Gold Coast Australia wins Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race

It was a spectacular scene today as thousands of people turned out to watch the winning crew on board Gold Coast Australia arrive back in Southampton, England at the end of the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race. The Australian entry won the race overall securing a podium in all 15 races around the world.

For the non-professional crew on board all ten ocean racing yachts, the return to Southampton marks the end of a 40,000-mile challenge of a lifetime.

The victorious Clipper Race entry Gold Coast Australia crossed the final finish line of Race 15 at 0407 GMT. Founder and Chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world, led a parade of sail on Southampton Water to welcome back the fleet of ten identical racing yachts after 51 weeks at sea.

Tasmanian skipper Richard Hewson and his crew proudly stood on the helm of the Clipper Race yacht as thousands of people applauded the victorious Australian team. On the emotional return to Ocean Village Marina, Richard described his teams’ enormous achievement,

“It has been an amazing adventure. From the start we’ve had plans to dominate the race and we’ve definitely done that. It’s been very competitive and we’ve been racing against some fantastic teams and have had very tough competition all the way.

“We’ve achieved so much more than we ever set out to, won so many races and podiums, but to stand on the stage as overall winners at Race Finish is unbelievable. The fantastic crew of Gold Coast Australia, amazing support from our sponsor and followers have all been part of making this happen,” said Richard Hewson before accepting the winning trophy on stage.

All day thousands of people lined the dockside of Ocean Village Marina in Southampton, England to welcome home the crews after a gruelling challenge lasting nearly a year, that has seen them take on the world’s largest and most formidable oceans, endured violent storms and frustrating calms, extreme heat and bone-numbing cold while racing ferociously to win.

Gold Coast Australia came first in the final race from Den Helder to Southampton, making it fifteen podium places out of fifteen possible in the world’s longest yacht race.

Today’s Race Finish was a particularly emotional moment for round the world crew member Lisa Blair. The 27-year-old Queenslander who swapped her job as a Sales Assistant to sail around the world, is now part of the unique group of people in the world able to call themselves a circumnavigator.

“I feel fantastic. It has been such an amazing morning, with so many people here welcoming us in. It is the end of my circumnavigation and it hasn’t sunk in at all. It’s been an emotional ride but it’s been fantastic and my fellow crew members have become like family.

“I hope to take away from this journey a career in sailing. The Clipper Race has given me the sailing skills I need to go professional in the sailing industry so that’s something I am definitely looking to pursue.”

People from all walks of life, nationalities and ages can be part of the Clipper Race. Reflecting on ordinary people achieving something extraordinary, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston applauded their achievement, as the nearly twelve months at sea today concluded.

“All the crew members have achieved something special with their lives. They have ventured out across the oceans of the world facing nature in the raw, whether it be the stifling heat and calms of the doldrums or the ferocious storms of the North Pacific and Southern Oceans. They have become great seaman and should all be justifiably proud of their achievement,” the 73-year-old sailing legend said.

The Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race is the eighth edition of the world’s longest race, visiting 15 ports of call on six continents. It is also the last race on the Clipper 68-foot yachts, as a brand new fleet of twelve identical 70-foot racing yachts will be launched for the Clipper 13-14 Round the World Yacht Race. Since the race started more than 4,000 people from all walks of life have participated in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

Overall standings for the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race
1. Gold Coast Australia – 151 points
2. Visit Finland – 103 points
3. Singapore – 101 points
4. De Lage Landen – 99 points
5. Welcome to Yorkshire – 86 points
6. Geraldton Western Australia – 77 points
7. New York – 77 points
8. Derry-Londonderry – 62 points
9. Qingdao – 58 points
10. Edinburgh Inspiring Capital – 40 points

We did it! After 256 days of sailing around the world we won our final race and completed our race and circumnavigation around the world!

This year has been phenomenal. Challenging, rewarding, satisfying and totally unbelievable. Gold Coast Australia has had a podium finish in every single race and we have won 12 out of the possible 15 races. Hard work and dedication throughout the year has proven a very good campaign that has resulted in a well trained, happy and dedicated crew, a well maintained boat which have combined together to prove a victorious combination.

