The final standings for Stage 4: Marlow’s Blue Ocean Sleigh Ride have been announced.

Following UNICEF’s redress of 13 hours 22 minutes and 14 seconds after assisting Power of Seattle Sports with a watermaker transfer, UNICEF moved up the Stage 4 leaderboard to third place. Yacht Club Punta del Este moved to fourth position.

It has been announced today that Team Washington, DC has been given a six-hour time penalty for infringing the 3 nautical mile coastline exclusion zone, whilst approaching Fremantle, Australia.

Although only marginally infringing the zone and being fourth to cross the Finish Line, as a result of this penalty, fifth place of Stage 4 has now been awarded to Qingdao. Washington, DC will move to sixth.

Abigail Shanahan, multi-legger on board Team GOSH: “The Roaring Forties were definitely as expected! They were really challenging at times, but this crew are amazing. We lean on each other in hard times, and we get through it with a lot of laughter. The hardest part was the cold and the constant, constant wet but overall, it’s lifelong memories.

“We have had such an amazing opportunity to experience something that is so authentically itself. The Southern Ocean is one of those places that is still very much untouched by man, everything is almost as it was at the beginning. And it was amazing not see a single other soul for almost three weeks – no boats, no planes, just us. A great bonding experience and a unique way to see the power of nature –the albatross, the brute force of waves when they come over the side is like getting punched in the face with water and I think that’s really hard to describe if you haven’t experienced it.”

Taking it back to the podium, give it up for Team GOSH!

Three out of four isn’t bad as the team takes the top spot for the third time this edition.

For Stage 4: Marlow’s Blue Ocean Sleigh Ride, the team took on nearly 4,800nm of the Roaring Forties and sailed into Fremantle, Australia after 21 Days, 6 Hours and 6 Minutes of racing.

Congratulations Oli, Otto and all of GOSH.

Due to the growing substantial high pressure ridge, and its distance to the Finish Line, Warrant has requested to retire from Stage 4 and this has been accepted by the Race Committee. The team will now motor-sail towards Fremantle.

Following a redress request from UNICEF after assisting Power of Seattle Sports with a watermaker transfer, the Race Comittee has looked very closely at the case and factored in not only the diversion to the north and time spent in transfer, but also the continued losses over the subsequent days.

A decision has been taken to redress UNICEF by 13hrs 22min and 14sec. We believe this fairly compensates the team for their troubles and this time will be removed from their overall passage time from Cape Town to Fremantle.

We want to thank them again for not only the seamanship displayed, but also the sportsmanship of so graciously accepting the instructions from Race Management.

Congratulations to London Business School, Yacht Club Punta del Este and GOSH!

When adressing the fleet, Race Director Dale Smyth said: "The Ocean Sprint results are in and with a frontal system sweeping most of the fleet as you transited, we saw fast runs across the area.

We would like to congratulate the following three teams for sailing hard and scooping some bonus points:

London Business School | 3 points Yacht Club Punta del Este | 2 points GOSH | 1 point

I would also like to explain that UNICEF and Power of Seattle Sports time is particularly high because of the transfer that took place in the sprint section and does not reflect how well they have sailed."

The teams are starting to tick under 1,000nm to Fremantle. Over this almost 5,000nm of racing, the fleet has certainly seen its fair share of weather. Since the last Race Report, the crew have faced several weather fronts bringing very high winds and big seas, with most boats consistently reporting wind strengths of 30kts or more and rough conditions.

This type of weather is typical of the Roaring Forties, which is famous for the large low-pressure systems that sweep across the South Indian and Southern Oceans. Around the halfway point, most of the yachts would have reached their most southerly latitude if the race so far. The further south you go, the closer you get to Antarctica and the colder it becomes. Fortunately, they were given a brief respite as a light patch settled over much of the fleet between low-pressure systems. It may have slowed the racing, but I can imagine the crews were grateful for a short break from the constant water over the deck.

The light patch didn’t last long though, as the next weather front came roaring through just as the leading pack entered the Ocean Sprint zone. When a front passes, conditions can be quite challenging. Intense squalls and large wind shifts make sailing fast and in a straight line difficult, even with the strong winds. With this and some boats still yet to either enter or finish the sprint section, the results will certainly be interesting.

The teams are now beginning to head north again toward the warmth of Australia, which I can imagine they’re all craving. However, there is still plenty to play for. A high-pressure system almost permanently sits off the West Coast of Australia, and it is likely to slow the boats as they make their final approach. Although this may be frustrating for the teams, it could also open the door for some clever tactical moves and perhaps a very exciting finish.

UNICEF is currently racing towards Power of Seattle Sports to carry out a boat-to-boat transfer of a portable replacement watermaker required on board Power of Seattle Sports.

The Race Management Team and the Maintenance Team have been working hard remotely with technical experts at the manufacturer to find a fix but have been unable to do so.

Spare maintenance parts are split amongst the fleet, which includes watermaker spares and portable units, to ensure that all yachts are supported in such instances.

