Clipper Race Prepares for Tuesday Departure

April 18, 2010

The start of Race 8 from San Francisco to Panama is scheduled for Tuesday, April 20, with competitors to cross the start line at 1800. The fleet will depart Golden Gate Yacht Club at 1500, then form up for a parade of sail at 1600. We'd like to encourage all who can to bid them a hearty farewell from the shore or the water.

California, which was dismasted in the last leg during a Pacific storm, has her new rig. ©2010 Erik Simonson/www.pressure-drop.us

Several factors caused a 24-hour delay of the start. Having battled against a low pressure system for a couple of days, Team Finland’s progress had slowed, but she is now making better speed toward San Francisco. On Sunday evening, Team Finland was 39 nm from the finish (at the Farallones), so we imagine she'll be in port by Monday morning.

While erupting volcanoes in Iceland would not normally affect a race start in California, they do when one of your skippers and several crew are stuck in the UK with no flights leaving. Chris Stanmore-Major, skipper of Qingdao, returned home because of a family illness and was due to fly back this weekend. Like millions of stranded passengers all over Europe, he is now waiting for the clouds of ash to disperse so he can board a flight to San Francisco.

Qingdao's crew was out sailing the Bay on Saturday. ©2010 Erik Simonson/www.pressure-drop.us

See www.clipperroundtheworld.com to keep up with the latest news. For more photos from this weekend, see www.pressure-drop.us.

- Clipper Round the World & norcalsailing.com