Round the World: Race 4 ends - SAS Consultant's Yacht Continues to Lead

Team Finland, the 68-foot racing yacht with UK-based SAS consultant Andy Philips onboard, won the Africa to Australia leg of the round-the-world race last Wednesday. Having won the first two races and achieved second place in the third, Team Finland sits comfortably at the top of the leaderboard as the crews look forward to Christmas in Oz.

A win is a win, but it was closely fought, and the second placed yacht (Spirit of Australia) was just 30 minutes behind Team Finland as they crossed the finish line. That's a very close margin after nearly 30 days of 24 hour racing across 4,700 miles of the Southern Ocean.

Race four was notable for its close finish (8 yachts finished within 7 hours of each other) and a dramatic startline crash that left two yachts with an unexpected visit to the boat builders prior to leaving port. In addition, Team Finland had a too-close-for-comfort encounter with a whale. After their encounter with a squid in race 2, Team Finland's crew will be hoping for more distant contact with wildlife on the remainder of the journey!

Clipper Round the World is a unique challenge for amateur sailors and those who've never sailed before. If you fancy braving the icy conditions of the north Pacific, the energy sapping heat of the tropics, the mountainous seas of the Southern Ocean and the frustrating calms of The Doldrums, make enquires about signing-up for Clipper 2011-12. Just visit the Take Part / Sign-Up page on the Clipper web site and get a brochure and application form. No sailing experience required, just determination, resiliance and a desire to grab a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.