#ClipperRace - HotelPlanner.com made its debut in the Clipper 2017-18 Race and it didn’t take long to see that skipper Conall Morrison and his team of 57 crew, which included 15 different nationalities and people aged between 22 and 76, were going to fully embrace the company’s slogan of ‘bringing people together’.

From naming bunks after famous hotels to ‘Safety Sundays’, yoga on deck, and their catchy ‘Irish Rover’ team song, the HotelPlanner.com team quickly made its mark as one of the friendliest teams on the race.

However, the team was tested during Race 3, when it was forced to divert to Port Elizabeth for a medevac just days after leaving Cape Town. The unscheduled stopover did have a silver lining, though: six members of the Greenings team joined in Port Elizabeth and were warmly embraced by all on board.

Liverpool celebrates the return of HotelPlanner.com after 11 months around the world | Photo: Clipper Ventures

HotelPlanner.com became the toast of the town in Hobart, Tasmania after winning the Clipper 70 Class of the 2017 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, which doubled as Race 5. The team sealed the RSHYR win after being granted a 120-minute redress for going to the assistance of a fellow competitor shortly after race start on Boxing Day.

Adrian Hemmes, a round-the-world crew member on HotelPlanner.com, was the rescue swimmer and said at the time: “The training kicked in and everything went fast. Halyards were attached to myself and the helicopter strap and I was ready to go into the water.

“I swung myself over the railing and got hold of that orange line. Moments later, I was pulling our new, temporary crew member in, attached him to the helicopter strap and we both were hoisted out of the water. We were so prepared that we even had a blanket, some tea, and a warm sleeping bag ready for him.

“He was in a good mood and got the full HotelPlanner.com treatment – tea and cake included. Sadly, we couldn't keep our new crew member, even though he was already fitted with an orange fleece. Eventually he was put in a rubber dinghy and trailed behind, to be picked up by his former crew.”

The act didn’t go unnoticed. Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, John Markos, made special mention of HotelPlanner.com during the RSHYR prize-giving, commending the team for retrieving the man out of the water in 15 minutes.

The skipper was given a standing ovation, too, when he was given the Rani Trophy for Most Meritorious Performance, which was judged by the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Committee, and awarded by Governor of Tasmania Kate Warner.

The team was also a big hit in Qingdao after it emerged crew member Tom Parker, who completed Legs 5 and 8, had taught the team to number off in Mandarin and translated a speech from Morrison during the welcome ceremony at the Wanda Yacht Club.

The race across the North Pacific tested the entire fleet but saw HotelPlanner.com achieve one its best results.

Despite spending 28 days racing some 5,600 nautical miles across the world’s largest and most inhospitable ocean, there was just four minutes between the fourth-placed HotelPlanner.com and PSP Logistics in fifth.

Race 9 was also a chance for more fun, as Morrison explained in his Day 7 skipper blog: “I must tell you about the VHF quiz organised by our old romantic, super-bosun Nic Schellenberg. He took it upon himself to make an all-fleet call on the radio to run a gameshow over the VHF and had contestants lined up from HotelPlanner.com, Nasdaq, PSP Logistics and Visit Seattle.

“During the broadcast we were all huddled around the nav station with the on-watch all huddled around the helm VHF and hand-held set to listen to our willing bachelor Dr G’s Dulcet tones as he asked a series of questions to the four lovely ladies from each boat.”

One of the real highlights for HotelPlanner.com was the Derry-Londonderry stopover. With Morrison and round-the-world crew member Roseann McGlinchey returning home, the team was always going to make a splash, but the friendly Northern Irish city embraced and adopted the entire team. Family, friends and well-wishers cheered them in from the mouth of the River Foyle all the way into the city.

Of the welcome, round-the-world crew member Mary Frawley, from Tipperary, said: “I was really excited to arrive but this morning during our early morning watch when we saw the first glimpse of Ireland it was quite emotional.”

When the adventure finally came to an end after 11 months and 40,000 nautical miles, the bonds between the team were clear to see, with round-the-world crew member Graham Hill summing it up in his last crew blog: “I do feel this has been an amazing adventure. I could not have achieved it by myself and have been blessed to have been on a boat that has had an amazing crew.

“We always pulled together when the chips were down, to achieve the goal of getting safety from destination to destination around the world.

“We have had a lot of laughs on the way and have had to support each other through some very challenging times. We have been, to all intents and purposes, an extended family.”

