#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 crossed the finish line in Sydney Harbour on Saturday 16 December at 20:24:50 local time (09:24:50 UTC/Irish time) to officially bring Race 4: The Clipper Telemed+ Tasman Test — and the first stage of the Clipper Race’s All-Australian Leg 4 — to a close under a glorious sunset.

Skipper Conall Morrison said: “It was tough at times but fun. We had eight new crew joining our eight round the worlders so it was really nice to have a good mix and have the round-the-worlders do some coaching for the new crew.

“We didn’t really make any mistakes, we were just a wee bit slower going downwind. When it was quite windy, we avoided the windiest bit and that slowed us right down. And then we got stuck in a few wind holes after coming round Tasmania and a couple of times we could see the boats ahead but they just got wind before us.”

The team got off to a strong start to Race 4, and featured in the top three for the first few days of racing after leaving Fremantle. But on Day 7, after heading further north than planned to avoid some seriously strong winds, HotelPlanner.com slipped down the rankings to sit mid-fleet for the majority of the race.

HotelPlanner.com narrowly missed out on collecting points again in the Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint after setting the fourth fastest time but there was more bad news to come, with the team falling foul of the fickle winds off the east coast of Tasmania.

A few hours ahead of the last-placed team, the ‘Pink Boat’ of Liverpool 2018 crossed the line at at 17:17:00 (06:17:00 UTC) to officially take 10th place in Race 4.

The team finished strongly after a challenging race. Skipper Lance Shepherd said upon arrival into Sydney: “It’s been tough with all the wind shifts, the wind holes and everything else. We had total steering failure on both helms at one point, which was challenging but we were able to sort it out as always.

“That set us back a little bit but we quickened the pace towards the end. I couldn’t really believe it until I saw the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House and I thought ‘Wow, we’re nearly there!’”

Unicef was the first team to arrive on a second day of boat arrivals, finishing in sixth place at 09:05:12 local time on Saturday 16 December (22:05:12 UTC on Friday 15 December).

Following its victory in Race 3 it was a steady start for Unicef out of Fremantle but the team was consistent throughout, peaking in third place on Day 3, before being caught in the grasps of the light airs after rounding the south of Tasmania.

Garmin arrived into Sydney later on in the day, and crossed the finish line at 15:28:26 local time (04:28:26 UTC) to become the seventh team to finish Race 4.

Led by Skipper Gaetan Thomas, Garmin had a strong start to the race from Fremantle, and at one stage on day three occupied the top spot of the leader board.

However, like many teams in the fleet, Garmin got caught in the frustrating light airs off the coast of Tasmania, and in doing so lost its hold on the leading pack and dropped out of contention for a podium finish.

An hour later, GREAT Britain and Nasdaq arrived neck and neck in Sydney Harbour in a finish so close it was declared a dead heat — the first ever draw in the history of the Clipper Race.

“Even down in eighth and ninth position, we’ve got to get the decision correct and I think we have done that,” said race director Mark Light.

The former Derry~Londonderry~Doire skipper even set out to the finish line on a RIB to compare with press photos of the finish.

“And after not being able to split it on board the boats, I think both teams are going to be very happy,” he added.

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia hosted the prize giving for Race 4: The Clipper Telemed+ Tasman Test in the early hours Irish time of Sunday 17 December.

After a night of celebration, it will be straight back to work for the Clipper Race crews as they prepare for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race which begins on St Stephen’s Day.

And all eyes will be on whether home skipper Wendy Tuck of Race 4 winners Sanya Serenity Coast will play her Joker Card to double her points on what will be here 11th outing on the ‘blue water classic’.

#ClipperRace - Sanya Serenity Coast skipper Wendy Tuck has geared up for her 11th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race by winning the fourth leg of the 2017-18 Clipper Race late on Thursday 14 December Irish time.

It was a photo finish between Sanya Serenity Coast and Visit Seattle, but Tuck used her local knowledge to cross the finish line at 21:21:18 UTC/Irish time (Friday 15 December at 08:21:18 local time) to secure the win in her home town of Sydney.

“It was the most nerve-racking race of my life,” said Tuck. “The lead changed so much, it was such a competitive race so it feels amazing to get the win. Especially with all my family and friends here watching.”

Tuck and her Sanya Serenity Coast team dominated the 2,500 nautical mile Race 4: The Clipper Telemed+ Tasman Test from Fremantle to Sydney, being in the top half of the fleet for the whole distance and occupying top position for much of it.

