Clipper 2025-26 Race | Stage 6 Recap

Stage 6: London Business School's Tropical Trade Winds

Airlie Beach, Australia - Subic Bay, Philippines

Stage 6, a 3,965nm race from Airlie Beach, Australia to Subic Bay, Philippines saw a challenging 23 days of sailing for the fleet. Starting out with a tropical storm to navigate in the early few days of racing, the fleet then headed straight into the tactics of the Doldrums Corridor. It was during this that we saw the second equator crossing of the circumnavigation, celebrating a new batch of shellbacks and placing the fleet back into the northern hemisphere. With over 50% of the total circumnavigation mileage now in the logbooks of our circumnavigators, they enjoy the last of the tropics before heading into the colder climes ahead.

It was then into the trade winds, or the non-trade winds as it would appear, which brought nothing but flaky, and squally conditions. A combination of building tropical systems from the east and cold airmasses pushing down from northern China caused some confused weather, creating brilliant tactical opportunities for boats to take advantage of.

A big gale in the Ocean Sprint section brought with it some torrential rain, before a torturous final few days down Western Luzon that saw a melee of fast downwind sailing and showstopping wind holes.

It was a mixture of relief and delight on the faces of Race Crew as the teams sailed into Subic Bay Yacht Club over a four-day arrival period, ready to unwind before preparations to the yachts began for the stage, Stage 7: Sailing City – Qingdao Cup.

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Scoring Gate

Decided upon by the Race Director, the Scoring Gate is often placed away from the Rhumb Line to make it more tactical, however in this case it lay in a favourable position with the bulk of the fleet as it remained north of the Rhumb Line for the more favourable winds. It was a case of the boats that found the breeze first out of the Doldrums corridor that kept a strong lead up and were first through the gate.

Adding the bonus points to their final standings was:

Washington, DC | 3 points   Warrant | 2 points  London Business School | 1 point

Ocean Sprint

Stage 6’s Ocean Sprint tested the fleet with a short, tactical segment through the renowned tropical waters of this race. Teams managed shifting winds and challenging conditions as they competed for the bonus points up for grabs, and with just 8 hours, 31 minutes, 19 seconds separating the fastest from the slowest it was a close contest of skill, teamwork, and strategy.

Speeding their way to extra points was:

GOSH | 3 points   Power of Seattle Sports | 2 points  Yacht Club Punta del Este | 1 point

At the end of Stage 6: London Business School’s Tropical Trade Winds, Team GOSH continues to lead the fleet, sitting strong with 88 points. A good all-round result, including taking home top marks in the Ocean Sprint, has cemented the team's position at the top for this stage.

Despite a frustrating fall back in the standings late on in the race due to a boom issue, London Business School (54) remains in pursuit, while Yacht Club Punta del Este (45) holds third. The mid-fleet is tightly contested, with just 3–4 points separating Scotland (40), Qingdao (39), and Power of Seattle Sports (38), highlighting how competitive the leaderboard has become.

Further down the fleet, Warrant claimed victory on this stage as it secured its first podium finish of the race, demonstrating how quickly fortunes can change. With underdogs continuing to pick up valuable points and battles intensifying across the standings, it remains all to play for as the circumnavigation continues.