#CLIPPER–There was a traditional Maori kapa haka farewell in Tauranga Bridge Marina and a blast of the horn as a passenger liner at Tauranga's cruise terminal saluted Derry-Londonderry and the other nine teams sailing out into the lively waters of New Zealand's Bay of Plenty for the start of the sixth stage of the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race. They were accompanied during the parade of sail and at the start of the race by a huge flotilla of local boating enthusiasts who were thrilled to be part of the send-off.

In fairly murky conditions and a stiff north easterly breeze, the yachts crossed the start line off the Mount Main Beach when the gun fired at 1430 local time (0130 UTC). With no distinct advantage at either end of the line, the fleet was divided equally on port and starboard tack and Welcome to Yorkshire was first across, followed in short order by De Lage Landen, Visit Finland, New York and Gold Coast Australia. Geraldton Western Australia, was mid-fleet at the start but seized the advantage and was first to round the windward turning mark before heading back towards Mount Maunganui. Qingdao, Derry-Londonderry, Singapore and Edinburgh Inspiring Capital completed the order over the start line.

At the first turning mark, Derry-Londonderry, who'd moved up to fifth place, let their advantage slip away when they stalled, allowing five other boats to slide past them. As they race towards New Zealand's North Cape with Geraldton Western Australia in the lead, the yachts' positions are expected to change many times before they begin crossing the Tasman Sea. The 1,300-mile race to Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, is expected to take the ten internationally backed teams between seven and ten days to complete.

Derry-Londonderry will be hoping their fourth place finish in the last stage, where they just missed out on a podium position, is a precursor to an even better result in this next race.

Skipper, Mark Light, said, "We did have a good result on the last race. We worked very hard to get that and things are moving in the right direction for us so I'm looking forward to a podium very soon.

"We've got 1,300 miles to race here and it's going to be more of a sprint compared to any of the others. We're geared up for it; we know what we have to do to get our boat moving fast now. There's less room to play tactics than in all the other races so this is a sprint to the finish line."

With five out of five wins under their belts already, Gold Coast Australia's crew desperately want to win this next race. If they do they will be the first team in Clipper 11-12 to secure a coveted home port victory, and only the third in the history of the event to do so. Victory in this race would also equal the most consecutive wins in the Clipper Race, a record set by Alex Thomson in Clipper 98 and held for more than a decade.

Richard Hewson, skipper of Gold Coast Australia said, "If I want to win a race out of this whole series around the world, it's this one. I don't want to put myself or the crew under any more pressure than they're already under. We're just been sailing how we normally sail, sailing safe and obviously trying to keep it at the back of our minds but trying to sail hard."

Other teams have proven themselves just as fast as the Gold Coast Australia crew, with Edinburgh Inspiring Capital, Visit Finland and Welcome to Yorkshire all scoring bonus points in the Ocean Sprint time trials to date in the world's longest ocean race.

During the stopover the crew enjoyed a live video link catch up with some of their supporters and team mates waiting to talk to them back home at the Nerve Centre, the multimedia arts hub in the Derry-Londonderry, the UK City of Culture 2013.

As well as talking to the folks back home, while they have been relaxing in the Bay of Plenty, the crews, who come from all walks of life and represent more than 40 nationalities, have been enjoying the multitude of activities on offer. White water rafting, fishing, sky diving, paddle boarding, hiking, land yachting, sampling the excellent local seafood and wines have all been on the agenda. Groups of crew have visited the stunning volcanic White Island and climbed Mount Maunganui in the company of a Maori guide, before soaking in the geothermal salt water hot pools at its base.

They were farewelled from port with a kapa haka from Tuwairua Performing Arts whose members are all from Ngaterangi Iwi.

Michelle McCann, from Greencastle, a round the world crew member on board Derry-Londonderry said, "I've really enjoyed it, it's been a fabulous stopover. The people have been very welcoming and friendly, it's been brilliant."

"I'm looking forward to getting going again, though – they say the conditions won't be as bad as the last race!" continued Michelle, who is anxious to get to the Gold Coast for another reason. "I've a nephew who lives in Brisbane and I'll meet up with him as I haven't seen him in a good few years."

Glenn Ormsby, Tourism Bay of Plenty's General Manager, said, "The Clipper Race has been a great opportunity to showcase Bay of Plenty to the world and show our water's clean, the beaches are open and we're ready for summer. The race has been great for the local economy too – the hotels, bars and restaurants have been booming, there's been plenty of work for the local marine industry doing maintenance and repairs on the boats, and we've had fantastic exposure to international media as well."

