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| Gold Coast Oz is 110 nm in front of Derry-Londonderry Screen shot at 11:00 GMT, 21 November |
The fleet has made very little progress in the last 24 hours, battling shifty light winds and with speed over ground of just 2-3 knots. "TIA" as Stevo might say.... "This Is Aotearoa" (usually, it's "This Is Asia." On my recent car trip it was "This Is Africa"...). End of update.
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| GCA in the Southern Ocean |
This is the fifth leg of the Clipper Round the World race, and Gold Coast Australia has won all the previous four legs. She looks well set to win this fifth leg as well.
On the left of the screen-shot above is the boat Singapore which had had to pull in to Melbourne for some repairs and is now on the way to the finish of leg 5 at Tauronga, to start again for Leg 6.
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| Fleet leaves WA, start Leg 5 |
Also: I was floating round the Sailing Australia website (looking for some articles on Mainsail twist for Jing....) and came across a blog by Gold Coast Australia's skipper Richard Hewson. It makes good reading, and with thanks to the host of his blog, I'm pasting it below.
The full text of Hewson's latest blog entry (exciting reading) is below the fold. Click "Read more".
Clipper Race - Richard Hewson (Race 5)
(online it's here)
Gold Coast Australia won the start out of Geraldton and led the fleet down the Western Australian coast towards Cape Leeuwin in some fantastic and adrenalin fuelled sailing.
The angle of the wind and the increase in sea state as we passed Cape Naturalist was wild and Gold Coast Australia was sailing more like a submarine than a yacht as we rounded the virtual mark off Cape Leeuwin.
The wind was coming from the west at 35 plus knots, adding to a large sea and swell that were being amplified by the shallow water off the shelf coming from the south and north west, the result was Gold Coast Australia surfing down one wave and then ploughing into the next head on resulting in a great rush of water down the deck up to two metres high and massive waves smashing over the side of the boat, filling the cockpit with water and drenching crew. My sleep pattern for the next few days became non-existent as I was called on deck for squalls that swept over us every half an hour, gusting up to 45kts.
Once we rounded the Cape we were able be bear away, resulting in some more comfortable but just as exciting sailing as the wind maintained a steady 32 knots when we were not being hit by squalls. Both swell patterns were now behind us but the deck was still awash with water as we powered our way downwind, surfing waves the size of houses at speeds over 20 knots. As the waves ahead were steep we had no way of steering our way up its back, so at the end of each surf we would plough into the wave ahead. Some of our video from the last couple of weeks have been posted on the Clipper Race website, here, and on YouTube, so if you want to get an idea of what the last week has been like check it out. Remember that it never seems as dramatic on video as it actually is. Sailing does not get more exciting than this and though everybody was tired (I had basically not slept for 2 days) the thrill of sailing overcame any feeling of fatigue and I was running on pure adrenaline. In layman’s terms the crew and I on board Gold Coast Australia were loving it!
The wind began to abate as the high established itself in the Great Australian Bight and the first of the low pressure systems swept to the south of our position. The heavy weight kite was hoisted as the wind backed behind us and, as the swell increased its wave length, it allowed us to surf multiple waves 1 after the other. The first of many albatross began to appear for the race which generally means good sailing weather for the next few days. Blue filled the sky and we sailed in almost trade wind conditions in the Southern Ocean for the next 24 hours.
The calmer conditions (wind still blowing 25-30 knots) allowed us to do some maintenance prior to the next blow and also give down below a good clean to stop a dreaded sickness that seems to be spreading amongst the crew.
Over the last few nights we observed some spectacular electrical storm activity. Whilst pleasing to the eye these storms are feared by sailors as they can quickly destroy all electrical equipment on board if it strikes too close. In precaution the media computer is unplugged and communications equipment turned off when the storms are near and the hand-held GPS and VHF radio are placed in the oven which acts as a Faraday’s Cage, protecting the equipment.
As we raced towards the Scoring Gate in varying winds and confused sea, conditions became very challenging due to shifty, gusty winds and sea and swell coming from all angles. When we experienced a wind shift of 40 degrees the decision was made to gybe to the east, rather than sailing south east with the rest of the fleet. This gained us extra miles to the east and towards the Scoring Gate but we lessened our lead over two of the other boats in the fleet, Visit Finland and Derry-Londonderry.