#ClipperRace - Derry-Londonderry-born Clipper Race skipper Conall Morrison and round-the-world crew member Roseann McGlinchey have arrived in Liverpool, completing their epic 11-month, 40,000-nautical-mile circumnavigation of the globe.

A week after starting the 13th and final race, the Clipper Race fleet arrived in Liverpool, thrilling the thousands of people that lined the River Mersey with a spectacular sprint finish on Saturday 28 July.

Fireworks and confetti cannons turned the grey sky into a riot of colour when Morrison and McGlinchey guided their HotelPlanner.com boat into the Royal Albert Dock to bring their adventure to an end.

“It feels just like yesterday we were here in Liverpool. It hasn’t quite sunk in yet how far we have come and what we have achieved,” said Morrison.

“It’s been an adventure and one that I will remember and cherish always.”

HotelPlanner.com supporters at the race finish in Liverpool

McGlinchey added: “We’ve gone round the world! Who does this stuff?

“The crowd waving us in was just amazing. The support right the way round has been incredible but it was something special coming back to where it all started.

“Time has flown. With each leg this team has felt more and more like family. The bond we have is incredible. I’ve definitely changed, I think for the better.”

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, Sanya Serenity Coast claimed the overall victory in the Clipper 2017-18 Race, making skipper Wendy Tuck the first woman in history to win a round-the-world yacht race.

Twenty-five-year-old British sailor Nikki Henderson, the youngest skipper in the 22-year history of the Clipper Race, placed second overall with her team Visit Seattle to complete a one-two female finish.

The sprint finish into Liverpool wrapped up a race which began in Liverpool in August of last year. After crossing six oceans with 13 stopovers on five different continents, and seeing mother nature at her most raw — including hurricane-force winds and 14-metre waves in the North Pacific — the 11 teams are now home, full of stories to last a lifetime.

Over the past 22 years, more than 5,000 people have become ocean racers through the Clipper Race, though still more people have climbed Mount Everest than have gone around the world under sail.

Perhaps you could help beat that number and be a part of the next edition, the Clipper 2019-20 Race, which due to begin next summer.

#ClipperRace - Forty thousand miles over 11 months is no sweat for Conall Morrison, the Irish skipper of HotelPlanner.com, who spoke to Seattle TV news this week ahead of the Clipper Race’s next leg.

Talking with Q13 Fox’s Ellen Tailor from the deck at Bell Harbor Marina, Afloat.ie’s Sailor of the Month for Seamanship in December explained how returning to dry land after many weeks at sea is an adjustment, to say the least.

“It takes a little bit of getting used to. It’s nice to get some food and some beer and a sleep without rocking [on the waves].”

Morrison admits that taking on novice sailors “does make me nervous” but “it’s all part of the job. Everyone gets four weeks of training before coming on the yacht for the race.

“And then as we go, we have people that are experienced who are crew all the time, and we have people who come for maybe one or two legs, so there’s always a little bit of learning as we go.”

As for preparing to return to sea, the skipper knows what’s required.

“You want to make sure you’re ready. The boat has got to be ready … stuff has got to be fixed. We’ve got to buy food for so many people for so long, and [get] a good night’s sleep before we start.”

Yesterday (Thursday 26 April) saw the crew changeovers ahead of the start of Leg 7 this Sunday (29 April) with Race 10: The USA Coast-to-Coast Leg.

The fleet will be heading back out into the Pacific Ocean, this time sailing south past California and skirting by the Galapagos Islands, before crossing the Panama Canal into the Caribbean and heading north towards New York City.

#ClipperRace - It’s been a busy 24 hours in the Clipper Race onboard HotelPlanner.com, according to Derry-Londonderry skipper Conall Morrison.

“As the wind has freshened significantly we are now on Yankee 3, staysail and reefs in and out of the mainsail,” said Afloat.ie’s Sailor of the Month for Seamanship in December earlier today, Wednesday 7 March.

“The night also saw quite a bit of commercial traffic as we passed 70 miles south of Hong Kong (hello to sister Ruth, nephew Kieran and brother in-law Simon!). We have also encountered a fair few fishing vessels.

“Today the sun has poked its head out again and we find ourselves the most northerly boat of the fleet. Here’s hoping the wind backs as forecast and helps us make up a few miles to the boats ahead.”

HotelPlanner.com was part of the chasing pack this morning though it was slipped from seventh to ninth place as its northerly bearing puts it further away from destination Qingdao.