This is the first time the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race has visited New Zealand since its inception in 1996 and during the stopover organisers have met with local businesses and government representatives to strengthen links with the region and demonstrate how partners use the event as a global platform to promote trade, tourism, culture and social inclusion.

Each yacht is sponsored by an international city, region, country or company, with many visiting Tauranga to host events and engage with New Zealand businesses, trade contacts and media.

Hundreds of Tauranga residents have visited the yachts during the stopover, meeting crew and discovering for themselves what life is like on board. Presentations in Wellington, Auckland and in Tauranga for those interested in taking part in Clipper 13-14, when the new fleet of 12 70-foot yachts will be introduced, have also been well attended and several Kiwis have been offered berths on the race.

More presentations will be held in Australia, in Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast, and there will be a Clipper Race stand at the ISAF Sailing World Championships in Fremantle, WA, from 3 to 18 December.

Those who prefer to take part in ocean racing can pit their sailing skills against the crews racing to Gold Coast by taking part in the Virtual Clipper Race. Unlike the real thing, where the top prize is the glory, the Virtual Race offers a prize pot of €30,000, along with Rotary Aquaspeed watches and Henri Lloyd gear. Registration is free at www.clipperroundtheworld.com/virtualrace.

The fleet is expected to arrive in Southport Yacht Club between 11 and 13 December.

#WATERFRONT PROPERTY - A number of prime waterside development opportunities are up for grabs in Northern Ireland and Waterford.

North of the border, Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) is currently seeking expressions of interest for three sites. 
The first of these, in Belfast, is the site of the former Belfast West Power Station. The 16-acre site on McCaughey Road, close to the city centre, is currently zoned as employment/industry.

Further north on the shores of Belfast Lough is a 45-acre whiteland site adjacent to Kilroot Power Station in Carrickfergus. Both Kilroot and Belfast West will be available for lease only due to their strategic nature.

Also available are lands adjacent to Coolkeeragh Power Station, near Derry and the mouth of the Foyle. This 28-acre site is zoned as existing industry.

All three sites are restricted to generation or other electricity industry uses. 

The closing date for expressions of interest is 12 noon on 20 February 2012. For more contact Savills Belfast at +44 (0) 28 9026 7820 or [email protected].

Meanwhile, in Waterford, estage agent Purcell Properties is guiding €1.5 million for an 18-acre landbank with extensive frontage on the Suir, less than a mile from the city centre.

The site at Newrath, previously used by Smurfit for plastic production, comprises mixed warehousing developed around 50 years ago.

The landbank is close to the new bridge connecting with the Waterford-Dublin motorway. Zoning of the site would allow mixed use including retail, light industrial and warehousing.

For more details contact Purcell Properties at 051 876 514 or [email protected].

After a massive high pressure system and the associated light winds held five of the yachts captive in the Southern Ocean, the Race Committee reluctantly issued a 'shorten course' instruction to the teams at the back of the fleet and finished the race for Derry-Londonderry, Edinburgh Inspiring Capital, Qingdao, Welcome to Yorkshire and Singapore at 1800 UTC on Sunday 30 October.

Irish supporters follow Derry into port at Geraldton

Derry-Londonderry arrived in port shortly after 1515 local time this afternoon (0715 UTC).

Describing conditions in the Southern Ocean, Mark Light, skipper of the yacht representing the UK City of Culture 2013, said, "It was very big, cold, wet and everything we thought it would be and it was such a challenge; it was incredible to cross it for the first time. We're standing here after such a long time at sea and so many challenges and that is pretty special.

"We had quite a lot of damage on this trip including a spinnaker pole that ripped a little bit of track off the mast and punctured the mainsail, which was the biggest thing for us. We had to have one reef in our main, so we were underpowered for much of the race. It was dangerous at the time – it happened at three o'clock in the morning and took more than an hour to solve, but we got over it."

Paying tribute to his crew, the Isle of Wight-based yachtsman, said, "The crew did fantastically well. Some of the conditions on deck were pretty harsh at times and we had some pretty severe sail changes. They did very well, stuck at it and I'm proud of them."

On board the ten 68-foot ocean racing yachts, each sponsored by a city, state, country or corporation around the world, are people like you – crew members from all walks of life, aged between 18 and 72 who between them represent more than 40 nationalities. Each one of them has put their everyday life on hold to take part in a unique challenge of a lifetime: racing across the world's oceans.

Michelle McCann, from Greencastle, Co Donegal, is putting her life as a teacher on hold to take part in the event as a round the world crew member.

