Clipper Race: Highlights to Hobart

The second of the three stages that comprise the All-Australian Leg of the Clipper 2017-18 Round the World Yacht Race saw the fleet compete in the iconic Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, which began on Boxing Day (December 26) 2017.

This was the third time the Clipper 70s have joined this blue water classic with its spectacular start in view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The north-easterlies meant the teams flew down the coast and remained close together for most of the journey.

It was a thrilling finish into Hobart on December 29, with Sanya Serenity Coast Skipper Wendy Tuck using her rich experience of the River Derwent to beat Garmin across the line by less than three minutes, whilst Nasdaq was only another two minutes behind.

HotelPlanner.com was the second last of the Clipper Race fleet to cross the line in Hobart but was later granted a redress of 120 minutes by an international jury organised by the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race Committee for going to the assistance of another competitor shortly after race start. HotelPlanner.com was not only awarded first place in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Clipper 70 Class, but the successful rescue also earned HotelPlanner.com the Rani Trophy for Most Meritorious Performance and a special mention from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Commodore John Markos at the official Prize Giving in Hobart.

Wendy Tuck was also awarded the Jane Tate Memorial Trophy for being the first female Skipper across the line, an honour she also won in 2015, whilst Invictus Games Sydney 2018 GAME ON was presented with the Oggin Cup for being the first Armed Services yacht on corrected time.

Video published on Jan 13, 2018.

Event details – Race facts – Race viewer – Facebook

The fourth stage of the Clipper 2017-18 Race, officially known as Race 4: The Clipper Telemed+ Tasman Test, includes three races along the Australian coast. The 11 teams will race from Fremantle to Sydney, Sydney to Hobart, and Hobart to Airlie Beach in the heart of the picturesque Whitsunday Islands.

The All-Australian Leg is the fourth of eight legs that make up the 40,000-nautical mile, eleven-month Clipper 2017-18 Race.

Background: Held biennially, the Clipper 2017-18 Round the World Yacht Race got underway August 20 for the fleet of twelve* identical Tony Castro designed Clipper 70s. The 40,000nm course is divided into 13 individual races with the team having the best cumulative score winning the Clipper Race Trophy. Each team is led by a professional skipper with an all-amateur crew that signs up for one, some, or all the races. The 2017-18 race, expected to take 11 months, has attracted 712 people representing 41 nationalities, making it the largest to date.

* Twelve teams began the first leg but one yacht (Greenings) ran aground just hours after the start on October 31 of the third leg from Cape Town, South Africa to Fremantle, Australia. The crew was safely evacuated but damage to the boat was deemed too extensive for it to continue in the 2017-18 edition.

Race Route – Race Schedule and Miles

Source: Clipper Round the World Yacht Race