As the sun rose the next day we were sailing in near perfect conditions with the heavyweight spinnaker flying in the sunshine as we sailed towards the Scoring Gate. Gold Coast Australia passed through the Scoring Gate in position 40 26.56S 127 00.00E at 11:02:03z in first place and then we gybed to the south to place ourselves in a better strategic position to cover the rest of the fleet for the remainder of the race.
As we sailed in the evening albatross surrounded the boat, in particular one massive wandering albatross with a wing span of at least three metres that circled us a few times before altering course for the north. The albatross leaving the area suggested that strong winds were approaching, as did the weather data received on board that indicated a front was going to pass over us shortly after midnight. At midnight the first small cigar shaped clouds indicating a cold front were observed approaching us from the west so the Yankee 2 was hoisted and our new heavyweight spinnaker dropped in good time. The preceding front passed over us with not more than 35 knots and a wind shift to the south.
I told the crew that the larger front was expected in the next 2 hours and to watch out for large clouds approaching. 2 hours later I was awoken by a large wind gust and the sound of water accelerating along the hull of Gold Coast Australia as we were hit by a 52-knot front. The helmsman sailed a perfect straight line as we bolted downwind at a solid 17 knots for a few minutes before the front overtook us, leaving with it a constant wind of about 40 knots for the next few hours.
The following 24 hours was spent surfing big waves and enduring large squalls as we sailed
downwind towards Tasmania gate, enjoying the sunshine as the low pressure system passed to the south of us.
As the depression passed below us, the heavyweight spinnaker was re hoisted, followed a few hours later by a peel to the bigger medium weight spinnaker and then only a few hours after that we were back to the heavyweight spinnaker as the wind increased to 30 knots. 3 months into the race around the world our evolutions on board are becoming very slick as everybody knows what to do. Our position remained first place, spearheading the fleet that had now formed an echelon formation as we sailed the rhumb line for New Zealand.
Whist our position in the lead was being celebrated along with the news of our sponsors, Gold Coast, winning the 2018 Commonwealth Games we could not help but feel anguish for 1 of the other yachts in the fleet, Singapore, who had broken a vital part of their steering system and were now sailing under secondary steering using a tiller. Singapore had been doing well in the race and now their hopes of a podium were shattered as they were forced to head towards port for repairs.
At the time of writing we are under 200nm from my home in Tasmania. It seems strange to be sailing straight past and not finishing a race there and it is unlikely that I will even see the rocks of Pedra Branca to the south that are famous for their fishing and now even big wave surfing.
The angle of the wind and the increase in sea state as we passed Cape Naturalist was wild and Gold Coast Australia was sailing more like a submarine than a yacht as we rounded the virtual mark off Cape Leeuwin.
The wind was coming from the west at 35 plus knots, adding to a large sea and swell that were being amplified by the shallow water off the shelf coming from the south and north west, the result was Gold Coast Australia surfing down one wave and then ploughing into the next head on resulting in a great rush of water down the deck up to two metres high and massive waves smashing over the side of the boat, filling the cockpit with water and drenching crew. My sleep pattern for the next few days became non-existent as I was called on deck for squalls that swept over us every half an hour, gusting up to 45kts.
Once we rounded the Cape we were able be bear away, resulting in some more comfortable but just as exciting sailing as the wind maintained a steady 32 knots when we were not being hit by squalls. Both swell patterns were now behind us but the deck was still awash with water as we powered our way downwind, surfing waves the size of houses at speeds over 20 knots. As the waves ahead were steep we had no way of steering our way up its back, so at the end of each surf we would plough into the wave ahead. Some of our video from the last couple of weeks have been posted on the Clipper Race website, here, and on YouTube, so if you want to get an idea of what the last week has been like check it out. Remember that it never seems as dramatic on video as it actually is. Sailing does not get more exciting than this and though everybody was tired (I had basically not slept for 2 days) the thrill of sailing overcame any feeling of fatigue and I was running on pure adrenaline. In layman’s terms the crew and I on board Gold Coast Australia were loving it!
The wind began to abate as the high established itself in the Great Australian Bight and the first of the low pressure systems swept to the south of our position. The heavy weight kite was hoisted as the wind backed behind us and, as the swell increased its wave length, it allowed us to surf multiple waves 1 after the other. The first of many albatross began to appear for the race which generally means good sailing weather for the next few days. Blue filled the sky and we sailed in almost trade wind conditions in the Southern Ocean for the next 24 hours.