Arriving in Geraldton she said, "It was a really enjoyable experience. The weather was really bad at the start and it was frightening but it was an exhilarating and thrilling experience and it was a highlight in a strange way!

"The worst thing that happened was when the spinnaker track came off the mast and tore into a rip about six feet (two metres) long into the mainsail. We were limping along really for most of the race and it's hard to work around that.

"We're pretty pleased though. Eighth doesn't really sound much but it was good considering what happened, so we're pleased enough."

Race 4 was won by Gold Coast Australia who scored their fourth consecutive victory of the competition and De Lage Landen also notched up their best result to date, finishing in second place. Earlier in the day, in a race to the line befitting Melbourne Cup Day in Australia, New York beat Visit Finland to third place by just 21 minutes.

The arrival of Derry-Londonderry in Geraldton marks the end of a gruelling, four-week, 4,800-mile (7,680-kilometre) race across one of the planet's most feared and forbidding expanses of ocean during which they had to dodge icebergs and had to deal with mountainous waves whipped up by winds of up to 70 knots, as well as combat the frustrations of being becalmed for long periods.

As soon as the crews had completed the customs and immigration formalities they were treated to cold beers and a good Aussie barbecue at Geraldton Yacht Club.

The entire community has come together to make the stopover possible and on Monday evening at an awards ceremony in Seoul, South Korea, the City of Greater Geraldton won first prize for Community Participation and Empowerment at the United Nations-backed Liveable Communities Awards as well as a Silver Award in the Whole City category.

Councillor Bob Hall, deputising for the Mayor, who is returning from Seoul after collecting the city's award, commented, "The Clipper Race puts us on the world map for a place of sailing and waterborne activities as well as opening up the world's eyes to what a beautiful place we've got here. We're very privileged to get our boat in this race and to show our hallmark right across the world.

"It also gives businesses here some new markets and some new dollars into the community, so it's a big boost on our economy. As to measuring the tangible dollars and cents, I don't think you can do that; I think it's the human capital, the well-being, the messages that leave here with the people who crew the boats – that's what sells the place abroad and makes people want to come here and see it."

The yachts will spend the rest of the week in Geraldton before setting sail for Tauranga in New Zealand. It is a much anticipated return visit to the West Australian port that became an instant hit with the crews when the city hosted its inaugural stopover during the last edition of the event, Clipper 09-10.

During the stopover the crews will visit the beautiful Abrolhos Islands and pay their respects in a wreath laying ceremony at the HMAS Sydney Memorial where the new reflection pool is due to be officially dedicated next month. This afternoon the teams paraded along the Foreshore ahead of the official welcome and, during a weekend of public entertainment, music and international food stalls, just before the start of the next stage of the race, on Sunday 6 November, there will be a stunning Parade of Sail which will featuring all ten yachts in formation.

In addition to the packed programme for the crew, team sponsors will be travelling to Geraldton to host events for their clients and partners. The delegation will be part of a larger international trade opportunity created by the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race which will make a significant economic impact, not just by spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in the City of Greater Geraldton and but also by introducing its destination and trade sponsors to Australia's Mid West region with longer term business building potential for local companies. The Clipper Race provides its sponsors with access to 15 markets on six continents during the 12 months of the 40,000-mile race.

Race 5 from Geraldton to Tauranga, New Zealand, will begin on Sunday 6 November.

Race 4 started under cloudless blue skies and a brisk south easterly breeze of 15 to 20 knots, typical of a Cape Town early afternoon. It made for a lively start for the stripped down 68-foot yachts as they crossed the start line and tacked upwind to the first mark in Table Bay.

Gold Coast Australia was first to cross the line, marked at one end by the South African Navy mine hunter, SAN Umzimkulu. The yachts were packed tightly together and Derry-Londonderry was just behind the overall race leader with Geraldton Western Australia and Welcome to Yorkshire also crossing on a starboard tack. Singapore approached the line from the eastern end and turned across in fifth place while over at the western end, De Lage Landen, Qingdao and New York were followed by Edinburgh Inspiring Capital and Visit Finland.

As Gold Coast Australia rounded the Royal Cape Yacht Club's Paarden Island turning mark, just 100 metres off the shore, the team hoisted their medium weight spinnaker, while Singapore, who'd tacked their way up the course into second place and also looked set for a hoist, veered off the line and lost some ground to Geraldton Western Australia and Welcome to Yorkshire.

The teams have opted to head away from the shore to avoid the wind shadow created by Table Mountain which frames the Cape Town skyline will allow them to keep some good breeze as they head for the Cape of Good Hope this evening and the point where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans collide. Half have opted to go north around the back of Robben Island while the other half have stayed to the south.