Elsewhere, there’s been a reshuffle at the top after the fleet spent another busy night avoiding fishing vessels and dealing with strengthening winds.

PSP Logistics regained the lead on Day 3 of the 1,700 nautical mile Race 8: The Sailing City Qingdao Cup, with Skipper Matt Mitchell enjoying the change in conditions.

“During the day and overnight last night, the wind picked up nicely giving us a little taster of things to come. At one point we were even down to three reefs!

“Our northerly route seems to be paying off, tacking just outside Hong Kong was quite interesting as it was pretty busy up there, however we've had a nice lift and are more or less making the little virtual mark that we have to leave to port, before making our way up to Taiwan.”

Sanya Serenity Coast, which in contrast to PSP Logistics has deviated south of the rhumb line, dropped from first to second place after experiencing an action packed last 24 hours.

Skipper Wendy Tuck explains: “We just used up two more of our get out of jail cards. Eagle eye young Michael Davis just noticed that the top two slides on the main sail had just come off.

“A second get out of jail card was used whilst Michael and I were up sewing and sitting on the main. We saw a fishing boat acting strangely, and before we could do anything, we saw his drift net. Somehow we managed to sail straight over the top of it and not pick it up. Huge sigh of relief by all on deck.”

GREAT Britain made the most of the arrival of the Northeast Trades to cover the most nautical miles overnight Irish time and retake third place, with Liverpool 2018 dropping to fourth.

However, Liverpool 2018 skipper Lance Shepherd is more concerned about the conditions, reporting: “It would seem at present the weather is pretty much doing as forecast if a little breezier than expected at times.

“However, we are heading as planned to waypoint ‘Howard’ then across to the Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint.”

The leading pack is approximately 100 nautical miles from beginning the Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint, which will earn the top three fastest teams up to three crucial bonus points.

Nikki Henderson, skipper of the fifth placed Visit Seattle, is feeling good about where her team is at after seeing how the crew handled the building breeze.

“We had our first taste of upwind sailing with gusts of 40 knots - not forecast - and quite a shock. It was good fun - great to have some action after quite a mundane race from the Whitsundays in Australia. Wind has now subsided and we are making good ground to the next waypoint.”

Unicef is in sixth place again today but did make some gains overnight, climbing as high as fourth place at one point. Dare To Lead is just a mile behind in seventh, while Garmin and HotelPlanner.com continue their duel some 25nm behind them.

Qingdao in 10th and Nasdaq in 11th are around 100 nautical miles behind the lead boat. After a day spent battling a confused sea state, Nasdaq skipper Rob Graham comments: “We had originally planned to make a long tack north before heading east, but with more fishing boats the closer we came inshore, we felt we were losing too much hard-earned ground by having to dodge around them.

“So instead we’ve made some shorter tacks further south where there is less fishing activity and the deeper water seems slightly less lumpy.”

The upwind battle is set to continue for some time yet. While the winds are expected to ease over the next 24 hours, Clipper Race meteorologist Simon Rowell is predicting the Northeast Trades to begin building tomorrow afternoon, local time.

As they approach the southern tip of Taiwan, the teams can expect strong gusts of between 40 knots to the low 50s, particularly if they are in the midst of a north-going current.

#ClipperRace - Some divisive early navigational choices and tight racing means the leaderboard made for gripping viewing in the first hours of Race 6: The Wondrous Whitsundays Race.

PSP Logistics and Garmin both gybed towards Tasmania to stay closer to the Rhumb line before 6am Irish time this morning (Friday 5 January), while most of the Clipper Race fleet headed further offshore into the Tasman Sea.

Ahead of the gybe, PSP and Visit Seattle were under one nautical mile apart rounding Tasman Island with the lead changing hands behind them.

In her report this morning, Visit Seattle skipper Nikki Henderson said: “A tactical race down the Derwent left positions changing constantly. We had a good start and then fell right to the back of the fleet which was frustrating to say the least. We have been fighting back and now have found PSP Logistics - the race is on!”

After leading for most of Race 5 until the crucial final stage, PSP skipper Matt Mitchell is feeling determined for a strong finish in this race.

“Our start today was great and we managed to pull a few miles on the fleet during the tacking battle out of the Derwent so we are very pleased,” he said. “The guys are relishing the chance to get back out racing again and we feel that we have a bit of a point to prove on this one, so watch this space!”

The decision to gybe put Garmin in third place this morning, though they’ve since crept up to second.

