LAT 42 30.4N
LONG 052 05.5W
DTF 2011
ETA 30 Jun 2012
SOG 7.5
COG 90-120

WEATHER WIND 060-040 10-15kts, Sea Mod, Swell NE 3m, Cloud 5/8 fog, Baro 1021

Gold Coast Australia continues to punch our way to windward towards the scoring gate with good upwind speed and a now healthy crew.

Happy hour at midday yesterday bought the entire crew on deck for air and a chance to share our thoughts on the race so far and improvements that can be made to make onboard life more efficient and more enjoyable. All the crew are now up and involved in the watch system, and while some remain feeing a bit queezy, they are over the worst of their sickness.

The day started under a reefed mainsail and a number two yankee, as we watched the weather moderate and the sea die down, making the ride more enjoyable, though there is still the odd big wave crashing over the boat leaving a trail of phosphorescence over the deck in its path. Shortly after midnight the wind moderated even further and we shook out a reef. An hour later it was time to change headsails and now Gold Coast Australia is sailing along in full flight with a large trail of phosphorescence behind us.

Apart from the phosphorescence marine life has been relatively sparse which is quite sad considering our close proximity to the Grand Banks – one of the most famous fishing grounds in history. Apart from the odd dolphin, there has been nothing to indicate life outside our own 68ft habitat.

Until recently we were experiencing very stable and consistent wind from the north east. Since midnight however, as the wind has moderated it has also become quite unstable and we are seeing thirty degree wind shifts indicating a change of weather that is imminent. We are also seeing signs of the gulf stream, it is so warm on deck that I was able to wear board shorts on deck after midnight. The warm water mixed with the cold air results in sea fog and saturated air leaving condensation all over the boat.

Weather forecasts we receive via email seem quite disturbed, and over the past few days there have been substantial variations in the predicted models. This makes our tactics very challenging. One would expect the Azores high to settle over the Azores over the next few days, giving some more stability and better winds, however the forecast has it moving to the east of the Azores which will no doubt result in more disturbed weather. Whilst routing yesterday suggested heading north, todays forecast favours heading to the south. Constantly changing forecast makes sailing 120nm south of our current position a risky manoeuvre as there is a good chance that when the weather pattern settles it will favour us being for the north. For now all we can do is sail fast and sail straight and make the most of the wind we have in this band of pressure. Hopefully when tomorrows weather files are received we will have a few more answers to our questions and can make a more concrete tactical strategy.

LAT 42 59.2N
LONG 056 30.0W
DTF 2145
ETA 30 Jun 2012
SOG 8.3
COG 100

WEATHER WIND 044@20kts, Sea Mod, Swell NE 3m, Cloud 5/8, Baro 1022

It has been a bumpy 24 hours for Gold Coast Australia as we punch our way upwind towards Derry London Derry with a reefed mainsail and number 2 yankee and staysail into a confused and building sea.

The rough conditions have caused havoc with many crew members as they feel the effects of sea sickness. This is the first patch of rough weather we have encountered since we crossed the Pacific, and after over a month of calm conditions crew members feel the effects of the radically moving boat more intensely.

Our troubles are not helped by the discovery of a contaminated water tank which was filled up in Halifax. It appears that the hose used to fill the tank may not have been clean, and consequently one of our water tanks has been isolated until we can drain and clean it once the weather abates.

The wind has gradually begun to reduce in strenght now and over the next few days we should see calmer weather which will hopefully allow everybody to recover and bring our team up to full force.

Whilst many of the crew are plagued with the sickness we continue to sail the boat well and have increased our lead over the southerly pack to eight miles. Finland shows signs of doing very well to the north and will no doubt continue to do so until the wind veers and abates. Hopefully when the new weather system comes through Gold Coast Australia will regain our lead over the fleet.