As he prepared to set sail, Derry-Londonderry's skipper, Mark Light, said, "The last race was a good one for us and now we've got to improve on it. That was our brief from the beginning – to improve every single leg. Fifth is a good position but we definitely want to get on the podium.

The crew are very excited about this one, as am I. We're looking forward to big downwind sailing: big waves, big wind and improving everyone's skills on downwind sailing."

Clipper 11-12 is 'raced by people like you' and those taking part represent more than 40 nationalities and come from all walks of life. Their ages range from 18 to 72 and almost half of them had no sailing experience before signing up to the challenge of a lifetime and beginning their rigorous pre-race training for the gruelling race.

The Clipper Race was established 15 years ago by sailing legend Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail around the globe solo and non-stop in 1968-9. Clipper 11-12 is the eighth edition of the biennial race which is contested by a fleet of ten identical stripped down 68-foot ocean racing yachts, each of which is sponsored by a global destination or organisation.

Sir Robin's aim is not only to open up ocean racing to anyone but also to create a global platform for sponsors to profile their destinations and promote business, tourism and culture, acknowledging the traditional trade routes serviced over a century ago by the original clipper ships from which the race takes its name.

A number of sponsor delegations, including one from Derry-Londonderry, the UK City of Culture 2013, visited Cape Town during the stopover where the event has created a significant economic impact, the race organisers, crews and sponsors spending millions of Rand in the city, as well as introducing its destination and trade sponsors to Cape Town with longer term business building potential for local companies.

Derry~Londonderry's delegation has been making waves with Cape Town companies, identifying immediate business opportunities for South Africa in Northern Ireland in digital services and e-learning; there are also further plans for on-going links to continue through business exchange missions between the two cities.

The delegation was led by Cllr Gerard Diver from Derry City Council who hailed the visit a great success with the potential to open up business opportunities for Cape Town as growth was imminent in Northern Ireland and Derry~Londonderry.

Cllr Diver commented, "In 2013 Derry will become the inaugural UK City of Culture and our ambition is to make it easy to grow international connections with our region. We are positioned on the doorstep of the sterling and eurozone and believe there are immediate development opportunities in life science, e-learning, digital and creative industries. In addition we have a growing tourism and cultural sector which is why Derry~Londonderry is open and ready for business."

Sir Robin, who is chairman of the Clipper Race, said, "Our sponsors raise their profile on the world stage with tangible benefits in developing trade, promoting tourism, sharing cultural experiences and involving their respective communities. It creates a powerful legacy."

The fleet is expected to arrive in the City of Geraldton, Western Australia, between 29 and 31 October. It will be the second time the city has hosted the event following a hugely popular debut visit in Clipper 09-10.

The Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race started from Southampton on the south coast of the UK on 31 July 2011. The route will take the crews of the ten, identical 68-foot yachts via Madeira, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, Geraldton Western Australia, New Zealand, Gold Coast Austraslia, Singapore,
Qingdao in China, California, Panama, New York, Nova Scotia, Derry in Northern Ireland and the Netherlands before returning in July 2012 to the south coast of England.

Derry-Londonderry, one of the ten international teams competing in the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race, has won the fight for fifth place in Race 3 of the 15-race series in a contest that went right down to the wire. As they closed in on the finish line in Cape Town, Derry-Londonderry and Qingdao were matching each other mile for mile with Welcome to Yorkshire and New York hot on their heels. At the line there was just five minutes and eleven seconds between the two teams after 3,300 miles of racing.

The 68-foot ocean racing yacht representing the UK City of Culture 2013 crossed the finish line in Table Bay against the magnificent backdrop of Table Mountain at 0505 local time on Thursday morning (0305 UTC) while Qingdao crossed at 0510 (0310 UTC). Race 3 was won by Gold Coast Australia, who completed a hat trick of victories so far in Clipper 11-12, with Visit Finland in second place and De Lage Landen in third.

Arriving in the V&A Waterfront, Derry-Londonderry skipper, Mark Light, said, "It was touch and go – a great finish. Qingdao crossed in front of us and then they had to gybe but we didn't have to. They crossed probably 200 metres in front of us and we were waiting and waiting for the gybe which didn't come and all of a sudden we cut inside of them and managed to take them in the last 0.8 of a mile. It was amazing.

"We were disappointed initially not to get fourth but that quickly disappeared because we were massively happy to get fifth place."

