Clipper 2025-26 Race | Stage 5 Recap

Stage 5: Sta-Lok Endurance Test

Fremantle, Australia - Airlie Beach, Australia

Stage 5, a 3,500 nm race around Australia. This leg had everything, huge winds, no winds, rough sea, flat sea, currents, clouds and sea life.

After an exciting Race Start from Fremantle, Western Australia the fleet sailed into the distance heading south and back into the Roaring Forties. Initially facing some up wind sailing, it was a tough start as they bashed through the waves. As the fleet made its way across the Australian Bight, wind stayed strong but consistent as they kept up with a low pressure far south in the Southern Ocean. An exciting race to the Scoring Gate saw Yacht Club Punta del Este, Qingdao and GOSH pick up the bonus points. However, around 3/4 of the way across, the low out ran the fleet, taking the wind with it.

The fleet had a forced pit stop before the new wind came and took them towards the south of Tasmania. An important part in the circumnavigation, officially the most southerly point and the moment the yachts turn back up north to the hemisphere where they began. As they came up the east coast of Australia a new section of racing came into play: the famous East Australian Current. A strong current that predominantly goes north to south but with small eddies that spin off and go south to north, with the mixed wind conditions it can become a game of snakes and ladders.

The Ocean Sprint, always an interesting section of the race, this time favoured the front runners, with the wind becoming flaky for the back runners. An incredibly tactical part of the race saw the fleet become stretched out with some great gains and some big losses. As the teams made their way towards the mandatory gates that guide the fleet between mainland Australia and the Great Barrier Reef, Mother Nature threw one more curve ball in the name of a Tropical Storm Koji. To avoid half of the fleet being trapped between mainland and the reef, the race was finished early to ensure those that could make it to the safe haven of Airlie Beach before the height of the storm.

Those boats still out stayed plenty south of the storm and once it had passed also joined the rest of the fleet in the beautiful Airlie Beach.

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Scoring Gate

With the results announced on Christmas Day, it was a festive dash to the Scoring Gate on this stage. After the initial upwind pain at the beginning of the race, and with the fleet then fast reaching in the north-easterlies on the back of the high, it was incredible to see seven out of ten yachts streaking like heat seeking missiles towards the Scoring Gate. The most northerly three teams scooped it first, but it was tight racing and nail biting to watch for the armchair fans across following from home. In fact, the third place points were narrowly missed out on by UNICEF by only 3 mins!

The teams scooping up extra points on Stage 5: Sta-Lok Endurance Test were… 

Yacht Club Punta del Este | 3 points  Qingdao | 2 points  GOSH | 1 point

Ocean Sprint

Having rounded Tasmania in a favourable low-pressure system, the resultant south westerlies post front continued to push the fleet up towards Bass Strait and the Ocean Sprint in a following wind. As the system rolled away to the east, it was a race to see who could hang onto the coat-tails of the low and make it across the Ocean Sprint first. It was very much the case that fortune favoured the front and the leaders making it across the Ocean Sprint section before the area was engulfed in a big high pressure ridge.

Taking the bonus points on Stage 5: Sta-Lok Endurance Test were:

GOSH | 3 points  Yacht Club Punta del Este | 2 points  Scotland | 1 point

Well done to all teams!

Stage 6 Race Standings

At the end of Stage 5: Sta-Lok Endurance Test, and nearing the midpoint of the circumnavigation, Team GOSH holds a commanding spot at the top of the leaderboard with 78 points. Strong wins combined with great Scoring Gate (9 points) and Ocean Sprint (13 points) results put them out in front of the fleet.

London Business School (44) is chasing them hard after a streak of great finish positions; however the middle of the fleet is a strong group of boats all jostling for 3rd place, with sights set even higher. Points are close across the fleet, and with only four jokers played there is plenty of opportunity for movement within the leaderboard.

It is still all to play for with the second half of this circumnavigation, a multitude of points still to be won and some big ocean crossings ahead.