LAT 43 52.1N
LONG 060 56.6W
DTF 2600
ETA 1 July 2012
SOG 10kts
COG 112

WEATHER WIND 050@18kts, Sea Mod, Swell NE 1-2m, Sky 8/8 StCl, Baro 1022

A beautiful day in Halifax saw the start of race 12 of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race from Halifax to Derry London Derry. With pleasant and reasonably steady winds, and a start line and inshore course professionally set and executed by the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron the fleet of 10 yachts lined up with only minutes to go.

Once again, skippers of the Dubious 68’s handle the yachts like laser dinghy’s, and with only metres between each yacht we all hit the start line with seconds to spare.

Gold Coast Australia did not get the best start, as we were squeezed out with Derry London Derry sailing above us and New York coming up from under us there was nowhere to go but to slow the boat down and wait for some room to manoeuvre. As soon as the other yachts cleared we tacked onto port ahead of the committee boat and into clear air. Tacking back onto Starboard we were lifted nicely with good winds to take us all the way to the top mark where we arrived in first place.

Our Gold Coast Australia medium weight spinnaker was quickly hoisted and before too long the whole fleet were flying their branded medium weight spinnakers behind us giving the Halifax spectators a beautiful sight.

After a couple of miles of running on Port gybe, we were quickly running out of water and commenced our gybe onto Starboard. This is a very good reminder why we do not regularly sail these big yachts in inshore races very often as they are not a agile as your average 40ft inshore racer. Our gybe was completed in good time, and we headed towards the southern shore before gybing back, passing the next couple of marks to port before rounding the bottom mark where our Y1 and Staysail were hoisted quickly before an expert drop of the spinnaker as we rounded the bottom mark and headed east.

Shifty conditions saw Gold Coast Australia and a few other yachts not being able to lay the next mark to starboard, so we were forced to put in a quick tack ahead of the other yachts and round the virtual mark before tacking again and setting course for Sable Island.

The decision to pass to the north or to the south of Sable Island was made when the wind veered another ten degrees making it very hard to lay the northern waypoint. As a result Gold Coast Australia is leading the fleet as we all head towards the virtual waypoint positioned 20nm south of Sable Island sailing slightly off the wind.

The conditions for our first day at sea have been quite choppy, so for the crew who joined in New York and have not experienced heading to sea and these conditions there are a few wide eyes and a few people feeling the effects of the dreaded sea sickness. One crew member Mel Walker even decided to try a bit of water skiing, as she was knocked by a wave while fixing the leward running backstay and was swept over the side. Being clipped on with a safety strop at the time the only danger was wet boots and damaged pride, and a quick responding helmsman Annelise Nelson turned the boat into the wind to slow as down as Mel was dragged back onto the correct side of the rail. For the new crew onboard this highlights the importance of safety procedures and correct use of equipment and was a good reminder for us all to be careful.

Gold Coast Australia is expected to round Sable Island within the next few hours and will maintain our easterly course until it is possible to clear the ice gates set at 45N south of Newfoundland. Once clear of the gates (and the ice) we can make our course north to commence our great circle route towards Derry London Derry. With headwinds and light winds forecasted this race could take more time than originality predicted but Gold Coast Australia will endeavour to maintain our lead regardless. Go Gold Coast!

At 05:31:22 UTC (02:31:22 Local) on the 11 June 2012 in position 44 05.94N 063 28.46W Gold Coast Australia coasted accross the finish line for Race 12 of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race from New York to Halifax in light and variable winds.

Gold Coast Australia has had another brilliant day of sailing up the mystical coast of Nova Scotia accompanied by whales, dolphins and flocks of sea birds.

Shortly after sunset the breeze began to die away, and was a far cry from the predicted 16kts from the north west. As the evening went on the wind further reduced to five knots, varying from northerly to easterly direction and some sever choppy seas created by the wind over the tide. We were almost stopped in the water only 15nm from the finish. Occasional gusts of wind enabled us to finally get the boat moving with some momentum to carry our way to cross the line.

