The crew of the Derry Clipper arriving in Quindao in China.
Sean McCarter, skipper of the Derry “Londonderry” Doire yacht competing in the Clipper Round the World Race, is in confident mood as he awaits the official finishing positions for Race 9.1.
The Derry Clipper crossed the finish line in Quindao in second place behind GREAT BRITAIN at the end of the race from Hong Kong to China.
However, as a result of the race being suspended earlier due to rigging faults, each boat was timed individually, thus the wait for the time of each entry.
Sean is confident they have finished in a leading position.
He said: “It is amazing to finally arrive here in Qingdao, China.
Skipper Sean McCarter.
“It has been a really tough race in many ways. In some ways we were luckier than some of the fleet who are still on their way in.
“We were lucky to dodge the worst of the weather, but it definitely wasn’t easy. We faced some very tough conditions in the Taiwan Strait, and we were racing very closely with GREAT Britain and Mission Performance.
“To arrive here today and finish Race 9.1 – one of the toughest races in the entire Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, to finish it in one piece with the crew in good form is just a massive relief.
“It also looks like we have made a good time, but GREAT Britain has also done incredibly well.”
He concluded: “We have our eyes firmly on OneDLL who are looking very promising right now, but only time will tell.”
Race 10 begins on Sunday when the fleet will set sail for San Francisco.
Tags: