The twelve yachts competing in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race headed out of Table Bay the other day to start a 4,700 mile Southern Ocean sleigh ride to Albany, Western Australia. The new, matched 70 foot ocean racers are headed deep into the Indian Ocean and are sailing these Southern Latitudes as the local Summer Sailstice approaches on December 21.
The crew on these boats are everyday folks who are out for the adventure of a lifetime. Some sail the entire 40,000 mile race while others select one or more legs. For the last few editions of the race the crews have signed up for Summer Sailstice in June and, at that time, are usually are crossing high in the Northern Latitudes of the Atlantic. You can follow their track from Sailstice to Sailstice here or learn more about the Clipper Race here.
In 2012 Clipper Race participants sent in this picture from the North Atlantic as they headed from Nova Scotia to Europe over Summer Sailstice.