With a successful game plan that calculated the maximum use of the tides, and also the wind veering to the east Gold Coast Australia has managed to extend our lead over the rest of the fleet as we power towards the finish in Halifax.

This race has been a fantastic shakedown for the crew who joined the team in New York, as there have been a variety of conditions and subsequent sail changes in fantastic conditions to enable a more forgiveable learning environment than the next leg across the Atlantic. All evolutions so far this race have been very sleek, as the Gold Coast race team get into gear for the remaining races towards Southhampton.

To Race Committee

Gold Coast Australia would like to advise that at 05:31:22 UTC (02:31:22 Local) on the 11 June 2012 in position 44 05.94N 063 28.46W Gold Coast Australia coasted accross the finish line for Race 12 of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race from New York to Halifax in light and variable winds.

This has been a fantastic race for Gold Coast Australia and we have worked very well as a team to achieve this victory. Since the start of Race 12 all the yachts have been very close making for some exciting racing past the Gulf of Maine and into the Lehave Basin to the finish in Halifax

Boat speed, tactics and evolutions were all vital in our success and were performed exceptionally well and the crew who now look forward to a short stopover in Halifax prior to our next race across the Atlantic.

Richard Hewson
Gold Coast Australia

LAT 42 17.0N
LONG 066 09.0W
DTF 157nm
ETA 0400 L 11 Jun 12
SOG 9.0kts
COG 040

WEATHER WIND Variable 13-18kts, Sea Mod, Swell Variable 1m, Cloud 3/8, Baro 1016

An almost perfect day of sailing for Gold Coast Australia, with the sun out and moderate breeze from astern we have been sailing nicely with the medium weight kite up past the infamous Georges Bank, made famous from the Perfect Storm. It was far from stormy conditions today and we were loving it.

Whales, dolphins and schools of fish joined us for our sail today, along with over fat birds getting ready for the mating season and their migration. Along with the schools of fish, many fishing trawlers and lobster fishing boats occupy the waters and provide good sport for the helmsmen as we weave between them and their lobster pots.

Gold Coast Australia regained the lead today sailing around the outside of the yachts to the west, and placing us in a good position for when the wind veers around to the north and then north east over the next day. As we passed the northern part of Georges Bank, the tide turned earlier for the yachts to the west and south giving them the edge and better speed over us, however, at midnight the tide finally turned for us and our SOG increased to match that of the other yachts, catapulting us towards Brownes Bank where we hope to gain another tidal advantage to help maintain our lead over the yachts to the west.

Shortly after the midnight watch change the wind veered 60 degrees prompting an all hands on deck to hoist the Y1 and drop the medium weight spinnaker. For the next couple of hours the wind direction was variable, and we tossed up weather to hoist the spinnaker again or to remain under Y1. Sailing hot angles with the spinnaker up can get quite messy unless everybody is on the ball, so we remained with the Y1 until the wind settled. While this may have possibly cost us some miles on the rest of the fleet, at least we do not run the risk of blowing our spinnaker due to a sudden gust of wind.

It will be interesting to see where the fleet lies at the next sked, and we hope that we maintain our lead towards the finish less than 160nm away in Halifax.

LAT 39 50.9N
LONG 069 10.6W
DTW 35.9nm
DTF 361.0nm
ETA 1200 EST 11 Jun 12
SOG 8
COG 077

WEATHER Wind 230@15kts, Sea Mod, Swell SW 1.5m, Sky 1/8, Baro 1016

Gold Coast Australia has had a fantastic day of sailing in mostly perfect conditions. The day started with very light and fickle winds, so much so that the windseeker was bought to the deck in preparation to peel in exchange with the spinnaker. The mere threat of the windseeker being on deck caused the wind to increase, and throughout the rest of the day the breeze increased and first veered to the west and then backed to the south west.

The team onboard are working very well together, and we have been coaching the new crew members since we left New York to bring them up to speed for the remainder of the race. The mild conditions create a fantastic training platform and everybody remains fit to enjoy the sailing.