Qingdao's skipper, Ian Conchie, said, "It's been a duel all the way in up until the last six hours when we got ahead of them. In very light airs we found yet another wind hole as we approached Cape Town and then on the final gybe, less than a mile from the finish, the wind shifted on us which meant we could no longer hold the kite and they just sneaked in front of us. We were 50 metres off the beach – it was exhilarating stuff after 3,300 miles."

During the race the crews, who come from all walks of life and between them represent more than 40 nationalities, faced mountainous seas and strong headwinds.

Shauna O'Neill is one of the five Derry City Clipper Bursary winners. The bursary is a project designed to help unemployed people in the city learn the skills to get them back into work. The five will also carry out ambassadorial roles to help promote Derry-Londonderry as the City of Culture, each focussing on an area including, digital, young people and enterprise.

Arriving in Cape Town, where her mother was waiting to greet her on the dock, Shauna said, "The tough weather was exciting. I wasn't really in control of anything so I felt quite safe but I'd say it was hard for the watch leaders. There were some big waves and it was scary enough but we got through it.

"I absolutely loved it, every moment of it. I worried before I went away that I was going to hate it but it's just been amazing, I loved every bit. There have been so many best bits – navigating with the stars at night, helming with the sunrise, everybody on board, how friendly everyone was... all of it!

"It was nothing like what I expected. When I first heard about it I was imagining sailing around in luxury. It was really tough but the training was the hardest and the actual leg was so much fun."

During the stopover in Cape Town the crews will visit many of the attractions the city has to offer including taking the cable car to the top of Table Mountain, the beautiful botanic gardens at Kirstenbosch, and Cape Point which the teams will see from the ocean as they round the Cape of Good Hope in the next race to Geraldton in Western Australia.

Alongside the stopover a busy international trade programme is scheduled with delegations from Derry-Londonderry and many of the other team sponsors, partners and official suppliers to the Clipper Race visiting Cape Town to forge partnerships with local businesses, generating international trade opportunities and developing cultural links.

Race 4 to the City of Geraldton, Western Australia, will start on Wednesday 5 October.

The Clipper 11-12 Race started from Southampton on the south coast of England on 31 July. It runs every two years and is the only event in the world where people from all walks of life can take on the challenge of a lifetime and race around the globe on stripped down ocean racing yachts. Berths are now available for Clipper 13-14, which will see the introduction of a brand new fleet of twelve 70-foot yachts.

Northern Ireland is recovering after Hurricane Katia left power cuts and travel distruption in its wake.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the remains of Hurrican Katia had been expected to strike hardest in the northern half of Ireland.

The Belfast Telegraph reports that Derry, Antrim and Tyrone were worst hit by winds that reached speeds of up to 120kph on Monday.

There was widespread disruption to rail and ferry services, while drivers reported hazardous conditions. The Foyle Bridge was closed to all high-sided vehiches for a time.

Some 700 homes across Northern Ireland suffered a blackout when powerlines were cut and by falling trees and windborne debris, though power was mostly restored by Tuesday evening.

Though downgraded to tropical storm status after crossing the Atlantic, Katia's high winds wreaked similar havoc south of the border, with power cuts to over 13,000 homes in six different counties - half of them in Donegal alone.

Wind gusts of an incredible 137kmh were recorded on Arranmore Island.

The Belfast Telegraph has more on the story HERE.

"The fleet is well and truly split; it will be hard for the chasing back to reel in the three leaders particularly with the forecasted winds. The three leaders will continue to have favourable breeze for at least the next 72 hours when it will ease off before returning the next day. So it's fast, slow fast for them," explains Justin, who previously skippered two Clipper Race entries around the world.

"Although the wind is a more consistent direction and strength for the following pack, they will for have a tough time beating mostly to windward in order to round the shoulder of Brazil before laying the finish at Rio."

Currently in third and pushing for good speeds in the Ocean Sprint is Welcome to Yorkshire.

"If one was to describe this mode of transport in one word it would be WET!" reveals skipper, Rupert Dean.

"Since my last blog, when we were becalmed off Fernando de Noronha, the south east trades have kicked in big style. We are now flying along,
seriously powered up at 10-plus knots on a close reach, as we bid to be the fastest boat between 5 and 10 degrees south.

"As we charge along, Welcome to Yorkshire is shouldering big seas as she ploughs through waves on her relentless charge south. Well, not perfectly south as that would be hard on the wind and slow, but close reaching to obtain maximum VMG," continues the Yorkshire entry's skipper, referring to the boat's speed in relation to the direction they need to travel.

Focused on securing victory in the Ocean Sprint, Rupert has opted for a tactical change on the helm.