She was given a close run for her money by Visit Seattle, with both teams being neck and neck at 7pm Irish time with just over 21 nautical miles to go.

Visit Seattle — led by the youngest ever Clipper Race skipper, 24-year-old Nikki Henderson — claimed its first podium position of the Clipper Race when it crossed the finish line at 21:38:03 local time, less than 17 minutes after Sanya Serenity Coast, to clinch second place.

It was much deserved after being in to the top three positions ever since Day 3. Henderson said: “It was really good fun. It was really hard work but it was nice to have some inshore racing but it is a really good feeling to get a podium. And if you have to come second to someone, then I’m pretty happy for it to be Wendy.”

Later on Friday morning in Sydney, Qingdao has claimed its own maiden podium for the race by finishing third at 09:43:06 local time, just over an hour behind Visit Seattle.

“It’s fantastic, what a great way to come to Sydney, being on the podium for the first time,” said skipper Chris Kobusch.

What’s more, Qingdao will remain first in the overall Clipper Race standings after claiming four bonus points in Race 4, one in the Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint and three in the Scoring Gate.

It’s the third time Qingdao has been first across the Scoring Gate, and the team has picked up Scoring Gate bonus points in all four races so far.

PSP Logistics narrowly missed out on a third podium but clinched fourth place to complete Friday morning’s arrivals into Sydney.

The podium places had looked assured with a few hundred miles to go but PSP Logistics gave the front-runners cause for concern, finishing within an hour and 16 minutes of third place as the team crossed the finish line at 10:59:00 local time (23:59:00 UTC).

PSP initially opted for an early tactical move of heading the furthest south of the teams out of Fremantle, but were unable to find the favourable conditions that skipper Matt Mitchell had been looking for.

However, by Day 8, as the fleet converged around the southerly point of Tasmania the team rapidly climbed the leader board with a favourable tack round the aptly named Race Mark Mitchell.

After a hard slog up from Tasmania, Dare To Lead is now in Sydney as the fifth team to cross the finish line, at 7.12am Irish time today (18:12:27 local time), to complete the first day of arrivals.

Making it to Sydney in daylight hours was a close run thing, with the team forced to negotiate a nasty wind hole just before entering the Heads.

The team will add eight points to their already respectable 37 points overall after finishing in fifth position.

The rest of the teams currently expected in by the end of Saturday but wind hole frustration is setting in.

Unicef is in front with 49 nautical miles to the finish as at the latest tracking info, with Garmin 30nm behind in seventh, a battle for eighth between GREAT Britain, Liverpool 2018 and Nasdaq, and Conall Morrison’s HotelPlanner.com keeping up the rear some 15nm adrift of that squabble.

#ClipperRace - It’s been another busy day on Tuesday (12 December) for the Clipper Race fleet as teams zigzag north to the Sydney finish line trying to avoid the wind holes, with some teams far more fortunate in the game than others.

Santa Serenity Coast leads the fleet, but only by a hair over Qingdao, which held the top spot for three consecutive days and also picked up three extra points after being first across the scoring gate.

The battle for the lead continues with Visit Seattle, which crossed the gate second to claim two points and has since elected to go into Stealth Mode.

Qingdao skipper Chris Kobusch, who is pushing hard for his team’s first podium finish, says he spent most of yesterday searching for wind, which filled in the late afternoon.

“With the first wind shift to the west we tacked away from Visit Seattle and managed to gain some miles on them. Enough to stay in front until the scoring gate and to score the three extra points. When we crossed the line, Visit Seattle was only four miles behind and Sanya Serenity Coast, back out of Stealth Mode, eight miles.”

Kobusch added: “Visit Seattle is in Stealth Mode, but I’m sure Nikki [Henderson] and her team are close by as well. So, as it looks it will be a drag race to the finish.”

While we won’t know the team’s precise location until it comes out of Stealth Mode at 6pm Irish time, skipper Nikki Henderson reports a positive experience.

“Just gorgeous sailing today ... as Phil and I said to each other - we were in our happy place. 15 knots, close reaching with full white sails, a wonderful flat sea, current with us, pointing in the right direction and sun out. Absolutely wonderful.”

PSP Logistics is the latest team to enter Stealth Mode and will next appear on the Race Viewer at 6am Irish time tomorrow (Wednesday 13 December).

