They’ll soon be here! The yachts left Cape Town, South Africa on 16 November on Stage 4 of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and are now racing to Freo.
The Clipper Race is renowned for pushing its crews to the limit as they battle ever-changing conditions and the thrill of ocean racing.
The yachts race 40,000 nautical miles around the world, as we have explained in our earlier articles Round the World Clipper Fleet Return to Freo and Clipper Baptism of Fire.
The beginning of this latest leg was nail-biting, with gusts of 40 knots on the start line and then, within 500 metres, the wind dropping to less than 1 knot. Table Bay is notorious for tricky winds.
The boats soon heeled over and pointed towards the horizon.
The leg from Cape Town to Fremantle is often dubbed the Marlow’s Blue Ocean Sleigh Ride, a term that truly encapsulates the high-speed, adrenaline-fuelled sailing that teams experience as they race across the world’s largest and wildest oceans. The Sleigh Ride moniker comes from the exhilarating downwind conditions characteristic of this stage in the Roaring Forties.
Crews face wild seas with towering waves, powerful winds, and rapid speeds—sometimes surfing at over 20 knots. The Southern Ocean crossings are infamous for their unpredictability. These conditions not only test the skill of the sailors but also their endurance and teamwork.
The emotional rollercoaster experienced by crew members – many sailing like this for the first time – is as dramatic as the ocean itself. Only sailors can relate to this. There’s excitement during fast, safe passages; anxiety, fear and fatigue can surface during storms and equipment failure. Offshore racing comes with a high risk—two crew lost their lives during the 2015-16 Clipper Race. The 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race claimed six lives.
Teams celebrate small victories—such as gaining ground on competitors or surviving a rough night—while frustration can arise from setbacks or long periods of challenging weather. Camaraderie and resilience are forged in these moments, with every sailor sharing the highs and lows.
Right now, the Clipper GOSH, (Great Ormond Street Hospital, one of the world’s leading children’s hospitals) is in the lead. The yacht is skipped by Oliver Irvine and Otto Kulon. We are expecting the yachts into Freo between 8-13 December.
Lots will be happening while they are here:
15-17 December – Tours of the yachts. 10am – 6pm
18 December – Discovery Talk. 6.30-7.30pm
On 21 December – Stage 5 Race Start. 12 – 3pm
12 midday – Slipping Lines
1pm – Parade of Sail
3pm – Race Start
We can’t wait for all boats and crew to arrive safely next week!
*Story by Jean Hudson @jeansodyssey.Photographs courtesy of Clipper Race
Jean Hudson is our Shipping and Sailing Correspondent and also a regular feature writer, reviewer and photographer here on the Shipping News. You may also like to follow up her informative Places I Love stories, as well as other feature stories and Freo Today photographs, right here.
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