Today, the Clipper 11-12 Race fleet starts its longest race of the 40,000-mile challenge as they set off from Qingdao, China for Oakland, San Francisco Bay.

    Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Clipper Race Chairman and Founder, previews the conditions the crew members will encounter in the race lying ahead.

    “The last leg up to Qingdao was a tough one, and the crews can now boast that they have sailed through some of the most difficult conditions sailors will ever face, short, sharp seas on the nose with a favourable current and the cold wind blowing down from Manchuria. This next leg is different.

    “The Pacific Ocean is misnamed. When Ferdinand Magellan first crossed the largest ocean on the planet, he went through the central latitudes where, just like the Atlantic Ocean, it can be very calm.

    “However halfway towards the Poles this ocean can be a very different matter as previous Clipper Race crews will confirm. The voyage from Qingdao to San Francisco is almost 6,000 miles in length, a long voyage in anyone’s terms. It’s across an ocean with no land intervening after Japan has been passed, and this means that the waves can build up to a much larger size than would be found in similar latitudes in the Atlantic. Large waves in themselves can be managed, the danger comes when there has been in substantial change in wind direction which leads to a cross sea. Steering the boat to deal with two large waves coming from different directions is not easy and can potentially be dangerous.”

    Race 9 starts today from Qingdao, China at 1330 local time (0530 UTC). You can read more from Sir Robin Knox-Johnston,