After making the decision to play the Joker Card, meaning points for this race will be doubled, skipper Gaetan Thomas and his crew are giving all they can for a strong finish in order to make best impact on their position in the overall Clipper Race standings.

Sanya Serenity Coast was hot on the leaders heels in fourth this morning, and over this afternoon Irish time has taken the lead by a three-nautical-mile margin.

Skipper Wendy Tuck will also be determined to keep her excellent performance streak up in this all-Australian Leg.

Just over six nautical miles separates the first seven boats in this early stage, meaning positions are changing regularly.

Dare To Lead remains in fifth place as it heads north for the upwind battle, with Liverpool 2018 in sixth, Qingdao seventh and HotelPlanner.com in eighth place.

Reflecting on the Hobart stopover, and the start of the Wondrous Whitsundays Race, HotelPlanner.com skipper Conall Morrison said: “What a stopover, and what an honour to receive the Rani Award at the prize giving for the most meritorious performance in the Sydney-Hobart Race. It is not every day you win (your class in) the Sydney-Hobart race so you have to make the most of it!”

Morrison, who is Afloat.ie’s latest Sailor of the Month and also a nominee for the Sailor of the Year Award, added: “It is nice to be going again however it’s a marathon not a sprint and we must be well prepared for the strong Northerly forecast for tonight and tomorrow morning.”

Further back in the fleet, GREAT Britain is in ninth and Nasdaq in 10th, with Unicef trailing after a far east run and currently 24nm behind the leader, although leaderboard positions are all to play for as teams head north.

On board Nasdaq, skipper Rob Graham reports that the team’s fourth place during Race 5 has given them a psychological springboard for further successes.

“The Nasdaq crew were delighted to have crossed the line in third place in the Clipper Race fleet during the Sydney Hobart. However, the two-hour redress awarded to HotelPlanner.com for their pickup of the MOB made them the victors on corrected time, and moved Nasdaq down to fourth.

“This is in no way a negative thing: HotelPlanner.com deserved its time, and the much more important achievement of helping a fellow sailor in need. It's been great to see the recognition of their competence and seamanship (as all Clipper Race crews are trained) by RSHYR organisers and beyond in the sailing media - please tell everyone you know to vote Conall in the Sailor of year 2017.”

Graham adds: “For our part, Nasdaq is going to use its good showing in the RSHYR as a spur to greater things in the races to come.”

Clipper Race meteorologist Simon Rowell explains that the northerly winds will intensify over the next 24-28 hours and should reach speeds between 30 and 40 knots.

This is likely to lead to some significant position changes as the fleet beats upwind and spreads out in this highly tactical race.

The arrival window for the fleet into Abell Point Marina, Airlie Beach, is Saturday 13 to Monday 15 January, when the teams can look forward to the inaugural Whitsundays Clipper Race Carnival.

The exemplary rescue by Lough Swilly-trained skipper Conall Morrison (35) in the Clipper 70 Class in the early stages of the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race has been rewarded with a full two hour redress by the International Jury for the time he and his crew took out for the textbook retrieval of a man overboard from another boat. So effectively was it done that both boats were able to resume racing with full crew. And Morrison and his team sailed with such verve that they then took more than 30 minutes out of the rest of their class during the race. With their well-deserved redress, that swift performance gave them the class win.

#ClipperRace - After being last into Sydney in the fourth leg of the Clipper Race, HotelPlanner.com has been declared the winner of this week’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Clipper 70 Class after being granted a 120 minute redress for going to the assistance of a fellow competitor shortly after race start.

At approximately 5pm local time (6am Irish time/UTC) on Tuesday 26 December, the Conall Morrison-skippered yacht went to the assistance of another boat after being informed of a man overboard.

The HotelPlanner.com crew successfully retrieved the man in the water within 15 minutes — and after the onboard medical assistant determined he hadn’t suffered any injury, the crew member was returned to his vessel and both boats resumed racing.

Despite the time lost, HotelPlanner.com managed to catch the rest of the Clipper Race fleet, with all 11 yachts crossing the finish line within 90 minutes of each other yesterday (Friday 29 December).

Clipper Race director Mark Light said: “Skipper Conall Morrison and his HotelPlanner.com team did extremely well and acted very quickly under the circumstances.

“Going to the assistance of a fellow sailor or competitor is absolutely the correct thing to do and the team handled everything superbly well which clearly indicates how well the they were trained and led by their Skipper. The Clipper Race training has once again paid dividends and shows the merits of such an extensive programme.

