Clipper Race Leg 4 – Race 5

With just over three days to go until the first boats are expected to cross the finish line of Race 5: The Heart of the Whitsundays, it’s currently anyone’s guess which team tactics will pay off.

Just days ago, it seemed like the yachts heading inland, would be fastest to zoom up the coast, but overnight, the teams furthest offshore seem to be picking up better wind conditions.

Each team is keeping a close eye on each other’s game play, wondering whether they should stick up twist in this race up the east coast of Australia.

Says David Immelman, Skipper of GoToBermuda, who is currently second place in the standings: “So, we have started our sail north, behind Ha Long Bay,Viet Nam, keeping a sharp eye on what the guys inshore are up to as well as the guys shooting up from behind, so an interesting last few hundred miles to the race.”

On board GoToBermuda – The Clipper Race Leg 4 – Race 5, Day 16 © Clipper Race

Qingdao has had a tough 24 hours, seeing the gains they’d made slip away. Says its Skipper, Chris Brooks: “Since I woke, it’s not been good news. Our eastward path was blocked by a windhole. The boat 30 miles south, GoToBermuda, managed to head east with no detrimental effect. It’s not cricket but it’s the way it goes sometimes.”

Keep a close eye on the playing field as there’s everything to play for before the fleet begins to arrive into The Whitsundays from this Friday. The ETAs will be updated daily on our website.

by Clipper Round the World Race

YachtBoatNews

Recent Posts

St. Thomas International Regatta

Wind was the word that started nearly every conversation as sailors talked shoreside after the…

3 days ago

Next Vic-Maui International Yacht Race

Vic-Maui, first raced in 1965, has a long and storied history that is intertwined with…

3 days ago

Bermuda Race Prep Seminar Series

Learn how to tackle the big-ticket boat preparation items early, including compliance with safety requirements,…

3 days ago

Melbourne Osaka Cup

In ocean racing, every decision can make or break a campaign. As the Melbourne Osaka…

1 week ago

Australia SailGP Team wing collapse

Tom Slingsby's Australia Team's hopes of making the Podium Final came crashing down on day…

1 week ago

33rd Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta

When Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron (RMYS) opened entries for the 2025 Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta…

1 week ago