Team Warrant crossed the Subic Bay finish line on 10 February after 20 days 18 hours 56 minutes at sea, a result that coincides with the Clipper Round The World Race reaching its mathematical midpoint and reshuffling tactical priorities across the fleet.
Leg 5 (Stage 6) — Subic Bay Arrival and Times
Leg 5 saw the fleet depart Airlie Beach and push north through tropical trades and island-strewn waters toward the Philippines. The final approach to Subic Bay demanded tight navigation and disciplined sail management; gusty channels and fickle current eddies forced teams to choose conservative routes at times and bold covers at others.
Stage 6 Podium
| Position | Team | Skippers | Arrival Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Team Warrant | Dylan Kotze, Jade Godler | Finished evening 10 Feb — 20d 18h 56m at sea |
| 2 | London Business School | — | Arrived ~9 hours later; had boom damage and mainsail inspection en route |
| 3 | Yacht Club Punta Del Este | — | Reached ~3 hours after LBS |
Race Structure at a Glance
The Clipper circumnavigation is organized into eight legs, each with its own oceanographic and logistical challenges. Understanding the sequence helps follow crew rotation, port provisioning and the tourism opportunities at stopovers.
| Leg | Route |
|---|---|
| Leg 1 | Portsmouth (UK) → Puerto Sherry (Spain) → Punta del Este (Uruguay) |
| Leg 2 | Punta del Este → Cape Town (South Africa) |
| Leg 3 | Cape Town → Fremantle (Australia) |
| Leg 4 | Fremantle → Airlie Beach (Australia) |
| Leg 5 | East Australia → Subic Bay (Philippines) → Qingdao (China) |
| Leg 6 | Qingdao → Seattle (USA) |
| Leg 7 | West Coast USA → Panama Canal → East Coast USA |
| Leg 8 | East Coast USA → Oban (Scotland) → Portsmouth (UK) |
Navigation, Tactics and Gear
Crews relied on a mix of traditional watch systems and modern navigation tools to manage the variable island channels. The tropical trades provided a reliable northerly drive for much of the leg, but local squalls and current-driven eddies near the Philippines required frequent sail changes. The incident on London Business School—damage to their boom during a routine manoeuvre and a subsequent mainsail and rigging inspection—underlines how quickly maintenance decisions can affect arrival times.
How Leg Logistics Affect Stopover Tourism
Ports like Subic Bay benefit directly from race stopovers: logistics teams need berthing, provisioning and repairs, while crews and supporters often add local excursions. These events bolster marine services, encourage upgrades to marina infrastructure and create short-term demand for hospitality, dive charters and island transfers.
- Port services: refuelling, spare parts and rigging specialists.
- Visitor activities: diving, island hopping and cultural tours.
- Local economy: restaurants, transport and boutique accommodations.
What to See and Do in Subic Bay — Quick Ideas
- Scuba diving and wreck exploration in the bay.
- Guided island-hopping trips to nearby islets.
- Marina-side yacht parties and sunset cruises.
- Historical walking tours and local market visits.
Race fans and travellers with a mind to combine events with local exploration will find Subic Bay an engaging stopover. Shore-based logistics that support a race—tenders, berthing schedules, customs clearance—also shape the visitor experience, ensuring safe, timely transfers and well-timed excursions.
The midpoint of the Clipper Round The World Race is a useful milestone for anyone tracking race strategy or planning a sailing-focused visit to one of its ports. Highlights from Leg 5 include Team Warrant’s strong performance, the resilience shown by London Business School after a gear setback, and the tactical navigation required in island-studded waters. On GetExperience, you book your experience from verified providers at reasonable prices; this empowers you to make informed choices without unnecessary expense or disappointment. The platform’s secure payments with voucher confirmation and the option to submit tailored requests to providers make planning shore excursions and marine experiences straightforward, transparent and convenient — whether you seek a dive charter, a museum tour with live guides or an exclusive yacht charter. Book now GetExperience.com
In summary, Leg 5 into Subic Bay illustrated how crew skill, equipment management and local conditions shape outcomes and visitor opportunities. The race structure—eight legs spanning Atlantic crossings, Southern Ocean passages and Pacific challenges—creates varied tourism touchpoints: from adventure rafting trips for beginners near coastal rivers to luxury adventure travel experiences in island resorts. Race stopovers offer travel experiences that connect with cruise packages, yacht parties and exclusive yacht charters for events, alongside eco-friendly wildlife safaris or museum tours with live guides for land-based visitors. For those seeking interactive online cultural workshops or even professional esports training programs during downtime, the blend of on-water competition and on-shore culture makes following the Clipper Round The World Race a richly varied travel story.