Skipper Matt Mitchell, who had been creeping up on the leading pack yesterday, explains: “Thankfully we have picked up speed overnight as we decided to head offshore away from the Tasmanian coast. So far that is looking like the right decision as some of the other boats looked to have been struggling.”

Looking ahead, Matt adds: “We have another light wind patch on the way and we are fervently hoping that it won't last too long, and it affects others more than us! (Sorry everyone!)”

With PSP Logistics and Visit Seattle hidden, its Dare to Lead next, followed by Unicef, with both skippers reporting a frustrating time trying to make progress and finding the best routes in the light winds.

Garmin follows, having elected to take the furthest in-shore route, hugging the west coast of Tasmania, giving it a good view of land and the local wildlife.

The teams most affected by the wind holes yesterday, which resulted in some snake-like descents down to the depths of the leaderboard are HotelPlanner.com and GREAT Britain, currently occupying seventh and eighth respectively.

Skipper Conall Morrison of HotelPlanner.com explains: “Not much wind last night has made for frustrating times. We had previously gotten excited as we approached the stalled fleet from the south, more offshore from Tasmania, hoping for less of a wind shadow. Watching 10 knots of boat speed turning into 2 is tough, but that is sailing.”

HotelPlanner.com’s loss turned out to prove a gain however for Liverpool 2018 and Nasdaq, as both teams managed to get on the ladder and overtake, bettering their race hopes — though Liverpool 2018 lost some ground today, slipping back a few miles into last place.

The most positive leaderboard progress of the day, however, goes to Nasdaq, with skipper Rob Graham reporting: “After the drama of yesterday’s kitemare, Nasdaq has had a quieter day although equally busy as we try to pick our way through a light and variable patch of wind East of Tasmania.

“Significant changes to wind strength and direction mean lots of trimming and sail changes - we've lost count of the number of times the Yankee 1, Staysail and WindSeeker have been hoisted and dropped since we past our race mark 'Mitchell' last night.

“All of that work seems to have paid off, because Nasdaq has come from 30+ nm behind to right back with the little group of HotelPlanner.com, GREAT Britain and Liverpool 2018 (G'day mates) who are all blinking on and off my AIS screen as I type. We've also been lucky to have found a patch of South Westerly wind that wasn't in the forecast at all, but is certainly doing us a favour.”

With further light winds forecasted, the Snakes and Ladders game may well continue as the final stages of Race 4: The Tasman Test plays out. The current ETA for the leaders is 11pm to 3am Irish time tomorrow night Wednesday 13 December.

#ClipperRace - As the close racing continues in the Southern Ocean, the Clipper Race leaderboard positions continue to change, with Qingdao retaking the lead on day seven of the The Clipper Telemed+ Tasman Test.

With only 22 nautical miles separating the top three teams, the next 24 hours are set to be just as thrilling as the fleet converges on the race mark at the south of Tasmania before heading north to Sydney.

This follows an excitingly close Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint conclusion yesterday — which saw Sanya Serenity Coast, Visit Seattle and Qingdao claim the bonus points with less than four minutes between their elapsed times.

On Day 7, it’s Qingdao which takes the lead but on board the team is highly aware of how close the racing is.

“Since the team sailed into first position everyone is keen to stay there and every time I come on deck, or someone comes to the nav station, the first question is: where is Sanya Serenity Coast? How far are they away?” skipper Chris Kobusch reports.

“It is really exciting racing with all the boats so close together. It is still a long way to go and the slightest mistake can cost you a position or more.”

Currently in second place, Sanya Serenity Coast has been enjoying the fast and furious downwind sailing conditions. Skipper Wendy Tuck said: “We came down south and its windy and fun. This breeze will start easing over the next 24 hours so we are making the most of the surfing, everyone is getting a go on the wheel of fortune and lots of new top speeds are happening.”

Visit Seattle, currently in third having opted for the most southerly route of the podium teams, is already looking ahead to Sydney.

But with the race mark to the south of Tasmania signalling that time in the Southern Ocean is nearly over, skipper Nikki Henderson reflects: “So, the exciting news though is that we ARE nearly at the south of Tasmania. Around a day or so and we will be turning left and turning north. It’s so crazy to think that this is the last Southern Ocean sailing we will be doing. Even stranger to think we will be heading north!”

On board fourth-placed Garmin, skipper Gaetan Thomas is also thinking about the tactics of rounding the southerly mark and the remaining decisions to be made as they route heads north to Sydney.

