Golly GOSH!

I sailed on GOSH and survived to tell the story

*Jean Hudson helming GOSH. Credit Karla Graves*

I was thrilled to accept an invite to sail out of Fremantle on GOSH, the leading Clipper Round the World Race Yacht, earlier this week.

Supplied by Clipper

All 10 Clipper Yachts arrived safely into Fremantle Sailing Club last week, with lots of Aussie crew scattered among the yachts. Imagine their excitement sailing into Freo.

Supplied by Clipper

Team GOSH (Great Ormond Street Hospital) are a strong team of sailors led by Oliver Irvine, their 25-year-old skipper who I was delighted to discover was born in Ireland. The team was in high spirits after securing another first at the prize giving on Monday night for the Blue Ocean Sleigh Ride leg from Cape Town, South Africa to Fremantle. They have now taken top spot for three legs of this edition of the race.

They completed the epic 4,800 nautical mile Stage 4 in 21 days, 6 hours and 6 minutes, showcasing strong sailing in the Roaring Forties—with high winds, massive swells and icy conditions.

I had the opportunity to chat with Oli, the skipper and his team. Some crew had already left for home, three were leaving the next day and excited about returning to their families in Belfast, New Zealand and Bunbury. Others were staying on to complete the entire race. New crew were yet to arrive for the start of Stage 5.

It was fabulous hearing personal stories. How to use the heads (the loo), when you are wearing 8 layers of clothing – it can take 15 minutes to undress in rough conditions. The first time an albatross flies overhead. Stories about missing the comfort of home, partners and children – on a clipper you have to hot-bunk and change watch 4-hourly. There is no contact with the outside world.

Below is stripped bare, there is no luxury. I had a tour below decks, saw the 3 tiers of bunks, the galley, the heads and the sail locker up front.

Crew are multinational, and hail from over 40 nations. They have varied or no sailing experience, 40%. Over 750 sailors will race in this Clipper edition. The Clipper Round the World Race encourages young people and emphasises diversity, attracting everyday people, with women making up a significant portion.

In this edition, female sailors make up 55% of teams. 11 of the 20 leaders—skippers and first mates – are female; 4 of these are skippers and 7 first mates. Ella Hebron, the youngest female skipper, is aged 21 and this is her second Clipper Race. I love Lowri ‘Lou’ Boorman’s (one of the female skippers) quote: There are no pink jobs or blue jobs on a boat.

The boats leave Freo on Sunday for Stage 5, Sta-Lok Endurance Test that sees the boats take on the 3,400 nautical mile race from Freo to Airlie Beach, Queensland. This is not an easy leg either, after heading south and east they head south again and round Tasmania, negotiating the often-tricky Bass Strait. Then north up the east coast of Australia, managing shifting currents and winds.

Huge congrats to Oli and Team GOSH on their incredible achievement. Thank you Karla Graves (Head of Communications), Oli and crew for my amazing opportunity to sail and chat with you.

*Story and photographs (except where indicated otherwise) by Jean Hudson @jeansodyssey

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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