“As such, the redress award for HotelPlanner.com is fully justified and my congratulations go to Conall and his team for their efforts and first place in the Clipper 70 class.”

The award of redress for HotelPlanner.com was decided by an international jury hearing, arranged by the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Organising Committee at 10am local time on Saturday 30 December.

The decision means Sanya Serenity Coast, which took line honours for the Clipper 70 class, will take second place while Garmin places third.

As the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race doubles as Race 5 of the 2017-18 Clipper Race, HotelPlanner.com will now receive 12 points for the win, with Sanya Serenity Coast and Garmin to receive 11 and 10 points respectively.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, Howth Yacht Club’s Gordon Maguire and his Ichi Ban crew were conformed as overall winners of this year’s Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

#ClipperRace - HotelPlanner.com completed the Clipper Race arrivals for Race 3: The Dell Latitude Rugged Race to Fremantle, Australia on Sunday (26 November).

Skipper Conall Morrison, from Derry/Londonderry, says: “This race was full of good times and bad times, but plenty of fun times too.

“Having the Greenings crew on board has added a bit of freshness and just added to the fun. You know, there was no pressure for the race really because we were behind from so early on, but even that just made it more fun.”

As well as points for finishing ninth, HotelPlanner.com will also add three bonus points to their overall tally after winning the Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint.

Jeremy Hill, one of the Greenings crew said: “For six of us to be able to continue the race is such a privilege. HotelPlanner.com absolutely took us in with open arms and were willing to let us contribute.

“We took on the way they ran their boat but we were also able to combine forces and do something a little different. Maybe a touch of HotelGreenings.com!”

Unicef maintained their pole position to take the Race 3 victory and their maiden podium in the Clipper Race on Saturday (25 November), followed an hour-and-a-half later by the tragedy-struck GREAT Britain team.

With all teams in, Clipper Race chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston said: “This has undoubtedly been the toughest leg in Clipper Race history.

“Ocean racing is an extreme sport and the training our crew go through is intense for this purpose, designed to prepare crew for the many eventualities that occur, even in the professional races.

“Whilst these are situations we aim never to encounter, it is always impressive to witness how strong the human spirit is when faced with adversity.”

Prizegiving for Race 3: The Dell Latitude Rugged Race took place yesterday (Monday 27 November) at the Fremantle Sailing Club. The teams won’t have long to rest, however, as Race 4 to Sydney sets sail this coming Saturday 2 December.

#ClipperRace - In the past 24 hours, HotelPlanner.com was the final boat to cross the finish line of the Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint and, after all boat times were calculated, was declared the winner taking three points after racing the course in the quickest time of 26 hours and 44 minutes.

Despite being in 11th position at the back of the fleet, HotelPlanner.com skipper Conall Morrison and team have picked up three crucial bonus points already in Race 3: the Dell Latitude Rugged Race, the third leg of the 2017-18 Clipper Race.

“We are all very pleased with our result in the Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint and need to thank our Greenings joiners who brought something extra to the table for us, re-stirring the desire and drive within the whole team,” said the Derry-Londonderry sailor.

Visit Seattle had the second quickest time, claiming two points with 27 hours and 4 minutes, and PSP Logistics picked up the final point with the third quickest time of 29 hours and 39 minutes.

Wendy Tuck, skipper of current race leader Sanya Serenity Coast, was quick to congratulate her rival Sskippers: “Well done Conall, Nikki and Matt on your Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint points. There’s not much sprinting going on right now - we have found the world famous Indian Ocean ‘keep you away from the cold wine’ Doldrums.

“We are here enjoying the sunshine and flat water. The ocean is an incredible blue but just one important ingredient missing, WIND!”

Yesterday’s race leader, PSP Logistics, is currently in Stealth Mode, with skipper Matt Mitchell explaining: “I opted to go for secret squirrel so that the guys behind won’t be able to gauge our progress, be it good or bad, meaning that they can’t sail around us or follow our route through if it’s successful.

“We had a good run yesterday although I am getting a bit concerned by Nikki and her team on Visit Seattle as they have been creeping up on us for the last day or two.”

PSP Logistics will re-emerge from its invisibility cloak at 6pm UTC this evening. Meanwhile, Visit Seattle is the latest team to go in to Stealth Mode and will be hidden from race reports till 6am UTC tomorrow.

Qingdao, which has played its Joker Card for this race, is therefore currently in second place on the Race Viewer standings, with Dare To Lead in third. But both are concerned about the impact of the wind hole that has caught the race leader.

