Race Update | Stage 5 Finish Line Change

North Queensland including Airlie Beach is currently experiencing a developing tropical storm that has formed to its north, causing torrential rain, poor visibility and gale force wind with big squalls.

The Race Management Team has been watching this weather system closely as tropical storms like this can have cyclonic tendency. There has been growing concern that this would impact the safety of the yachts and the imminent Race Finish, especially due to the challenging navigation in this area.

Yesterday Race Director, Dale Smyth, instructed all yachts to declare the passing of waypoint 14 (Virtual Mark Kulow) at bearing 230T in case there was a need to retrospectively use this for the finish results.

Dale has now concluded that for the safety of the fleet and its Race Crew, Virtual Mark Kulow will be used as the Finish Line for Stage 5. This will allow the fleet to sail slowly and with extra caution through the Great Barrier Reef area and remaining Mandatory Gates. With the visibility poor, and gusts into the forties, it will remove the pressure of racing in the trickiest section of the stage.

With Teams GOSH and UNICEF already passing Virtual Mark Kulow and making their declarations earlier today, we can announce that they have taken first and second place on Stage 5: Sta-Lok Endurance Test. A huge congratulations to both on a cracking race.

The remainder of the fleet will now race towards the finishing mark before continuing a safety-first approach in Airlie Beach.