Gold Coast Australia led the fleet for the majority of the day, but when the wind first veered to the west the majority of the fleet gibed to the north and disappeared from the radar. The next sked revealed that yachts further to the north sat higher in the rankings and appear to be sailing a more direct route to the rhumb line, however we have confidence in our tactics and will hopefully win back the places with the next wind shift which seems to be somewhat delayed.

At present our speed is below what we would have expected and the yachts to the west of us are sailing faster. Despite adjusting trim we can not seem to get any more speed and suspect that we may have some weed around our keel but will have to wait until daybreak to inspect with the GoPro. Stopping the boat to get the weed off would mean dropping the spinnaker and unless we can confirm there we would loose too much ground to make it worth it.

At 0126 EST on 27 May 2012 Gold Coast Australia crossed the finish line line in New York in first place in race 11 of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race after a frustrating and tactically “challenging” race from Panama in a total time of 12 days 6 hours and 21 seconds.

The last few days of the race had been quite fluky and only 12 hours before the finish Gold Coast Australia was sitting becalmed surrounded by beautiful Northern Atlantic Right Whale and Pygmy Killer Whales. Thirty nautical miles to our east sailed Visit Finland with the other yachts in the fleet catching up fast. The day was warming up quickly and I had a sinking feeling that there would be a sea breeze and we would be too far off shore. As the breeze filled in late morning and swung to the west, our plan could not have worked out more perfectly as we followed the breeze around in a perfect arc towards the finish ahead of our nearest rivals Visit Finland.

I was elated with winning this race as at different stages in the race it could have been won by any of the yachts in the fleet. The fleet was so close this race the pressure was on the entire duration of the race. Team Gold Coast Australia worked incredibly hard in hot, fluky and squally conditions. Some days we were conducting over 30 sail changes, with most of the sail chances required all hands on deck requiring the crew to get on deck during their off watch time and play the game – which we won!

Gold Coast Australia had under gone a transformation of crew ethos and watch selection in Panama after one of the crew decided to leave and join the other Australian yacht in the fleet as they were short of crew. The crew member who left had been a fundamental member or the crew and occasional watch leader since the start, however after nine months he had grown unhappy with our crew mentality. It became very apparent over the previous legs that his unhappiness and negativity towards sailing to win the race was also affecting other crew members as the discontent spread amongst other members of the team making them also unhappy. In Panama I sat down with my core members of crew and we discussed why this had occurred and ways to resolve the issue. It was decided that our mentality to win should not be changed but we needed to focus more on the fun side of sailing and I as skipper needed to approach crew more empathetically in my instruction. We also realised the importance of considering the interaction between personalities while writing the watches to the point that we would ensure that every watch had a “forever happy” member that would perk the others up. Finally we discussed how the I core members of crew should focus on the positives and stamp out any negatives, for example, rather than pointing out where we went wrong in a sail change, we would talk about what we did well and how we could do it even better.

As a result of our problem solving crew social ability and team work increased and the crew began to bond and work together better than ever before. There was a positive vibe onboard, and absolutely no negatives. I became very impressed with the performance of the boat and crew and the slickness of each sail change evolution throughout the race. Given the light and variable conditions we did countless sail changes daily. On our busiest day we conducted a total of 36 sail changes, many of which were a full crew evolution, and all of which were conducted to near perfection.

Gold Coast Australia arrived in New York a very elated and happy crew. Sailing into New York and past the Statue of Liberty is an unbelievable experience and one could only imagine what millions of immigrants to the US who arrived by sea would have felt. We then proceeded to Liberty Landing Marina for a few days maintenance before making our official entry to New York on the 3rd of July and into North Cove at the base of ground zero where we would conduct many corporate events and sails.