"Helming a Clipper 68 in these conditions is pretty physical and requires a high degree of concentration. Consequently we've elected to use our best helms for this form of sailing, bearing in mind that this is a time trial, a point is at stake and at this speed we should have completed the trial within one and a half days."

Unfortunately not experiencing the same conditions and boat speeds is Derry-Londonderry, who currently find themselves tenth in the fleet and the most westerly of the back markers.

"Probably the most frustrating day we have had so far," explains skipper, Mark Light.

"The wind has been light and after threatening to back early on has promptly returned to the south south west and massively hindered our progress south! Due to the light winds and adverse current running north west up the coast of Brazil we have had to head out on another losing tack to clear before we can turn south once more.

"Our tacking angles at the moment are approx. 150 degrees and this is not making Rio! This feels very cruel and we can only watch as other
teams sail faster and more directly to our destination and we slip further down the rankings!"

Even as their progress to Rio de Janeiro hits a setback, the Derry-Londonderry crew continues to be positive as Mark comments, "We will get good winds the further south we get. We have a fast boat and we are at our best hunting down others. We have a fantastic team spirit!"

Meanwhile it was celebrations on board Edinburgh Inspiring Capital yesterday, who are just one position in front of the Northern Ireland entry, as they crossed the Equator.

"Greetings from the Southern Hemisphere, today we are over 3,600 nautical miles from the capital city of Scotland and the home of Edinburgh Inspiring Capital, the fair city of Edinburgh. Last night at 0000BST, Edinburgh Inspiring Capital and her fine crew of ocean racers crossed the Equator," reports skipper, Gordon Reid.

"We celebrated with a wee dram of Kinloch Anderson 12-year-old Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky, however we had to come off the wind a
little and reduce speed from 14 knots to 11.9 knots, so as not to spill the dram, due penance was paid to King Neptune and Davy Jones as they
too received a wee dram and some M&Ms.

"As we crossed into the Southern Hemisphere we also moved up the leader board and will continue to do so today. Inspired by their visit from
King Neptune and a little afraid of Davy Jones the race team on Edinburgh Inspiring Capital want to catch the lead pack and are as usual
focused, committed and smiling as we drive very very very fast towards Rio."

The Scottish boat was joined in the Southern Hemisphere by five other Clipper Race teams, including De Lage Landen, skippered by Mat Booth.
"ZERO! At 2231GMT, De Lage Landen crossed 'the line' and another major milestone of our first leg of the Clipper 11-12 Race achieved - transit from Northern to Southern Hemispheres," says Mat.

"Before our crossing a letter from King Neptune himself was discovered in the snake pit. Sometime this afternoon one of his assistants must
have been aboard to deliver this communication. During dinner this letter was read out loud for everyone to hear. All crew have been
invited to attend Neptune's Court at 1700 sharp dressed 'suitably' for what is in store!

"So tonight promises to be a fun evening! More about that tomorrow, on top of all the Equator crossing excitement one of our crew, Jose enjoyed a fantastic birthday cake produced by both watches. Cut in the shape of a yacht and complete with candles, it's safe to say Jose had a fantastic birthday," continues the Dutch entry's skipper.

"We finally managed to take that place from Derry-Londonderry. Having been duelling with them for weeks it's great news to see we've pasted
them at last. As we gain we also lose out to Geraldton Western Australia, we'll fight for that place over the next few days, we're also chasing the dragon down with Qingdao in our sights."

King Neptune was busy making appearances across the fleet as Geraldton Western Australia was next to cross into the Southern Hemisphere.

"Yesterday was a day of celebration and thanks, as at about 1215pm we crossed from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern," explains skipper,
Juan Coetzer.

"The occasion was celebrated with a Mad Hatters party which included our navigator Ian in a dress and bowman Peter in a skirt made of rope. King
Neptune visited via his alter ego David 'Hawkeye' Hawkins.

"Crossing the Equator was a short distraction, as the crew have been driving hard keeping the boat speed up and overnight moved up a place on
the leader board. Showers were the topic of the afternoon both below and above decks. While the off watch were allowed a wash, the on watch had
to deal with a few squalls. The wind then increased, so we changed down from Yankee 1 to Yankee 2 with full main before sunset which has given
us some consistent speeds through the night.

"Today we also celebrate our first birthday: Ian Geraghty."

After yesterday's report of light winds Chinese entry, Qingdao, has found the wind which they hope will keep De Lage Landen and Geraldton Western Australia behind them and propel them up the leader board.

"The wind eventually began to co-operate as darkness began to fall last night, so we were able to make the north east headland of Brazil
without tacking which brought the crew much relief. As the wind continued to back we were able to free off slightly and began to get boat speeds of around 9 knots," reveals Qingdao crew member, Tom Way.