The final race basically combined the entire year into a three day sprint where everybody racing skills and seamanship were challenged and proven. The race started in near gale force conditions, and as we lead the fleet beating our way our of Denhelder with the crew on the rail we could see the other yachts around us were not going to make it an easy race. Every yacht in the fleet seemed determined to be the first yacht back to Southampton. The wind was strong for most of the first day, and then gradually moderated to what would become one of the calmest and tactical race in history.

The lead changed so many time in the race it was impossible to count. Gold Coast Australia took the lead four times throughout the race, and at times fell back to last place before taking the lead again. Every time we climbed back up the leader board we would be knocked down the ranks again by sailing into wind holes, hooking lobster pots around the keel, and making tactical errors based on lack of local information. By midday on the final day of the race as we were sailing the elastic course south of Brighton I was almost certain that Singapore and Edinburgh were going to be near impossible to catch, and only hours from the finish I thought that our chances of victory would be slim but never gave up. Some how, through hard work, persistence and dedication the team from Gold Coast Australia managed to scrape away the metres separating the boat, take ourselves into the lead and slowly coast our way across the finish line.

The feeling of finishing our race and campaign around the world by the firing of Suhali’s cannon was uniquely unbelievable. As a skipper after three days of almost no sleep I still believe that at a personal level this race around the world has fulfilled my dreams to sail around the world, but who knows when these dreams will be completely satisfied. I think I am now addicted to sailing around the world.

The clipper fleet was too fast for the planned route, so we are now doing close circuit racing 15nm to the East of the Isle of Wight. Gold Coast Australia has managed to work our way back up into third place and will continue to chase down the leaders until the end.

The racing is very close at the moment, the sun is shining, and the wind blowing a perfect 12kts making for some fantastic sailing dispite being slightly exhausted after three days without sleep.

Go Gold Coast

LAT 50 39.174 N
LONG 00.32.100 W
DTF 29 Nm
ETA 10.30 UTC, 21 July 2012
SOG 6.0 Knots
COG 268 Degrees

WEATHER

It has been a rewarding, challenging and frustrating day for Gold Coast Australia in the final race of the Clipper Round the
World Yacht Race 2012.

Gold Coast Australia started the day at the back of the fleet, once again becalmed in our own special wind hole which by now
we are getting very familiar with. By the afternoon Gold Coast Australia had made some places on the rest of the fleet, and
a gybe towards the east to get into the slack tide under the white cliffs of Dover bought us up into first place as we
passed Dover and weaved our way between the ferries.

Soon after Dover, once again Gold Coast Australia was becalmed allowing the rest of the fleet to catch up, and eventually we
got the wind again and were racing one on one with Geraldton Western Australia until another wind hole at Dungeness head
left us becalmed again. Unfortunately Geraldton managed to scrape their way into some more breeze, leaving us bobbing
around only to watch them disappear over the horizon and watch the rest of the fleet catch up.

For the afternoon we utilised the tide to make our way east, and then as the tide changed so did the wind so we gybed
inshore to make the most of the wind along the shoreline off Hastings.

It has been a very tiring and hectic day, and my crew are performing incredibly well despite their lack of sleep and copious
sail changes and course adjustments. I have managed to survive the last few days with a few cat naps, but for a skipper
coastal racing basically means no sleep as the proximity of yachts and ships in the shipping lanes, combined with the
numerous dangers, reefs and shorelines along the coast means that opportunities for sleep are few and far between.

Despite the lack of sleep this race is very challenging and it is very enjoyable to have the entire fleet in visual range.
This race could be anybody’s, and almost every yacht in the fleet has taken the lead at some point or another over the last
two days.

LAT 51 54.7N
LON 002 16.6W
DTF 140nm
ETA 0001 21 JUL 12
SOG 8
COG 210

WEATHER WIND 066@12kts, Sea Slt, Swell Confuesd, Sky 5/8 Clst, Baro 1016

After a magnificent start from Denhelder Gold Coast Australia lead the fleet out of the harbour and into the north sea. The fleet soon split into two halves, three yachts including us going north, and the rest south.

By early evening the fleet had re-converged and Gold Coast Australia remained in the lead and were sailing well. As we neared the Traffic separation scheme the wind began to drop off, and the yachts behind caught up and overtook us to the north.