Gold Coast Australia had a fantastic stopover in New York, most of the crew having plentiful time to see the sights and experience the atmosphere of the city. One honour that I had during my stay was to be invited to the New York Yacht Club for dinner in the famous model room and to listen to a truly inspirational presentation by Sir Robin Knox Johnston about his life of ocean racing.

On the morning of the 7th of June we completed our final race preparations and after a few hours of flag waving and fleet photo shoots, Gold Coast Australia transferred herself from being a New York Model and board room back to a race yacht and en-route to the start line, team Gold Coast spend the afternoon training for the race to come, practising safety procedures such as man overboard, reefing, head sail changes and the famous Le Manz Start.

Gold Coast Australia started Race 12 of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race off Ambrose Lighthouse in fantastic form and are now leading the entire fleet to Halifax.

The fleet lined up to the start and the gun fired and we left our blocks like a race horse, quickly setting our sails and powering on towards the first mark. Ten minutes after the start Gold Coast Australia hoisted their medium weight spinnaker along with most of the fleet, and after a short tussle with Singapore we began to lead the pack towards the first virtual mark on the south east corner of the Traffic Separation Scheme.

A beautiful sun set over the rest of the fleet as we watched them astern of us as we broke into watches and half the crew went below to try to get some sleep after the excitement of the start and after eating our first dinner onboard.

Good wind remained with us until shortly after midnight when breeze suddenly dropped from 14kts to 8kts. The watch prepared for a peel to the light weight spinnaker, and after a quick brief to the new crew as to the process we pulled off the peel with the efficiency and speed that helped to take us to victory in the last race. All the sail changes today have been performed very well and if we can keep this momentum up for the next few days we will sail a very good race.

It is estimated that it will take us a little over 4 days to race to Halifax, our time expected to be some what determined by the light airs that we are now experiencing and when the wind will pick up tomorrow. For now Gold Coast Australia will work hard to stay ahead of the fleet.

LAT 39 59.6N
LONG 072 21.9W
DTW 171nm
DTF 496nm
ETA 2359 13 Jun 12
SOG 6kts
COG 110

WEATHER WIND 242@8kts, Sea Calm, Swell Var, Cloud 1/8, Baro 1016

Gold Coast Australia started Race 12 of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race in fantastic form and are now leading the southern most pact of yachts and hopefully the entire fleet to Halifax.

Gold Coast Australia had a fantastic stopover in New York, most of the crew having plentiful time to see the sights and experience the atmosphere of the city. One honour that I had during my stay was to be invited to the New York Yacht Club for dinner with De Lage Landen.

This morning we completed our final race preparations and after a few hours of flag waving and fleet photo shoots, Gold Coast Australia transferred herself from being a New York Model back to a race yacht and en-route to the start line, team Gold Coast spend the afternoon training for the race to come, practising safety procedures such as man overboard, reefing, head sail changes and the famous Le Manz Start.

The fleet lined up to the start and the gun fired and we left our blocks like a race horse, quickly setting our sails and powering on towards the first mark. Ten minutes after the start Gold Coast Australia hoisted their medium weight spinnaker along with most of the fleet, and after a short tussle with Singapore we began to lead the pack towards the first virtual mark on the south east corner of the Traffic Separation Scheme.

A beautiful sun set over the rest of the fleet as we watched them astern of us as we broke into watches and half the crew went below to try to get some sleep after the excitement of the start and after eating our first dinner onboard.

Good wind remained with us until shortly after midnight when breeze suddenly dropped from 14kts to 8kts. The watch prepared for a peel to the light weight spinnaker, and after a quick brief to the new crew as to the process we pulled off the peel with the efficiency and speed that helped to take us to victory in the last race. All the sail changes today have been performed very well and if we can keep this momentum up for the next few days we will sail a very good race.

It is estimated that it will take us a little over 4 days to race to Halifax, our time expected to be some what determined by the light airs that we are now experiencing and when the wind will pick up tomorrow. For now Gold Coast Australia will work hard to stay ahead of the fleet.