"We finally crossed the Equator at 0125UTC and Neptune joined us for the occasion and the normal ceremony was carried out with the crew being
punished for sins that they had committed. King Neptune left us some parting gifts to let everyone savour the moment.

"Everyone on board is still in high spirits despite being in sixth place and if anything it has given them greater determination to stay ahead of
the chasing boats and do all they can to catch the boats in front," signs off Tom.

"Today Visit Finland is charging south at a speed we are quite content with," reports Tomi Lintonen, the team's navigator.

"Our closest adversaries are doing roughly similar speeds on more favourable courses and we are looking forward to seeing the courses converge later on. I have been developing simple performance measurement indicators along the way and now, in addition to analysing our performance against other boats, we are using them to make comparisons between watches as well," continues the Tampere-based researcher.

"In fact, watch leader Carl-Axel Palmer proposed a wager between the watches where the watch recording the best run towards the finish would
be offered a three course meal by the 'slower' watch in Rio de Janeiro. Visit Finland crossed the Equator at exactly 1200 noon UTC carefully
following seafarers' time tested traditions. Fridge cool champagne (well, sparkling wine, to be honest) was first offered to King Neptune and the remainder to the crew in small quantities while other sacrifices of valued food stuff were also made. The offerings have worked like magic: our six-hour runs have been on the increase since!"

Current leaders Gold Coast Australia, who will today complete the Ocean Sprint, have once again encountered challenging conditions.

"The Ocean Sprint seems more like a triathlon at the moment as the wind continues to vary angles of 60 degrees and from 12 to 37 knots in strength," reveals skipper, Richard Hewson.

The Ocean Sprint is a simple matter of speed; each team gets the chance to record a time between 5 degrees south and 10 degrees south. The team
with the shortest time elapsed between the two points will gain a potentially crucial extra point. Something skipper Richard Hewson is keen to secure after Singapore's Scoring Gate victory.

"With Singapore looming in the background and apparently making ground on us towards the finish, we are working hard to maintain and if possible open our lead. We are still hell bent on getting the extra point for the Ocean Sprint as this is the only way we will beat Singapore on points in this race since they were first through the Scoring Gate.

"The conditions have been going from starry night Champagne sailing to full on sheets of rain pelting the crew's faces like burning needles. We have had hours at a time of beautiful conditions with nice wind, then suddenly out of the darkness a massive group of squalls will hit us and the crew will have to work very hard to keep the boat upright and moving. For the occasional big gust like the one we had at about 0200 this morning, this has meant we have just had to turn the boat and run with it as there has not been enough time to reduce sail," continues Richard.

"However, due to the conditions we have had so far it is becoming less and less likely that we will get the point unless conditions are favourable in the remaining 60nm of the sprint."

Taking a more inshore approach to the final sprint to Rio de Janeiro compared to Gold Coast Australia is Singapore, currently in second place.

"It's been a fairly busy 24 hours that has seen us do a fair few headsail changes, reefs in and reefs out. After I finished my report yesterday we had a large squall pass overhead which required us to drop the Yankee 1 rather rapidly and before long it became apparent that we needed a couple of reefs to keep the boat under control in 35 knots of true wind," says Ben Bowley, skipper of the Singaporean entry.

"The drop was a great success, even though blinded by a combination of stinging spray and choking rain the guys and girls on the bow did a sterling job as per usual. Once we had the Yankee 1 down and a couple of reefs snugged in the boat became far less like a wounded bull at the helm and soon she was begging for a little more canvas. We quickly hoisted the Yankee 3 and she thanked us by delivering around 9.5/10 knots all day long with the sheets just cracked a little for speed."

With Gold Coast Australia, Singapore and Welcome to Yorkshire set to complete their Ocean Sprint today, American entry New York will look to
secure the extra point when they cross the first point.

Positions at 0900 UTC, Friday 26 August

Boat DTF* DTL**
1 Gold Coast Australia 1016nm 0nm
2 Singapore 1093nm 77nm
3 Welcome to Yorkshire 1118nm 102nm
4 New York 1338nm 322nm
5 Visit Finland 1419nm 403nm
6 Qingdao 1500nm 484nm
7 Geraldton Western Australia 1514nm 498nm
8 De Lage Landen 1516nm 500nm
9 Edinburgh Inspiring Capital 1576nm 560nm
10 Derry-Londonderry 1681nm 665nm

*DTF = Distance to Finish, **DTL = Distance to Leader

Derry-Londonderry has arrived in Madeira at the end of the first stage of the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race which began in Southampton on 31 July. The team crossed the line outside of Quinta Do Lorde Marina at 0210 local time (0110GMT) and despite a valiant effort to get on the podium the team finished the race in a respectable fourth place.

