THE significance of the day was not lost on the crew of Jamaica Lightning Bolt taking part in Clipper 09-10 as 10 yachts lined up on the start line for the short sprint to Port Antonio, Jamaica, the crew of Cork, Ireland racing together again as a single unit for the first time since their original boat ran aground in Race Five.

In addition, for the first race on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal there was a palpable feeling that the 35,000-mile race is on the home strait. There are still six races, including this one, to be contested and competition among the fleet for the coveted podium positions and the valuable points that come with them is stronger than ever.

The teams left the marina in drenching tropical rain and zero wind and the race start line was set 50 miles from the coast of Panama. At 1831 local time (2331 GMT) Race Nine got underway with a Le Mans start in 15 knots of breeze from the north-east.

All 10 boats lined up for a rolling Le Mans start where the crews race to hoist their headsails in the fastest possible time.

Most of the fleet opted for their Yankee 1 with Hull & Humber, Team Finland and Uniquely Singapore making cracking starts but it wasn’t long before overall race leaders Spirit of Australia pushed their way through to rival Hull & Humber at the front of the pack.

The 520-mile upwind sprint to Port Antonio on Jamaica’s north coast is likely to be one of the closest of the Clipper 09-10 campaign.

Skipper of the overall race leader and winner of Race Eight, Brendan Hall said: “Securing another win is certainly our goal. It’s going to be a different flavour of race to what we’re used to. We love the long races — that fits our style — so we’re going to have to make some adjustments to speed things up over a short distance, but we’ve had plenty of Scoring Gates so we’re confident we can keep the pace high on the short legs, too. There’s no Scoring Gate on this one so all eyes are on the finish.”

For the crew of Jamaica Lightning Bolt, who are currently in second place overall, this stage holds particular significance as it is the race to their home port. Pete Stirling, skipper of the yacht named after the fastest man on earth, said: “This is the big one — I’m actually a little bit nervous about it because there’s quite a lot of pressure on. It’s exciting but there’s probably more pressure than any previous race. Expectations are higher than ever before and we’re definitely looking for a win this time.

“We did very well downwind on the last race but we do seem to do very well against the other boats upwind generally, so we’re looking forward to that and certainly nothing less than a podium will do, but we want the win, that’s for sure.”

With a smile, he added: “Spirit of Australia’s always a tough boat to beat, but hopefully we can see them into 10th place!”

The yachts passed through the Panama Canal to reach the Race Nine start line and the experience gave those on board a moment of reflection, in particular those who competing in the complete circumnavigation.

Jeremy Reed, a round-the-world crew member on Hull & Humber, said: “It was quite surreal when the first gate you go into closes behind you and you suddenly realise that that’s the end of the Pacific. That’s quite an emotional moment.”

He continued: “Going through the final lock was again quite emotional, when you realise that the last lock is opening on to the Atlantic and in effect you’re on your way home. But I’ve had that feeling quite often that you’re on your way home during the race — in Qingdao, that’s the furthest point east you’re going to be, then you cross the 180 degree meridian you go from the eastern hemisphere to the western hemisphere so that’s another big moment, then half way in terms of time and then distance, so there are several moments when you think you’re on your way home but this is probably the most significant one, going from the Pacific to the Atlantic.”

The race to Port Antonio, once home to Hollywood legend Errol Flynn, is expected to take three to four days and, after the short but busy pit stop in Panama and a sprint even Jamaican hero Usain Bolt would be proud of, the teams will be able to relax and enjoy all Jamaica’s vibrant north coast has to offer.