Race 10 Win - San Francisco to Panama Canal

1 May 2012 - Gold Coast Australia has taken its eighth win out of ten at 0844 UTC this morning, when they crossed the mandatory gate for Race 10.

Skipper Richard Hewson has just sent the following reaction to the Race Office, “I am ecstatic with my crew’s performance in light fickle winds and extreme heat. Gold Coast Australia sailed like true professionals over the past few days making the most of wind shifts and squeezing every drop of speed that Gold Coast Australia had to offer.

“I would like to congratulate the other yachts on their performance in such challenging conditions. The last few hours of the race dolphins guided us towards the finish line as we left a long trail of phosphorescence in our wake making it a near perfect finish.”

Following the shortening of the course for Race 10 on Saturday due to the light winds and Panama Canal transit time restrictions, the Clipper Race Committee has been constantly monitoring the situation. Last night Singapore, New York, Qingdao and Edinburgh Inspiring Capital were finished using one of earlier mandatory gates that are included in the course instructions.

The rest of the fleet are expected to reach their next mandatory gate in the next eight hours, which will confirm the final positions for the top half of the fleet.

Follow the website for more information, as Welcome to Yorkshire, Visit Finland and De Lage Landen battle for the remaining two podium positions.