Derry celebrate arrival into Madeira. Photo: OnEdition

The battle for the final podium position was intense amongst five of the teams with only a handful of miles separating them over the last 24 hours of racing. In the end the American entry, New York, was able to hold their position at the front of the mid-fleet pack to take third place. Line honours in Race 1 went to Gold Coast Australia who came out victorious following a two-way battle for supremacy with Visit Finland. A tactical move east towards the coast of Portugal at the end of the 1,340-mile race enabled the Australian team to pull out a sizeable lead, forcing the Finns to settle for second place.

Shortly after the Northern Irish team pulled alongside at the Quinta Do Lorde Marina, skipper of Derry-Londonderry, Mark Light said, "It's brilliant to be here after ten days of racing. It was a shake down sail for all of us and everyone is now getting used to being on board. We raced very well and sailed really well as a team and could have taken third. In the end it was very close but we're pleased with fourth.

"The crew have all surprised me in that they've got used to everything so much quicker than I thought they would. The spinnaker work, the hoisting and dropping of sails... everything has worked really well. I can honestly say they've come on a lot more than I expected, even at this early stage."

Despite an excellent start out of the Solent at the beginning of the 40,000-mile race around the world, Derry-Londonderry and the nine other international teams taking part were caught out on the first night when the wind died, forcing the crews to drop their kedge anchors to prevent their boats going backwards with the tide. The fickle conditions continued until the teams entered the notorious Bay of Biscay which lived up to its reputation by delivering strong headwinds and lumpy seas. Eventually the trade winds kicked in as the fleet rounded Cape Finisterre and the crews were able to enjoy the fast downwind sailing conditions that the Clipper 68s are built for.

As with all ten teams taking part in Clipper 11-12, Derry-Londonderry's crew come from all walks of life, all ages and have different levels of sailing experience. 23-year-old Niall Boyle is one of five Derry City residents who have been chosen to take part in the race and will be an ambassador for the city, inviting visitors from around the world to experience Derry-Londonderry during 2013 when the city becomes the first UK City of Culture.

Speaking from the dockside, Niall said, "It's great to be finally in. The race itself was fantastic, full of ups and downs. We had a few times when we were making good progress on the other boats and catching them up, just to have the wind die on us and drift backwards. But on the whole it's been great, an unreal experience."

Joining the friends and family members of the crew to welcome Derry-Londonderry were representatives from Quinta Do Lorde Marina who have laid on a packed social programme for crews to enjoy during their short stopover. After the deep cleans and essential maintenance have taken place the crew will have some time to explore the beautiful island with a jeep tour and visit to the Madeira Wine Caves and a tour round the island's capital, Funchal City, where they will have the chance to sample the local cuisine and taste the Madeira wine that the island is renowned for. The crews will rejoin their boats on Friday 12 August for the next leg of the race across the Atlantic to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which is scheduled to start at 1630 local time (1530GMT).

Clipper 11-12 is the world's longest ocean race at 40,000 miles and started from Southampton on 31 July 2011. It will take the teams 12 months to complete and the remainder of the race course will take them from Madeira across the Atlantic to Rio de Janeiro and then on to Cape Town in South Africa, Geraldton in Western Australia, New Zealand, Australia's Gold Coast, Singapore, Qingdao in China, California, Panama, New York, Nova Scotia, Derry-Londonderry and Den Helder in the Netherlands. The race will make its triumphant return to the Solent on 22 July 2012.

"We know this is a huge challenge for them all," says Harbour Master Bill McCann, "but they have had superb training from the Clipper team and we are confident that they are up to the challenge."

Harbour Commissioner Roy Devine, who will join the race in New York for the final leg, says he is thinking particularly about the 10 crew members who are taking the entire round the world trip. "It is a huge undertaking and I really respect them for it. I also send best wishes to the whole crew and hope they race well and race safely."

The Derry~Londonderry yacht take 11 months to cross 15 seas and oceans before completing their arduous journey. The 8-leg race, which stops over at Derry in the final leg, is made up of 15 individual races, and boats score points mainly for how they perform in each of these races (10 points for first, 1 for last etc). The Clipper Trophy goes to the yacht with the highest total at the Finish Line in July 2012.

Find out more about the Derry Londonderry team at www.derrycity.gov.uk/clipper or follow the team on Facebook at Derry-Londonderry Clipper 11-12.