Clipper Round the World Yacht Race - Squally conditions expected

by Heather Ewing on 7 Dec 2011 Clipper 2011-12 Round the World Yacht Race fleet are currently on day three of race six, from New Zealand to Gold Coast Australia.

With the top three boats separated by just five miles and squally conditions forecast for the fleet, an exciting race is unfolding off New Zealand’s North Island as the ten teams gear up for a highly-charged sprint across the Tasman Sea.

Olly Osborne and his team on Visit Finland continue to occupy poll position whilst keeping a close eye on the changeable weather and their opponents in the vicinity with over 1,000 miles left to run in race six.

'The competition is still very close and we can still make out the silhouettes of several Clipper yachts on the leeward horizon. The sprint for North Cape should draw to a close tonight though as the yachts round the headland and begin the ocean phase of the race,' Olly said.

'The wind is a lot more consistent now as is not being chopped up by the land, and with a fresh belt of north-easterlies on the way, we look set to make up some good mileage over the next few days. With points at stake and only a week to run, the competition will certainly be fierce, but as the conditions are set to improve and with a lot to look forward to in Gold Coast, everyone is in good spirits,' he added.

Meteorologist Simon Rowell, who provides the fleet with weather information on a daily basis, said that although conditions should get a lot more stable as a low passes to the east, the teams will be looking out for approaching troughs and squalls. 'The rising mid-level air ahead of them may well give them more squall activity on the surface,' he said.

Despite slipping into ninth place yesterday after heading offshore to seek favourable winds, Gold Coast Australia’s tactic has paid off and the team has moved up into joint second. Subsequently, the mood on board has been 'very jovial indeed' according to skipper, Richard Hewson. But as the team battles to reach its home port first they are sharing second place with Derry-Londonderry and a number of other rival teams are also in close proximity, so the drag race to the finish line is set to be hotly-contested.

'Not only is Gold Coast Australia sailing well, but the sun is out and the winds are perfect. However, during the afternoon we were reunited with the other boats after having lost sight of them in the morning. Derry-Londonderry and Visit Finland passed under ten miles ahead and we dipped the stern of Welcome to Yorkshire by less than 50 metres as we sailed north to clear the Cavalli Islands and are currently match racing them up the coast,' Richard said.

With hopes of rounding the North Cape in first place, Richard Hewson reports that Gold Coast Australia will 'work hard throughout the night and gain the full benefit of the south westerly winds in the Tasman Sea.'

Meanwhile, on board Singapore after a frustrating 24 hours sailing in light airs, skipper Ben Bowley’s prayers have been answered and the team has been trying to make up some lost ground on the boats that passed them during yesterday’s fluky conditions.

'Last night started off very wet indeed as the warm front passed over but there were no complaints as the wind started to gain a little consistency for the first time since we left Tauranga. We were finally able to plan our tactics with more confidence,' Ben said.

'It was excellent to still have some of the boats within AIS [Automatic Identification System] range as we saw both Qingdao and Derry-Londonderry fall into another wind hole and almost stop dead. This allowed us to tack over and avoid their fate,' he added.

Ben said his team had spent most of the day heading just east of north with several of the other yachts which provided a good opportunity to ensure his team kept focus on course and boat speed against our rivals.

'Around lunch time we decided to tack back inshore with the intention of making better VMG [velocity made good] towards North Cape and also get into some flatter water in the lee of the land,' Ben added.

As the Singapore team’s tactics see them race further west than some of the other entries, only time will tell whether their gamble will pay off.

After a night of fluky winds that saw a trip up the mast to recover a snapped line, Edinburgh Inspiring Capital has taken advantage of the diverging winds as they race their way towards the North Cape.

'As the sun rose this morning the winds started to pick up and all day we have been power reaching up the coastline, enjoying the sunshine and some cracking boat speeds. We have had visiting dolphins and the coastal scenery off in the distance reminds me a lot of a Scottish coastal seascape - rugged and handsome,' skipper, Gordon Reid, said.

As the crew settles into life at sea again, Gordon and his team look once more to capitalise on their inspiring pace which saw them win a bonus point for being the fastest team in the Ocean Sprint during race five.

Welcome to Yorkshire has been enjoying what skipper, Rupert Dean, describes as 'another day of wonderful sailing' as they continue the race along the New Zealand coastline. As the conditions improve and the positions within the fleet continue to change, Rupert said his team is sailing hard and 'doing their very best to work their way up the leader board'.

With thoughts of the enjoyable visit to New Zealand still fresh in the minds of the Yorkshire entry as they approach the famous Bay of Islands, Rupert and his team has been taking time to appreciate the coastline they are sailing past.

