Clipper Round The World Yacht Race 2007-2008
Race eight was claimed by Uniquely Singapore who overtook race leaders Nova Scotia during a close finish in calm winds.  Team New York (USA) finished in Santa Cruz at 12:38 local (17:38 GMT) to take third place in Race 8 from Hawaii; Qingdao (China) finished 8th.  Team New York's finish further catapults the US team up the leader board, making them a serious contender for the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race 2007-2008.

The Qingdao International Marina has become a major stop in International Yachting Events including the 2008 Olympic Regatta,  Clipper Round the World Race 2007-2008, and the 2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race(VOR) which will test the "Best of the Best" in open ocean around the world racing.

  

The “Santa Cruz” Beach Boardwalk is the only remaining major seaside amusement park on the West Coast of California and recently celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2007.  “Having just experienced the roller coaster of the Pacific Ocean, it wasn’t long before the crew found themselves on ‘The Big Dipper’, one of the oldest roller coasters in the US and a similarly thrilling experience. This was followed by a trip on a pirate ship ride … ”

Duggie Gillespie, Skipper of New York, said “I thought it was a very interesting race.  I’m quite happy with how we played our tactics but we clearly didn’t go the right way like some of the boats did.  Despite that I’m really pleased with the team’s performance and with how the crew has developed. We had a real mix of conditions.  Predominantly upwind and only one day with kites. The Pacific Ocean throws everything at you, and I’m really pleased we crossed it safely and successfully.”

Although racing in the front of the pack for the majority of the race from Honolulu, team New York gave up positions to boats that made a tactical decision to head north.  Nova Scotia and Uniquely Singapore benefited from more favorable wind angles, while the US team struggled with a mixture of light airs and strong head winds. Durban 2010 and Beyond and westernaustralia2011.com were delayed leaving Hawaii due to essential mast refit work as a result the dramatic dismasting of both yachts during Race 7 from Qingdao, China.

Clipper 07-08 is the sixth edition of the biennial Clipper Race and the Santa Cruz stopover marks the first time the race has visited a port on the west coast of the United States.  During the teams’ short visit the fleet is being hosted by the Santa Cruz Yacht Club.
source:  www.clipperroundtheworld.com