Sweet victory, thank you awesome team!
What a race finish!
Only six minutes separated us and Gold Coast Australia in the final charge towards the finish line, which we crossed first thanks to relentless trimming all the way until the very end. The video shows Tea sitting on the pulpit and Carl standing next to the inner forestay calling the trim of their respective sails. I manned the staysail winch during the approach to the finish line.
It is very funny to see yourself and the team on video, after all we never get to see ourselves from outside the boat. Those few walking steps that I take on video does resemble very much a gait of a baby gorilla, and somehow I think this is perfectly fair comparison. After all we trot around the deck with bent knees and taking knuckle support from which ever surface happens to be on the way to the destination, and bagging salopettes do not help either. We’re less hairy though, however give it another 7 months and perhaps we’d start looking more like our big ape cousins.
The approach to finish line was nerve wrecking, thanks to Gold Coast steaming on our heels. The finish line was marked with two yellow buoys. We were expecting a hoot of some sort from the committee boat, that’s why we kept checking the buoys behind the headsails as we were not sure whether we were across the line yet or not. The hoot never came, therefore the cheer was a little late from the actual crossing.
Below photo of the Visit Finland leg 4 team is linked from Clipper Race website. More photos in the gallery there. Clipper Race news article also gives more insight into the race 6 finish.
Visit Finland team before setting off from Tauranga, NZ to Southport, AU in The Clipper Round the World 11-12 Race 6. From left to right: Perttu Monthan (FIN), Lexi Van Geest (UK/NZ), Tea Melsom (FIN/UK), Carl Palmer (SWE/FR), Greg Puttock (UK), Riikka Puustinen (FIN/UK), Paul Arkell (UK), Paul Knighton (UK), Nick Brooke (UK), Jo Poulton (UK), MC Chapman (UK), Carter Croft (UK/FR), Derek Baker (UK), Skipper Olly Osborne (UK). Inga Monthan (FIN) is missing from the photo.
Support team on shore waved flags on our arrival. Photo by Kit de Guymer.
Visit Finland after finishing Clipper Race 11-12 race 6. I'm holding the big Finnish flag in the middle with Carl.
Visit Finland arrives to Southport Marina
Visit Finland crew and skipper make their way to Southport Marina Yacht Club for a breakfast reception. Photo by Kit de Guymer
My photos at flickr:
