#ClipperRace - Four days after departing from Liverpool’s Albert Dock, the Clipper Race’s sole Irish-skippered yacht is jockeying for position at the back of the pack as the fleet crosses the Bay of Biscay – a body of water with a notorious reputation.

The latest race standings put HotelPlanner.com, skippered by Derry-Londonderry man Conall Morrison, in 10th among the 12-yacht fleet — and is “currently yo-yoing” with 11th-placed Liverpool 2018, according to the latter’s skipper Lance Shepherd.

That competitive spirit mirrors the action at the top of the fleet, where the four leaders broke away from the pack with the strong flowing tides in the Irish Sea.

And the difference between them is getting tighter, with less than 11 nautical miles separating leaders Unicef from fourth-placed Dare to Lead, with Sanya Serenity Coast and Visit Seattle between them in second and third respectively.

Wendy Tuck, skipper of Sanya Serenity Coast, commented on their crossing the Bay of Biscay yesterday morning (Wednesday 23 August): “At the moment, it is being kind to us, but it does have a bit of a reputation of not being very nice.”

Ahead of the fleet, the weather is changing somewhat, with a new low moving southeast across the track that should reach the Portuguese coast by the weekend.

While it does not look particularly strong, it will provide several tactical options for the 12 teams as the Atlantic Trade Winds leg reaches the latter stages of its first week — and with many nautical miles still to sail before the fleet reaches Punta del Este in Uruguay.