GOLD COAST 150600ZOCT11 SKED

date 15.10.11

LAT 44 52.9E

LONG 55 05.0E

DTR 2947

ETA 1200 28 Oct 11

WEATHER WIND 285@20kts Sea 4 Swell 250@3m Period 5s Cloud 5/8 stratus

cumulus Sea temp 8.2 outside temp 11.4

SKIPPPERS BLOG

At 05h39m46s UTC Gold Coast Australia passed through the scoring gate at

position 44 52.79S 055 00.0E. This is a massive victory for Gold Coast

Australia after battling with the elements for the last few days and then

having to run north to reach the scoring gate without a spinnaker in very

moderate winds and large seas with the rest of the fleet catching us at a

rate too close for comfort.

Gold Coast Australia is now back our great circle route track heading east

towards Australia and moral is high this morning, as we have not only

reached the scoring gate first, but also because temperatures have soared

to a balmy 11 degrees C which is more than twice as hot as the temperature

we have been experiencing for the last few days.

Once again we are sailing in perfect southern ocean sailing conditions

with a moderate wind behind us. These conditions are not expected to last

long and a careful eye is being kept on the glass watching the barometric

pressure and also on the approaching clouds as the next cold front

approaches us from the west. I am expecting this front to be quite windy

so we will be once again battening down the hatches and holding on whist

we fly east towards Australia. BT