The Scoring Gate results are in for Race 2: Hundred Years Cup, and in a close battle the points were all to play for right up until the very end.
For this race, the scoring gate, a virtual gate spanning 60nm east to west, was positioned approximately 110nm due east of the most direct track (rhumb line) and to the northeast of the Cape Verdes. The first yacht to pass through secures three valuable bonus points, the second receives two and the third team through is awarded one.
Following an early show of tactics, Perseverance, the only yacht to have taken the route far out to the west, was first across the gate and crossed at 00:22:33 UTC this morning. Just over half an hour later, a superb battle between PSP Logistics and Yacht Club Punta del Este was settled when PSP Logistics blasted through the gate at 00:59:16 UTC and only 9 seconds ahead of the Uruguayan team entry.
Clipper Race Director Mark Light said, “Due to a fantastic north easterly flow of stable winds the fleet were tracking well to the east of the rhumb line anyway and therefore, had lots of opportunity to make for the Scoring Gate. Skipper Ineke and Perseverance’s strategy to take the most westerly route has paid off.”
We can now confirm the results of the Scoring Gate and the award of bonus points and can officially congratulate Perseverance, PSP Logisticsand Yacht Club Punta del Este.
After a tense race for second place, PSP Logistics Skipper Mike Miller said in his latest blog: “What a fantastic finish to the Scoring Gate. We crossed the invisible line in the middle of a pitch-dark night literally seconds ahead of Yacht Club Punta Del Este. Their huge white spinnaker, lit up by their trimming light, glowed like a ghost just three boat lengths behind us. Well done, Nano, Angus and team. Huge kudos should go to the Perseveranceteam, who were well behind us for most of the race so far and came in in the last days at a great, fast wind angle to just pip us at the post.”
Yacht Club Punta Del Este Skipper, Nano Antia said it was “the most amazing Scoring Gate finish I’ve ever sailed!”
He added “This time it was our turn to lose by metres, coming second place to superstar Mike and the PSP Logistics team who performed an amazing defence and tactics! We attacked as much as we could as it was night time, and we have a long race to go yet.
“We are not disappointed on board Yacht Club Punta del Este as life is about making memories and that was a battle we will never forget. Crew were absolutely shocked and happy to have lived that, and although we didn’t make the 2nd place by 100 metres we came back from several step backs, and a big slow repair and still we almost made it.”
A big congratulations to Ineke & Joss, Mike & Lottie and Nano & Angus and their respective teams for collecting the Scoring Gate bonus points