What was to follow was a number of hours of what must look like synchronised sailing on the yacht tracker with yachts tacking north and south against the tide, trapped between poor winds and a traffic separation scheme.

Finally Visit Finland caught up and overtook the fleet, brining with them the wind, and we were off and racing again. Gold Coast Australia has managed to increase our position to fourth place throughout the morning, but the light airs and strong tides makes difficult planning for navigation and tactics.

LAT 52 27.1N
LONG 003 22.9E
DTF 200NM
COG 235
SOG 9kts

WEATHER WIND 300@15kts, Sea Mod, Swell Confused, Sky 8/8, Baro 1011

After a fantastic start Gold Coast Australia lead the fleet from Denhelder in windy conditions. Gold Coast wanted to make the most of the wind as it is due to die out later tonight.

Gold Coast Australia continues to lead the fleet by 1nm as we head towards Dover and then onto our final destination of the 2011/12 Round the World Yacht Race Finish in the Solent.

Gold Coast Australia is about to start the final race of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. We will be striving to win our 12th race of the series and bring it home in style! Thankyou everybody for your support throughout the year.

Richard Hewson

LAT 53 11.4N
LONG 004 08.2E
DTF 22nm
ETA 0800 UTC 12 JULY 2012
SOG 12kts
COG 140

WEATHER WIND 284@24, Sea Rough, Swell W 2m, Sky (blue) 5/8 Cl, Baro 1007

It has been a painfully frustrating 24 hours for Gold Coast Australia playing catch up on Singapore and Visit Finland as we race towards the finish in Denhelder. At the time of writing we are having a fantastic sail with the heavy weight spinnaker flying in 25-30kts of wind surfing down waves as we weave our way through the oil rigs at 12kts and observe the first sunrise we have seen since the start of the race.

The day started becalmed in a wind hole and watching Singapore and Visit Finland disappear over the horizon. Once out of the hole we utilised every recourse to navigate our way through the squalls and calm patches, gaining the occasional glimpse of Visit Finland on AIS always just out of our reach and constantly pulling away.

Late afternoon as we entered Dogger Bank the wind finally began to swing to the west and increase in strength we changed from the light weight to the medium weight spinnaker, caught sight of Visit Finland again and finally began to make up ground. The team have been working very hard, and everybody is exhausted from the constant sail changes and mid watch wake ups as we hoist and lower spinnakers and yankees. Added to this the dreaded “Channels” a condition suffered by seafares on their way home after a big trip where you can not sleep due to the excitement of things to come on land. A few crew I even skipped from watches throughout the day as their level of fatigue was noticed to be too high to concentrate on the task at hand. A few extra hours of sleep and the crew are all throthing at the bit to get to Denhelder as soon as possible, and even at this very late stage of the race (at the time of writing) there is still a chance we can catch one of the leading boats.

Powernaps are the source of my sleep as skipper, as a proper 6 hours sleep is not an option when there are squalls, wind holes, sail changes, oil rigs, shipping and traffic separation schemes to deal with. As instructed the crew are told to wake me up for any of the above reasons in my daily and standing orders. It is amazing how refreshed one can feel after not sleeping for a day and then getting a couple of hours sleep in to boost the sleep bank. Infact if this blog makes no sence to its readers its because I have not had much sleep in the last 72 hours at all.

At the time of writing we have just crossed through all three of the Traffic Separation Schemes outside Denhelder and weaved our way through a number of oil rigs and shipping traffic. We were making some fantastic ground on the leading boats throughout the night, but lost miles gained when a fleet of Seismic Research Vessels cut us off (No offence Pat, but your brethren cost us the race). We were forced to sail around the 4nm exclusion zone that the vessels had in place to get around their towed acoustic arrays, this put an extra 4nm between us and the lead boats, and now we are pushing hard to make it all back up.

All in all it has been a fantastically competitive and challenging race. The team have worked incredibly hard under the brilliant leadership of our two watch leaders Lisa Blair and Annelise Nelson. Tactically we sailed the race very well, and if it were not for the wind hole that we were stuck in for hours as the other yachts sailed past we would have had a fantastic chance of being the first yacht into Denhelder – This is yacht racing, some things you just can not predict. Congratulations should be given to Singapore skipper Ben Bowley and his crew for sailing a fantastic race.