“Zigzagging towards Tasmania for our next waypoint called ‘Mitchell’ were things tactically will be very interesting, lots of currents, an option for scoring gate and some light winds to avoid.”

Positions are tight and continue to vary with Unicef slipping to fifth place with GREAT Britain, which moved into sixth, closely crossing its path.

Unicef Skipper Bob Beggs said: “The race tempo is exciting with all the yachts cross-tacking each other, one such meeting was with GREAT Britain a couple of hours ago it was good to talk with skipper Andy although he wasn't keen to share his tactics with me as he headed south trying to reach waypoint Michell south of Tasmania before me.”

Dare To Lead has enjoyed another fast night towards Tasmania moving up to seventh position and managing to keep at bay both PSP Logistics, currently ninth, and Liverpool 2018 in 10th. Skipper Dale Smyth said: “Another good fast night towards Tasmania, still trying to decide which gybe is best.

“We hoisted our spinnaker this morning as we are having a little tussle with Liverpool 2018 and had a couple of fast hours. We eventually ran out of space with our ice limit of 45 degrees south and had to gybe north once more.”

PSP Logistics has also been enjoying the fast spinnaker sailing conditions benefiting from a wind shift which, for skipper Matt Mitchell, came as a relief as it meant that PSP Logistics could now point exactly where he wants to go: “We continue to chip away the miles to the guys ahead and we are starting to make good gains … finally!

“With just over 24 hours to the corner it really feels like the fleet has bunched up again meaning it’s still wide open for the section up to Sydney.”

After a tough night with strong gusting winds, HotelPlanner.com chose a more northerly route to avoid some of the strongest winds but in turn sacrificed some leaderboard positions slipping from sixth to eighth place. However, skipper Conall Morrison is hopeful that the team today will have good conditions and nice speeds back under spinnaker.

For Nasdaq, currently in 11th place, thoughts have also turned to Tasmania after reaching the milestone of around 1,000 nautical miles to go until Sydney.

Simon Rowell, Clipper Race meteorologist and weather guru, reports that as fleet converges to Tasmania, the conditions are looking good to get around quickly. He added that it is looking very tactical from there on in with what looks to be a very close upwind finish in Sydney.

#ClipperRace - The competition for the lead is heating up ahead of the Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint, with only six nautical miles separating the top five teams on Day 4 of Race 4: The Clipper Telemed+ Tasman Test (Wednesday 6 December).

Positions at the top of the leaderboard have been changing regularly over the last 24 hours, as skipper of current race leader Sanya Serenity Coast, Wendy Tuck, reports.

“We have a drag race going on, folks - must make for interesting watching at home. Let me tell you though it makes for tense times on board, continually asking are we faster/slower, higher/lower all the time, definitely sleeping with one eye open.”

Having recently taken the lead back, she added: “Keeps us on our toes so it’s all good. We are ready for anything. I think sometimes it’s easier to chase than to be chased.”

In third place is Unicef, just a fraction of a mile behind the youngest ever Clipper Race skipper, 24-year-old Nikki Henderson on Visit Seattle.

“’Lucky us’ and ‘lucky me’ have been the words revolving around my head today - not only the weather and the conditions but we also have an exciting match race on our hands,” she said. “This is fun and exciting and keeps the crew on their toes and pushes us all to learn and improve and sail better and better.”

Qingdao is in fourth place, completing the current podium positions, having swapped placed with Garmin (now in fifth) over the course of the day. But there is all to play for with little distance separating the teams and positions expected to change.

The Clipper Race fleet woke up to a beautiful South Australian morning only after being tested by a big cold front that came in overnight with winds increasing to 30 knots plus.

Qingdao skipper Chris Kobusch reported this morning: “We had to reef the mainsail, take the spinnaker down and change to the Yankee. We are now flying towards our waypoint under white sails with boat speeds exceeding 10 knots. The sky cleared this morning, the sun is out and it is a beautiful day sailing in the Southern Ocean.”

Northern Irish-skippered HotelPlanner.com is currently holding onto sixth position around 17 nautical miles behind the lead, while GREAT Britain is further to the north and currently in seventh place.

It has been a tough but rewarding night’s sailing for Liverpool 2018 in eighth place, with skipper Lance Shepherd reporting: “We pushed through some strong winds with very little star light or moon light. Both watches managed it well and we have pulled through to a glorious sunny South Australian morning.

“A highlight though was seeing a large pod of nearly 20 long-finned pilot whales cruise by us yesterday afternoon.”

