Race 6 of Clipper 2019-20: Approaching Subic Bay, Philippines

The fleet continues to make steady progress towards Subic Bay, Philippines, in the sixth race of the global series. As of February 10th, 2020, the race leaders were as follows: “Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam” held first place; “Qingdao” held second place; and “Visit Sanya, China” held third place.

The fleet has travelled some 3,000 nautical miles over the past 19 days, since leaving the Whitsundays. Many teams were still racing remarkably close, and were vying for important podium positions. The trade winds have brought speedy sailing conditions, and with that, swift sail changes, creating an additional challenge for competitors in the round-the-world race.

Teams battled with fickle weather conditions, seizing any advantage thrown at them in this race section, which is also known as the “Dell Latitude Rugged Ocean Sprint” race.

Several teams are still struggling to pull ahead in the overall race standings. At this stage of the Clipper Race, every point makes a difference in the quest for a trophy. The “Visit Sanya, China” team has opted for an inshore route, and appears to be benefiting from more favorable wind speeds, enabling them to salvage a few extra points from this race.

As Race Six continues, and the distance to the finish line gradually decreases, the teams are looking forward to sailing into Subic Bay, Philippines.