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.
Hello Richard, and the team, Fred here, what ever the outcome of this race, well done, and I am proud to have been associated with you all on Gold Coast Australia