In ninth place, Dare To Lead skipper Dale Smyth remains optimistic and is looking ahead to the next challenge.

“We are fast approaching the Elliot Brown Ocean Sprint so another opportunity to gain some points. The forecast still looks good to get us to Tasmania in good time and then it’s anyone’s guess what will happen.”

It has been a busy night for 10th-placed Nasdaq, as skipper Rob Graham reports.

“We have been through a night and a morning of sail changes - reefs in and out, Staysail up and down and all three Yankees have been used. This has provided the opportunity for some good inter-watch competition as most of our racing headsail changes (from smaller to larger Yankees) are done against the clock.”

Eleventh-placed PSP Logistics has also experienced squally conditions that has kept the team busy, and they’re currently 112nm further from the finish than the lead boat.

But Skipper Matt Mitchell believes that the tactic of going further south is starting to pay off.

“We are still trying to chip away at the miles between us and the guys to the north and, so far, we have been between 1-2 knots faster on average, so the computer tells us anyway! Fingers crossed that trend continues.”

Clipper Race meteorologist Simon Rowell forecasts that the teams keep the fast reaching conditions for about 24 hours before the wind will veer ahead of the next front which should catch up in the next 24-36 hours. In the meantime, teams can expect some squally conditions.

#ClipperRace - After a short but welcome stopover in Fremantle, the Clipper Race fleet has enjoyed its initial 24 hours at sea in Race 4: The Clipper Telemed+ Tasman Test.

The fleet continued to be closely bunched as it rounded Cape Leeuwin with a difference of less than 20 nautical miles separating the 11 teams.

However, Sanya Serenity Coast has stolen the early advantage once again, and skipper Wendy Tuck has added incentive to get to Sydney as quickly as possible.

“We are off racing to my home town - yippee. It was a beautiful night sailing last night, clear skies and a nearly very bright moon, and not too cold. Everyone happy on board even if it takes a few days to get back into eat, sleep, sail, laugh, repeat.”

Tuck is certainly not resting on her laurels. “We had a good start [and] it has now been a bash up wind, we have cleared the corner of Western Australia and still heading south. Some tough calls await regarding avoiding some wind holes.”

Only nine nautical miles separates the teams between second and last place, with positions expected to change regularly over the next 24 hours.

HotelPlanner.com is currently two-and-a-half miles PSO Logistics after leading the chasing pack this morning, but Northern Irish skipper Conall Morrison is keeping the race leader in his sights.

“After making our way around the cans and getting some gybing practice in we are close hauled on our way southwards. At present we are about 40 nautical miles south west of Cape Leeuwin and we can just about see race leader Sanya Serenity Coast,” he said this morning.

After a particularly tough and emotional Leg 3 and stopover for GREAT Britain, the team has responded remarkably well and is currently in third position.

“We had an epic start out of the blocks and around Rottnest Island. The crew all had their heads in the game, making it much easier,” said skipper Andy Burns.

“The first night’s sail under moon light, starry skies, open ocean and the view of our fellow competitors’ navigation lights was a sight to be seen and one you wouldn't quite appreciate from dry land.”

Burns also welcomed three of the reallocated Greenings crew who have now joined teams across the fleet. “[They] bring with them a wealth of knowledge and a new edge of competitiveness.”

Following close behind is Garmin in fourth and Liverpool 2018 in fifth.

In seventh position as of Sunday afternoon (3 December) Irish time, Unicef skipper Bob Beggs caught up with the close-knit pack after a difficult start, but is currently in a tough battle for position with the back half of the fleet.

“A great start for spectators yesterday although our position over the line wasn't fantastic. We are now racing in a close pack of Clipper Race yachts watching each other closely.”

Rounding the second of three famous great capes earlier today, he added: “We have all cleared Cape Leeuwin and are cracking on south awaiting a wind shift. We should then see the different strategies develop.”

It was also a difficult start for eighth-placed Visit Seattle, with skipper Nikki Henderson commenting: “The first day of the race has proven challenging. Not too sure why, but we just couldn't make our boat move very well last night and struggled to stay up with the pack. Things have improved a little this morning so hoping we can remain competitive.”

To the west of the chasing pack is Qingdao in sixth, while Nasdaq in ninth is just a hair ahead of Dare to Lead. Nasdaq skipper Rob Graham reflected on the Fremantle stopover: “The maintenance team did a great job - working flat out to get all of the issues from Leg 3 resolved, and the Clipper Race Office staff somehow managed to make the schedule work.”

