It seems difficult to even imagine the Clipper Race without a Christmas stopover in Western Australia and, given that there is likely to be an entire crew made up of Australians, I would suspect that Fremantle will retain its status as the seasonal stopover. It is the only stopover which pretty much guarantees the crews a decent break. This is because there are over 6,000 miles of uninterrupted ocean between Cape Horn heading East toward Australia. That means fast downwind sailing for the boats and it is very unlikely that they will delayed by weather. So all being well, they should get over two weeks on land before they set off on leg 4.
The southern oceans provide some of the most spectacular and potentially most challenging conditions of the whole race. The Roaring Forties is a name given, especially by sailors, to the latitudes between 40°S and 50°S, so called because of the boisterous and prevailing westerly winds. The winds of the Roaring Forties played a significant part in the traditional tea clipper route and is a key challenge for the Clipper Round the World Race and one where we should see the top speeds recorded.
Nonetheless, the crews will find it tough and will be delighted to have the opportunity of resting up in Fremantle where they should arrive in good time to celebrate Christmas.
Fremantle (or Freo to the locals) lies very close to Perth on the western coast of Australia and has a strong sailing tradition including hosting the Americas Cup in 1987. It also has great beaches, excellent night life, alfresco dining in the cappuccino strip and an operational harbour with a wealth of Italian, Asian and Seafood restaurants. Can't see the crews getting bored here....
Like Hampshire it also has a huge port which provides some 5,700 jobs. As the population is only 7,600 I guess that provides a lot of jobs from neighbouring Perth.
Benchmark data from 07-08 shows the fleet leaving Durban on 25 November and arriving in Fremantle around 16 December. In 09-10 they are expected to arrive from 14 December. Here, crews will enjoy a longer than usual break. Partly because of Christmas and New Year. But spare a thought for the shore support who will be working hard on the boats over this period. Every boat will be lifted out of the water and hulls repainted in readiness for the next leg to Singapore.
The southern oceans provide some of the most spectacular and potentially most challenging conditions of the whole race. The Roaring Forties is a name given, especially by sailors, to the latitudes between 40°S and 50°S, so called because of the boisterous and prevailing westerly winds. The winds of the Roaring Forties played a significant part in the traditional tea clipper route and is a key challenge for the Clipper Round the World Race and one where we should see the top speeds recorded. 
