One Storm Too Many

April 1, 2012

The ten 68-ft one design cutters racing in Clipper 11-12's 6,000-mile Leg 6 from Qingdao, China, to San Francisco Bay have endured a grueling and storm-swept four weeks at sea in the Northern Pacific, with hardships and mishaps too numerous to list here. Nine of them crossed the Golden Gate Bridge finish line this weekend, beginning with overall race leader Gold Coast Australia on Friday night. Singapore arrived on Saturday morning, New York and Derry-Londonderry on Saturday afternoon, Qingdao and Welcome to Yorkshire overnight, De Lage Landen at sunrise this morning, followed by Edinburgh Inspiring Capital and then finally Visit Finland early this afternoon.

Gold Coast Austalia was first to cross the rather photogenic finish line. ©2012 Abner Kingman/onEdition

Jack London was ready to greet Gold Coast Australia on Friday night, with goodie bags from the yacht's official greeters, the crew of Latitude 38. ©2012 norcalsailing.com

“Watch out Oakland, there are some thirsty sailors heading your way!” said the British skipper of Singapore, Ben Bowley.

Singapore finished second. ©2012 Barry Demak/J/World Sailing

All nine of the boats which have finished are now safe and snug in berths at Jack London Square, where there will remain until April 14, when they depart for the Panama Canal on Leg 7. On April 12-13 they'll be on display as part of Strictly Sail Pacific.

Third place New York. ©2012 Barry Demak/J/World Sailing

Derry-Londonderry got a break in Saturday's storm for their afternoon finish. ©2012 Barry Demak/J/World Sailing

Qingdao and Welcome to Yorkshire finished during the night. ©2012 Clipper Race/www.clipperroundtheworld.com

The Dutch boat, De Lage Landen, finished at sunrise this morning. ©2012 Barry Demak/J/World Sailing

Edinburgh Inspiring Capital crossed the finish line this morning under clear skies with gusty winds. ©2012 Barry Demak/J/World Sailing

The San Francisco Bar was breaking all the way across today. Waves were predicted to be as big as 28 feet. Visit Finland is in the red circle. ©2012 norcalsailing.com

The trailing boat, Geraldton Western Australia, endured one storm too many. While caught in a massive low pressure system 400 nm offshore, they took a large wave over their deck, which washed away their steering mount and wheel and some of their communications equipment and injured four crew members. Earlier plans to parachute U.S. Coast Guard personnel onto the yacht from a C-130 plane were abandoned due to the weather conditions. (Has anyone ever heard of the Coast Guard parachuting to a vessel in distress?)

Geraldton Western Australia was at last report 239 nm off the California coast, still beyond the range of a shore-based helicopter, so a Coast Guard cutter with a deck helipad has been dispatched to rendezvous with her in order to carry out a two-part airlift of the injured crew if necessary.

For more on the Clipper Race, including updates on the fate of Geraldton Western Australia, see www.clipperroundtheworld.com.