More than 200 non-professional crew members, including nine Australians, are taking part in the eleventh of thirteen races that make up the 40,000 nautical mile Clipper Race circumnavigation.

Sanya Serenity Coast, which has won one race and finished second in four others, has a 13 point lead over the second placed Qingdao. Sanya Serenity Coast Skipper Wendy Tuck says: “The morale is pretty good but the pressure is on to keep up the good work.

“We have an awesome team and they work fantastically, so hopefully we can keep the intensity on and stay up at the front. However, we are going into an area where a lot of the Skippers have a lot of experience racing and sailing around the Caribbean so there will be a lot to watch out for!”

Whilst Race 11 to New York is comparatively shorter than previous ocean crossings the crew has experienced so far, it is a tactically tough race as the route passes through a complex arrangement of islands and reefs. Following this, fickle winds are also expected off North America so the competition will be one of frequent sail changes. Distance will be lost as quickly as it is gained so the pressure is on for the fleet.

Clipper Race Director Mark Light explains: “Teams should not be complacent with the shorter distance of this race – it is going to be tactically tough. The crew will need to look out for big squalls at night and the Race Office will be keeping a watchful eye out for any tropical revolving storms.

“After navigating the obstacles of the Caribbean Islands and their reefs, the route will skim the Bermuda Triangle and should try to make the most of the Gulf Stream that follows the eastern coastline of the United States – extra gains of up to two to three knots can be made.

“With just three races remaining in this 40,000nm circumnavigation it could not be closer in the fight for final podium positions. Race 10 proved that anything can happen in ocean racing as positions changed right up to the finish line.”

The Clipper Race is unique in that it trains non-professionals to be ocean faring sailors. Established 21 years ago by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail solo, non-stop around the world, 40 per cent of Clipper Race crew have no previous sailing experience before signing up.

This is the first time in eleven editions that the biennial ocean adventure has featured two Chinese Host Ports and Teams. In March, the Clipper Race visited China’s Sailing City of Qingdao for a seventh time, making it the longest standing partner in the event’s history. The fleet also raced to Hainan for the inaugural stopover in Sanya, with time in this tropical paradise a highlight for the majority of crew.

Race 11, named the Nasdaq Race, is approximately 1,900 nautical miles (nm) and began on Sunday 3rd June after a Le Mans style start off the Atlantic coast of Panama. This latest competition should take 12 days to complete. It follows an extremely close fought Race 10, where positions switched multiple times in the final 24 hours – proving sailing is never predictable with nerves needing to be held until the finish line is crossed.

The Clipper Race fleet is due to arrive in New York between 14-16 June, and following a spectacular stopover set against the backdrop of the Manhattan Skyline and Statue of Liberty, the teams will depart on Monday 25 June to race across the Atlantic to Derry-Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

To read this article and follow Wendy Tuck on her next trip head to the Clipper Round The World Race website.