This morning Hurricane Fabian is churning through the Atlantic with its centre located about 200 miles north-northeast of Barbuda, a small island in the northern Leeward Islands of the Caribbean. Movement is to the west-northwest at about 12 miles an hour and top sustained winds are at about 140 miles an hour, with some higher gusts.

The fifteenth stage of the Clipper 2002 Race, from New York to Jersey, has therefore been postponed and the decision has been taken for the eight-strong fleet to remain at their present berth at the Intrepid-Sea-Air-Space Museum in New York City, until it is prudent for them to sail.

Hurricane Fabian is tracking north at an increasing speed and the predictions show that it will cross the coast of Nova Scotia between Sunday, 7th and Monday, 8th September.

There are numerous weather websites showing the predicted path of Hurricane Fabian, but care should be taken in interpreting these. The speed and track that hurricanes follow can be random and can often vary from these predictions. The further ahead the forecast, the greater the potential for error.

The race delay will doubtless have an effect on the subsequent Clipper 2002 schedule and further details will be announced in due course.

It is possible that the Clipper 2002 race fleet will now start Race 15 from New York on Friday, 5 September - however a more likely date is Saturday, 6 September.