The crew of the Derry entry in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race are preparing for the second race in the series which gets underway this afternoon.
The Derry “LondonDerry” Doire yacht finished joint eighth at the end of the first race when the 12 entries crossed the finishing line in Brest, France on Thursday last.
Race 2 in the series will see the boats leave from the French port at the start of the first ocean crossing of the 40,000 mile challenge. It is estimated the journey across the Atlantic to Brazil will take just under four weeks, arriving in Rio between 1-5 October next.
Today’s departure ceremony begins at 10.30am (local time) with racing getting underway at 1.30pm (local time).
Sean McCarter, skipper of the Derry entry which was well in contention for a podium spot up until the final hours of the first race, is going to have to ensure his crew stay concentrated, according to Robin Knox-Johnston, founder and chairperson of the Clipper Race which will take 11 months to complete.
Looking ahead to the Atlantic crossing he said: “Doldrums is the area where Race 2 is likely to be decided. The teams will have to ensure they maintain concentration and keep the boat moving”
He added: “Between the flat calms and the squalls, the lack of wind will be frustrating at times but how they perform at this stage of the race will be worth watching as it could make a big difference to the final positions.”
After arriving in Brazil, the crews will stay in Rio until the start of Race 3 on 11 October.
For regular daily updates on how the Derry Clipper is performing, keep checking in with Derry Daily.
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