'It's such a privilege to be sailing along this wonderful coast. If we weren't racing, I'd head further into the Bay [of Islands] to explore this coast properly as the best way is by boat,' he said.

'Work hard, play hard and you shall reap the rewards' is the mantra on board Geraldton Western Australia. Juan Coezter and his team worked hard overnight to improve on their standing. 'The Yankee 1 and Yankee 2 were changed regularly and the main was also reefed in and out,' he said.

As the team currently sit in seventh, Juan is all too aware that such dynamic races can be won and lost in a matter of minutes. 'The key thing I reminded the crew, was not to start relaxing now, but to drive even harder,' he said.

On De Lage Landen, Stuart Jackson reports that his team has enjoyed an improved day’s sailing following the drenching of the previous day.

'We have finally made some headway, with the sunshine also allowing us to dry off from the previous evening’s relentless rain,' Stuart said.

Stuart reported that the De Lage Landen team is making its way to clear Cape Reinga, a place of great significance to the Maori people. In Maori mythology it is held to be the location to which the spirits of the dead travel before crossing to the Three Kings Islands, a group of 13 islands 34 miles north west of Cape Reinga, before the spiritual afterlife in Hawaiki.

'We’re hoping to be blessed by the spirits as we round the Cape and head west towards the Gold Coast,' he added.

On board Qingdao, the team took advantage of the much-awaited winds but having to share them with other members of the fleet saw Ian Conchie and his crew slip from a podium position down to eighth.

'We have been changing between our Yankee 1 and Yankee 2 and the wind has been keeping the crew busy but the warm water makes it a much more pleasant task. We even had a visit from a curious fishing boat that passed close by giving us a big wave,' Ian said.

'We have now tacked back heading west, and hopefully this tack will put us in a good position to pass the north of New Zealand as the wind changes and pushes us onwards towards Gold Coast,' he added.

With the ever changing conditions, Ian reports that his team is enjoying the contrast from race five. 'Now the crew have to worry about getting sun burnt and keeping hydrated rather than just trying to stay warm and dry!' he said.

On Derry-Londonderry the team has made great gains overnight as they take full advantage of the arriving winds, soaring into joint second place.

'Since daybreak we have had a stiff northerly breeze and relatively flat sea giving some enjoyable upwind sailing conditions. The sun has come out to play and we have had an inquisitive shark come to investigate our strange pink, yellow and orange craft! We have opted to take an inshore route up the New Zealand coast tacking our way towards the North Cape where we can begin our journey across the Tasman Sea and onto the Gold Coast in Australia,' skipper, Mark Light, said.

As the team sails across the Bay of Islands with rivals Gold Coast Australia and Visit Finland in sight and Welcome to Yorkshire hot on their heels, Mark reports that 'the crew are pushing hard and remaining fully focused keeping our beautiful Derry-Londonderry fast and on course for what will hopefully turn out to be a successful finish to this race for us, so fingers crossed!'

On New York, Gareth Glover said that his team is in 'full racing mode' as they gear up for what he predicts will be an exciting sprint across the Tasman Sea.

On the third day out of Tauranga and the second day of patchy winds, rain and frustration the New York team is finally getting a consistent 15 knots of breeze.

'The low pressure off the west coast of the North Island is finally making its presence felt and as we beat to clear Cape Reinga, we’re hoping the wind will back and give us a lift instead of having to tack back and forth,' Gareth said.

Despite the frustration of headwinds, Gareth and his crew are taking in the stunning scenery as they sail off the coast of New Zealand’s North Island.

'It’s a beautiful day to sail with light blue skies and puffy white clouds foretelling the arrival of summer in these parts. As we are headed west towards land at the moment and about 15 miles offshore, the unbroken white line of clouds over the peninsula is clearly visible. No wonder the Maori call it the ‘land of the long white cloud’,' Gareth said.

The fleet is expected to arrive in Southport Yacht Club in Gold Coast between 11 and 13 December.

Positions at 0900 UTC, Tuesday 6 December:
Boat - DTF*
1 Visit Finland - 1119nm (0nm)
2 Gold Coast Australia - 1124nm (+5nm**)
3 Derry-Londonderry - 1124nm (+5nm)
4 Welcome to Yorkshire - 1126nm (+7nm)
5 New York - 1134nm (+15nm)
6 Singapore - 1141nm (+22nm)
7 Geraldton Western Australia - 1150nm (+31nm) position at 0800 UTC
8 Qingdao - 1155nm (+35nm)
9 De Lage Landen - 1155nm (+36nm)
10 Edinburgh Inspiring Capital - 1165nm (+45nm) position at 0600 UTC

*DTF = Distance to Finish, DTL** = Distance to Leader. Full positions are updated every three hours and can be found here

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