Gold Coast hosts Clipper Race

The Boat Works crew are busy preparing for the arrival of the prestigious 68-foot Clipper fleet currently sprinting from Tauranga, New Zealand, to the Gold Coast for Race Six of the great Clipper Round The World Yacht Race.

The ten international racing yachts are expected to reach the finish line on the Gold Coast Broadwater between December 11-13, having departed the North Island of New Zealand on December 4, and will be slipped and repaired onsite The Boat Works’ 9.2 hectare Coomera facility.

"The race is a very prestigious international event. We are delighted to have been selected as the exclusive marine service operation on the Gold Coast to provide maintenance and repair services to the fleet of high-performance yachts during their Australian stopover," says David Whyte, General Manager of The Boat Works.

"The Clippers are incredible racing craft, something any boating enthusiast can get excited about. They certainly have had a workout so far during the race having travelled halfway around the world to arrive on the Gold Coast later this month.”

The public is welcome to view the yachts being removed from the water and receiving out-of-the-water maintenance during the yachts’ stopover at The Boat Works up until their departure for Race Seven on the 24 December 2011.

Named after sponsoring cities and countries, the identical fleet each has a professional skipper and 18 crew members onboard. Gold Coast Australia’s team, skippered by 31-year- old Richard Hewson from Tasmania, has startled the international audience by pursuing and maintaining the lead for the last five races. Team supporters will be watching to see if they can continue to hold their winning streak on arrival to their hometown.

Local enthusiasts have the opportunity to meet the crew of the Gold Coast Australia and view the yacht during a ‘Signing of the Keel’ event at The Boat Works, 1 Boat Works Drive, Coomera next Wednesday 14 December, from 8.00am to 6.00pm and on Thursday 15 December from 8.00 to 11.00am. The Queensland Premier Anna Bligh will visit the keel signing and the Boat Works around 10.00am on Thursday. Gold coin donations from the keel-signing event will go to Sailability – the disabled persons’ sailing initiative.

The vessels will undergo hardstand maintenance during the stopover with use of a 70-tonne Travel Lift that works in tandem with a 45-tonne Sea Lift; the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere. Hull cleaning, sail repair and other general maintenance will be required to enable the yachts to continue the world’s longest yacht race.

The race was founded and is now chaired by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail non-stop and solo around the world in 1969. The race route circumnavigates the globe and will take 11 months to complete.

The former Gold Coast Marine Centre, recently re launched as The Boat Works to reflect the considerable growth and investment in industry leading marine facilities, offers an innovative boatyard, marina, storage operation and marine business leasing opportunities. The Boat Works site is located on the sheltered Coomera riverfront, and now maintains a professional marine village with a vast array of specialist marine trades and local businesses operating in one modern and efficient complex.