After seven weeks out of the water to carry out repairs to their keels the 10 Clipper boats were back on the water and heading across the start line in Subic Bay for Race 6 to Qingdao, China on Saturday.

After a false start from the yacht Victoria, New York was the first to cross the start line but Liverpool 08 soon took the lead showing that despite the long break the racing was still tight. In a gentle breeze the fleet split to opposite sides of the bay and as the light faded teams were head to head.

The wind continued to be light for the first 24 hours and positions throughout the fleet continued to change. This morning the position board shows Victoria to have taken the lead with Liverpool just one mile off her transom. New York who led the fleet out of Subic Bay is currently fifth 12 miles astern.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Chairman of Clipper Ventures Plc, who was out on the water watching the start said: “The Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race is back on!

“Thanks to an almost super human effort by the Clipper team, Green Marine and a small army of Filipino laminators, the remedial work on the Clipper fleet was completed in an impressive time frame.”

The fleet is due to arrive in Qingdao on 2 April.