Dare To Lead skipper Dale Smyth reports: “A night under our windseeker and a dying wind means we are getting sucked more and more towards the gaping hole of wind that is waiting to swallow the fleet. It will be interesting to see how it will affect the standings as it becomes a bit of a lottery.”

Skipper of fourth-placed Unicef, Bob Beggs, remains more optimistic having taken a more easterly route: “Code 2 (medium-weight spinnaker) is aloft, boat speed 10 knots plus, the sun is out and the sea is flat. It even looks as though we might just skirt around the wind hole without too much delay, fingers crossed…”

GREAT Britain is currently in fifth position, while further north, a close contest is taking place between Liverpool 2018 and Garmin in sixth and seventh position respectively.

All teams are keen to get to Fremantle as quickly as possible, with Garmin skipper Gaëtan Thomas praising his crew — nicknamed ‘the pirates’ — for their efforts so far, particularly after the successful medevac of Erik Hellstrom.

“I think we all want to arrive now, we experienced quite a few things on this leg, crew is tired, boat is tired … I am really honoured to sail here with my pirates.”

Teams toward the back of the fleet have been using the opportunity provided by lighter airs to get ahead of the jobs list before arriving in to Fremantle.

Skipper Rob Graham of 10-placed Nasdaq reported earlier: “After a very chilly clear night with magnificent stars and a new moon, the sun is out today, the sea is almost flat and it finally feels as if we are getting closer to Australia. This has brought the ‘arts and crafts’ activity back on deck - splicing this morning, trying to tick a few items off the jobs list before we arrive.”

Clipper Race meteorologist Simon Rowell has good news for the teams once they get through the latest wind hole, reporting that the satellite image shows clouds streaming downwind from Cape Leeuwin — so there is wind going the right way once the teams get through it.

#ClipperRace - It was a close fight right up until the final stretch for ninth-placed HotelPlanner.com and 10th-placed GREAT Britain, who spent much of the Clipper Race's Leg 2: The Stormhoek Race to the Cape of Storms in a drag race behind the leading pack.

Despite some intense competition from GREAT Britain, HotelPlanner.com managed to pull ahead and forge a 30 nautical mile advantage during the final hours of racing. The team remained in front to cross the line at 13:33:34 UTC and claim ninth place on the leaderboard.

The crew on board HotelPlanner.com, led by Northern Irish skipper Conall Morrison, worked hard and sailed a very consistent race. The team spent nine days in ninth place, peaking on the leader board in sixth position on day six.

Speaking on arrival in Cape Town, Conall said: “Ahoy Cape Town! It’s awesome here; the view, Table Mountain. There is a nice reception here, lots of supporters with orange flags.”

On weather conditions during Race 2, he added: “We had the biggest winds of the race so far. We had 50 knots for about a day and a half and then everything in between.”

Returning home to South Africa, HotelPlanner.com crew member Adam Cristol said: “Great to be back! What a way to return!

“For me [this leg] gave a lot more of the extreme conditions which is pretty immense and what I signed up for, that adventure side of things. The HotelPlanner.com team gelled extremely well again together, we shared some lovely moments on the ocean.”

Just as the sun was setting on Table Mountain, GREAT Britain crossed the finish line at 17:18:56 UTC, becoming the tenth team to finish Race 2 within 24 hours.

GREAT Britain went into the second of thirteen races on top of the overall standings after playing its Joker Card during Race 1 from Liverpool to Punta del Este. However, the team couldn’t recreate that fourth-place result from Uruguay coming into Cape Town.

HotelPlanner.com will pick up four race points for ninth place and GREAT Britain will pick up three, but both teams will have to await the results of the Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint to find out if it will gain any bonus points for Race 2.

Earlier this week, the Greenings team claimed victory just 17 minutes and 45 seconds ahead of Dare To Lead on Wednesday evening (18 October).

Garmin placed third just over two-and-a-half hours behind the leaders, while Visit Seattle pipped Liverpool 2018 for fourth in the early hours of yesterday (Thursday 19 October).

Qingdao crossed the line shortly after at dawn’s break to finish sixth, Sanya Serenity Coast placed seventh two hours later, and Nasdaq followed before noon in eighth position as the most improved of the fleet.

The next team due to cross the finish line in Cape Town is Unicef, which expects to face some tricky conditions on the final stretch with a view to arriving late tomorrow night (Saturday 21 October).