Boat-to-boat transfers are practiced during Level 4 Training, and this transfer was directed by the Race Management Team and is being managed on scene by Skippers Guy Waites and Angela Brandsma. As the closest yacht to Power of Seattle Sports with a portable watermaker, UNICEF was instructed to support and as a result will be able to request a redress.

We thank Race Crew and sailing staff for assisting with this transfer and showing great comradeship between teams.

“To go from being thrown around by the wind and the waves, the tempestuous nature of the sea, to the serenity of the albatross gliding on 50 knot wind…it’s simply beautiful.” The latest from on board Team Qingdao.

“Sail drop, sail hoist. The conditions have been constantly shifting as we are starting to gradually head further North, requiring frequent sail changes. The foredeck has seen some serious action over the past couple of weeks! Back under spinnaker! After an eternal period of squally conditions we’ve been handed a few days of relative calm and following winds. The team is feeling more rested and the damp boat is drying. Our batteries are reset, ready for the big push on the Ocean Sprint.”

"It’s still wet, it’s still cold, and we’re about as far south as we’re going to go. If it was easy, it wouldn’t be hard!"

Stage update from Race Director Dale Smyth

It’s been a week and a half since the Clipper Race fleet left Cape Town in a classic gale-force south-easter. The start had to be moved into the lee of Table Mountain, but even there the fleet saw gusts over 40 knots during the pre-start.

One upside of the south easterly was that it forced the fleet to head south-west for the first 24 hours, keeping them away from the notorious Agulhas Bank and its boat-breaking seas. It was still a gruelling upwind grind, especially for the new joiners.

After the first day, the yachts cleared the acceleration zone of the South Atlantic High and slipped into a ridge of calm, giving crews a chance to recover and dry out. A strong leadpack quickly formed, with GOSH, Washington, DC, Power of Seattle Sports and London Business School all battling for the lead. While most of the fleet continued pushing south in search of the westerlies, Team Scotland took a more easterly route, cutting the corner towards Fremantle—a bold move that initially paid off.

The front pack, however, was first to catch a band of south-westerlies signalling the arrival of the first low-pressure system—exactly the conditions everyone came for. As the fleet continued diving south, the system built, serving up solid 35-knot south-westerlies. This is where a Clipper 70 thrives. For several days, fast downwind runs swept across the fleet and good miles were banked. Temperatures dropped sharply, bringing with them the first albatross sightings as they soared alongside the boats. The front seven remained tightly grouped, while Warrant suffered a major kite wrap that cost them time, though they managed to run off downwind until morning and send the First Mate aloft to clear it.

As the system rolled east, the ridge between weather systems finally offered some respite near the Crozet Islands. Winds veered to the northwest ahead of the next low, allowing the fleet to gybe onto port and suddenly making the Scoring Gate an attractive option.

This is where the first Stealth Mode appeared—Washington, DC vanished for 24 hours, leaving the fleet guessing whether they were heading for the gate or pushing straight along the Great Circle. They chose the latter, sacrificing bonus points but positioning themselves strongly overall. Meanwhile GOSH, YCPE, and UNICEF collected the 3-2-1 points at the gate.

Now, with a third low-pressure system forming behind the fleet, another fast week of classic Roaring Forties downwind sleigh-ride conditions looks set to continue.

Scooping up the Scoring Gate points… The results are in for Stage 4: Marlow’s Blue Ocean Sleigh Ride and it's congratulations to Team's GOSH, Yacht Club Punta del Este and UNICEF. Race Director, Dale Smyth, said: "After some hard, cold, days of racing in strong South Westerlies and big seas, the ridge between systems, with the wind veering around to the north west, gave an opportunity for the fleet to gybe and make the Scoring Gate a realistic option. "Also, a special mention to Team Scotland for fighting hard for a gate result, a great effort! "The competition is looking really good out there and keeping us all glued to the Race Tracker. Safe sailing."

Welcome to the stage 4 live blog, expect to find your real time race updates here.

🃏THE JOKERS 🃏 You wait ages for a Joker and then four come along at once! Teams GOSH, Yacht Club Punta Del Este, Washington, DC and Qingdao have all played their Jokers. A Joker can only be played by each team once in the circumnavigation - and playing it doubles your race points. So for first place, ten points are boosted to 20. Will the Roaring Forties and Stage 4: Marlow’s Blue Ocean Sleigh Ride deliver the presents the teams are hoping for? Watch the Race Tracker to find out.

CAPE TOWN >>> FREMANTLE 26 days. 4,750nm. An iconic part of the Clipper Race. Hear what our teams are set to face on Stage 4: Marlow’s Blue Ocean Sleigh Ride

🌊HEAR THEM ROAR 🌊 The Roaring Forties. The next challenge on our 40,000nm circumnavigation. Hear from our sailors who have ventured there before - with Jade, Lorraine and Heather ready to face its force again.