the shore to avoid the wind shadow created by Table Mountain which frames the Cape Town skyline will allow them to keep some good breeze as they head for the Cape of Good Hope this evening and the point where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans collide. Half have opted to go north around the back of Robben Island while the other half have stayed to the south.
As he prepared to set sail, Derry-Londonderry's skipper, Mark Light, said, "The last race was a good one for us and now we've got to improve on it. That was our brief from the beginning – to improve every single leg. Fifth is a good position but we definitely want to get on the podium.
The crew are very excited about this one, as am I. We're looking forward to big downwind sailing: big waves, big wind and improving everyone's skills on downwind sailing."
Clipper 11-12 is 'raced by people like you' and those taking part represent more than 40 nationalities and come from all walks of life. Their ages range from 18 to 72 and almost half of them had no sailing experience before signing up to the challenge of a lifetime and beginning their rigorous pre-race training for the gruelling race.
The Clipper Race was established 15 years ago by sailing legend Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail around the globe solo and non-stop in 1968-9. Clipper 11-12 is the eighth edition of the biennial race which is contested by a fleet of ten identical stripped down 68-foot ocean racing yachts, each of which is sponsored by a global destination or organisation.
Sir Robin's aim is not only to open up ocean racing to anyone but also to create a global platform for sponsors to profile their destinations and promote business, tourism and culture, acknowledging the traditional trade routes serviced over a century ago by the original clipper ships from which the race takes its name.
A number of sponsor delegations, including one from Derry-Londonderry, the UK City of Culture 2013, visited Cape Town during the stopover where the event has created a significant economic impact, the race organisers, crews and sponsors spending millions of Rand in the city, as well as introducing its destination and trade sponsors to Cape Town with longer term business building potential for local companies.
Derry~Londonderry's delegation has been making waves with Cape Town companies, identifying immediate business opportunities for South Africa in Northern Ireland in digital services and e-learning; there are also further plans for on-going links to continue through business exchange missions between the two cities.
The delegation was led by Cllr Gerard Diver from Derry City Council who hailed the visit a great success with the potential to open up business opportunities for Cape Town as growth was imminent in Northern Ireland and Derry~Londonderry.
Cllr Diver commented, "In 2013 Derry will become the inaugural UK City of Culture and our ambition is to make it easy to grow international connections with our region. We are positioned on the doorstep of the sterling and eurozone and believe there are immediate development opportunities in life science, e-learning, digital and creative industries. In addition we have a growing tourism and cultural sector which is why Derry~Londonderry is open and ready for business."
Sir Robin, who is chairman of the Clipper Race, said, "Our sponsors raise their profile on the world stage with tangible benefits in developing trade, promoting tourism, sharing cultural experiences and involving their respective communities. It creates a powerful legacy."
The fleet is expected to arrive in the City of Geraldton, Western Australia, between 29 and 31 October. It will be the second time the city has hosted the event following a hugely popular debut visit in Clipper 09-10.
