CV5

This is the former Gold Coast Australia which won 12 of the 15 legs in the 2011-12 edition of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race under Tasmanian skipper Richard Hewson and his crew. Prior to that, it competed in the previous three editions respectively as Team Finland (was second), Jamaica (10^th) and Jersey (ninth).

This time around, the yacht will be skippered by Rolex Sydney Hobart novice, Piers Dudin, who skippered Hull & Humber in the 2009/10 race to fourth place and Edinburgh Inspiring Capital in 2011/12.  However, on the leg from Qingdao to San Francisco in 2010, he broke his right leg after falling and had to be lifted from the yacht and hospitalised.

Dudin’s parents are sailors, so it was natural he would follow and cut his teeth in dinghies. The Englishman has been a professional skipper for the past seven years, so has a lot to offer when it comes to the Rolex Sydney Hobart, with more than 100,000 sea miles logged. He will deliver the yacht to Australia to warm up for the main event.

Come January, he will help lead crew training and development and participate in local sailing events at Clipper Ventures' new Sydney training and events base.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (74), the legendary British yachtsman who became the first person to circumnavigate the world solo, non-stop, and founder/chairman of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, will navigate in his second Hobart aboard either this boat or CV10. For the first time ever, he will race against his Clipper Race fleet of 12 brand new Clipper 70 yachts and their amateur crews, who are competing in the Rolex Sydney Hobart as part of their 16 leg round the world race.

Competitor Details