Race 4 - Albany to Sydney

So what was it really like sailing through the Southern Ocean?

The morning before the race started I met our new skipper, Martin, who is standing in for Jim for Leg 4, Albany - Sydney - Hobart - Airlie Beach. Quite an undertaking to take on a new crew and unknown boat and sail it around Australia though he is definitely up to the task as can be seen from our brilliant result of 6th. Martin was a skipper in the 2000 edition of the race which went round the world the other way following the Trade Winds and taking in the Galápagos Islands, Hawaii and Japan.

After the opportunity to go for a short sail with our new skipper the race started and we left Albany in good sailing conditions with medium strength winds and relatively flat seas. After a couple of days the winds started to build though we never got the following winds that were promised. We were heading into winds that reminded me of conditions sailing towards Albany: the boat heeling over at 45 degrees and a constant banging as we crashed over the waves. Not particularly comfortable!

The racing was good as we managed to keep up with the fleet and it was great to see other boats as we headed east. Our position in the race was constantly changing and there was a real incentive to work hard and increase our efficiency. For me, Martin has been a great skipper and is always leading by example as he is often up on deck helping with sail changes and coaching those behind the helm. He has pushed us hard which isn't to everyone's taste and I think it will be difficult to go back to how it was with Jim.

We raced hard and with increasing winds our skills were stretched to the limit but everyone pulled together which resulted in us being able to maintain our position in the fleet and eventually come in 6th. The conditions in the Tasman Sea were much more challenging than the Southern Ocean with
winds gusting up to 65 knots and huge following seas and waves towering over the boat. The guys on the helm did a fantastic job of keeping the boat going in the right direction and with only a couple of
broaches that saw me clinging onto the nav station seat with muscles I never knew existed. We eventually came out of the strong winds and we're lucky, or skilled enough, to avoid the wind hole that was building along the East Coast and that some of the boats fell into. We eventually came into the Heads thinking that we were 7th only to discover that we had left 'Visit Seattle' behind and that 6th place was ours.

Our sense of achievement was fantastic as we came to celebrate our best result. We always knew we could sail the boat and with a bit of a push from Martin achieved something only dreamt of. The challenge is now to continue with our success and do well in future races.

Sailing into Sydney Harbour with the spinnaker up was fantastic and a fitting end to a great, but challenging, race. The CYCA is a wonderful yacht club and with all the professional crews gathering for the Sydney Hobart race has an amazing atmosphere. I am now left wondering how much more difficult this next race is going to be, or have we experienced the worst.

As I write this Sydney has just experienced a tornado with winds of up to 200 kph, rain and hail stones as big as golf balls. Luckily it was far enough from here otherwise boats could have been severely damaged and the race put in jeopardy. I have spent the past few days repairing damage to the boat and after a UNICEF corporate day on the 18th will be free to go and stay with my aunt and cousins who live around Richmond towards the Blue Mountains. I can't wait to spend time with them and to get away from Clipper life that can become all too consuming.

The next race is the classic Sydney Hobart starting on Boxing Day. Sydney Harbour will be filled with boats, both racing and spectator, and it is a privilege to be able to take part. We head back north to The Whitsundays on the 2nd of Jan where after a short stopover and crew change we set of for Vietnam and China.

I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and peaceful New Year. You will all be in my thoughts as I bask in hot sunshine and celebrate with my Australian relations.

Kate