Western Australia – Singapore – Qingdao
Temperatures will continue to drop as the fleet approaches China
This will be a Leg of two halves – and both will present some serious challenges to the Clipper 09-10 crews. You will also pass another milestone, leaving the southern hemisphere for the north as you cross the Equator for the second and final time in your circumnavigation.
The race from Western Australia to Singapore will be one of the hardest in the race to plan and execute. The strong winds leaving Geraldton-Greenough, followed by the light winds of the Equatorial zone and the approach to Indonesia will mix up the fleet.
After a uniquely Singaporean stopover at the impressive Marina at Keppel Bay, the race to Qingdao will be one of extremes. As you beat away from Singapore the heat below decks on the Clipper 68s will be unbearable – and you won’t be able to open any hatches as water will be pouring over the decks. As you near Taiwan and the entrance to the Yellow Sea the temperature will begin to fall fairly quickly and conditions will become even more challenging.
Temperatures will continue to drop as the fleet approaches China and your destination, the Olympic sailing centre at Qingdao, which will be a familiar sight to anyone who watched the sailing events at the Beijing 2008 Games.