The calmer conditions (wind still blowing 25-30 knots) allowed us to do some maintenance prior to the next blow and also give down below a good clean to stop a dreaded sickness that seems to be spreading amongst the crew.
Over the last few nights we observed some spectacular electrical storm activity. Whilst pleasing to the eye these storms are feared by sailors as they can quickly destroy all electrical equipment on board if it strikes too close. In precaution the media computer is unplugged and communications equipment turned off when the storms are near and the hand-held GPS and VHF radio are placed in the oven which acts as a Faraday’s Cage, protecting the equipment.
As we raced towards the Scoring Gate in varying winds and confused sea, conditions became very challenging due to shifty, gusty winds and sea and swell coming from all angles. When we experienced a wind shift of 40 degrees the decision was made to gybe to the east, rather than sailing south east with the rest of the fleet. This gained us extra miles to the east and towards the Scoring Gate but we lessened our lead over two of the other boats in the fleet, Visit Finland and Derry-Londonderry.
As the sun rose the next day we were sailing in near perfect conditions with the heavyweight spinnaker flying in the sunshine as we sailed towards the Scoring Gate. Gold Coast Australia passed through the Scoring Gate in position 40 26.56S 127 00.00E at 11:02:03z in first place and then we gybed to the south to place ourselves in a better strategic position to cover the rest of the fleet for the remainder of the race.
As we sailed in the evening albatross surrounded the boat, in particular one massive wandering albatross with a wing span of at least three metres that circled us a few times before altering course for the north. The albatross leaving the area suggested that strong winds were approaching, as did the weather data received on board that indicated a front was going to pass over us shortly after midnight. At midnight the first small cigar shaped clouds indicating a cold front were observed approaching us from the west so the Yankee 2 was hoisted and our new heavyweight spinnaker dropped in good time. The preceding front passed over us with not more than 35 knots and a wind shift to the south.
I told the crew that the larger front was expected in the next 2 hours and to watch out for large clouds approaching. 2 hours later I was awoken by a large wind gust and the sound of water accelerating along the hull of Gold Coast Australia as we were hit by a 52-knot front. The helmsman sailed a perfect straight line as we bolted downwind at a solid 17 knots for a few minutes before the front overtook us, leaving with it a constant wind of about 40 knots for the next few hours.
The following 24 hours was spent surfing big waves and enduring large squalls as we sailed
downwind towards Tasmania gate, enjoying the sunshine as the low pressure system passed to the south of us.
As the depression passed below us, the heavyweight spinnaker was re hoisted, followed a few hours later by a peel to the bigger medium weight spinnaker and then only a few hours after that we were back to the heavyweight spinnaker as the wind increased to 30 knots. 3 months into the race around the world our evolutions on board are becoming very slick as everybody knows what to do. Our position remained first place, spearheading the fleet that had now formed an echelon formation as we sailed the rhumb line for New Zealand.
Whist our position in the lead was being celebrated along with the news of our sponsors, Gold Coast, winning the 2018 Commonwealth Games we could not help but feel anguish for 1 of the other yachts in the fleet, Singapore, who had broken a vital part of their steering system and were now sailing under secondary steering using a tiller. Singapore had been doing well in the race and now their hopes of a podium were shattered as they were forced to head towards port for repairs.
At the time of writing we are under 200nm from my home in Tasmania. It seems strange to be sailing straight past and not finishing a race there and it is unlikely that I will even see the rocks of Pedra Branca to the south that are famous for their fishing and now even big wave surfing.
It has been 9 months since I have been home, and it’s very tempting to turn up into Storm Bay and sail home for a few hours. Luckily my desire to win is stronger than my desire for home, so we carried on to the next mark off Stewart Island, New Zealand, and the up the east coast to Tauranga where we not only hope to win Race 5 but also hope to help the local people of Tauranga clean up some of the oil spilt from the wrecked container ship MV Rena before the start of Race 6 to Gold Coast, Australia.
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Earlier blog entry by Richard Hewson here.
From Stevo,
ReplyDeleteHi Jing,
Saw the Xena email from Peter about Main Trim Info
On another note I was having a quick surf before work yesterday morning and collided with my board. Will be fine in time for Kings, but a bit sore right now. If you’re eating lunch don’t open the "before" photo.
Cheers,
Steve.
[PF: photo's not included: his "before" stitches and "after" of injured foot a touch too graphic....!]