Looking ahead, he added: “We still have seven other boats in sight and the other three showing on AIS. A messy, unsettled patch of wind might shake things up a bit in the next day or so, but it should be a good close race all the way.”

PSP Logistics and Dare To Lead opted for similar tactics at the start by initially heading inshore. The move certainly paid off for PSP, currently within 10nm of Sanya, while Dare To Lead remain in the thick of it.

“We went inshore last night seeking some flatter water but it definitely didn’t pay off and we are squarely at the back of the fleet,” said sipper Dale Smyth. “Anyhow a long way to go.”

With a low-pressure system moving in over the next 36 hours, positions could all change.

Clipper Race meteorologist Simon Rowell reported earlier: “The breeze should veer and also be quite variable as the ridge moves around Cape Leeuwin. It’ll be a tactical maze for the teams, but the decent breeze to the south of it is coming in anyway, so the ridge between the south/south-east ahead of it and the south/south-west behind it shouldn’t be more than a few hours.”

#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 - After 25 days and almost 4,800 nautical miles of racing across the Southern Ocean, the finish positions for Race 3: The Dell Latitude Rugged Race from Cape Town to Fremantle will come down to the final few nail-biting hours.

It is the second straight day that Unicef has been in the number one position in the Clipper Race fleet. 

And while his team’s first podium finish is in sight, with the finish less than 5 nautical miles ahead at time of publishing, skipper Bob Beggs’ thoughts are fixed on his closest and somewhat surprise competitor, GREAT Britain – which has made a highly impressive leap from sixth to second in the past 24 hours. 

Currently in a drag race to the finish line in Fremantle Harbour, Unicef leads GREAT Britain by around 6nm, as Beggs says: “Well the race will come to an end for most of the fleet over the next 24hrs and its another frantic and exciting finish.

“Sadly, we leave one of our fellow journeymen Simon Speirs behind, but he won't be forgotten. His passing is etched in the memories of the whole Clipper Race family. The skipper and crew of GREAT Britain are sailing close by to us and will hopefully fulfil Simon's dream of a podium place today.”

There is no doubt that their beloved teammate Simon is the driving force behind GREAT Britain’s strong finish, with skipper Andy Burns saying: “Today is the grand finale for which we are all hoping for a bitter sweet ending to such a tragic crossing of the Southern Ocean.

“I just want to take my hat off to the crew onboard GREAT Britain for their grit, determination and drive in the face of adversity.”

Visit Seattle is currently in fourth position on the leader board after fighting PSP Logistics for the final spot on the podium. Both teams due to arrive between 8pm and 10pm local time (12pm and 2pm Irish time).

Fifth-placed Qingdao, which has played its Joker Card which will see its race points doubled, is right behind, and is expected to cross the finish line between 9pm and 11pm (1pm to 3pm Iriss time). 

Visit Seattle skipper Nikki Henderson commented earlier today: “This is so close! I think it must be about 8 miles separating us, Qingdao and PSP Logistics.

“We are pushing, pushing, pushing to hold them off but both boats are being sailed very well. We just need to make no mistakes and double, triple check everything.”

PSP Logistics skipper Matt Mitchell agrees: “It really could be anyone's race and we are working hard to keep the boat going as fast as possible. We tried a slightly different route to give us a higher wind angle on our way towards Rottnest Island and it's not working out too badly so far!”

Dare To Lead remains in sixth place, though Sanya Serenity Coast is just 7nm behind in seventh. After leading for the majority of the race before getting stuck in a wind hole just days ago, Sanya skipper Wendy Tuck says: “The only way to describe this race is as a roller coaster ride of positions and emotions.

“We are still chasing hard on Dare to Lead and we will not give up trying.”

HotelPlanner.com lost a few places in the rankings overnight after getting as close as 5 nautical miles from eighth-placed Liverpool 2018.

But with the Clipper Race Committee announcing that the Conall Morrison-skippered boat will be awarded a redress of 1 hour and 30 minutes for taking on six crew members of Greenings in Port Elizabeth, that position may improve in the final tally.

Ninth-placed Garmin is due to arrive on Sunday afternoon, and has come out of Stealth Mode early, due to the rule that teams are not permitted to go into hiding within 250 nautical miles of the finish line. It will be a close finish with Nasdaq, barely a mile behind in 10th place.

All arrivals at the Fremantle Sailing Club will be shown live on Facebook Live, subject to weather conditions.

#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.