Head Down and Hold On

Head Down and Hold On is the season premiere of The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business.

Story

Route Markers

The race begins at San Gorgonio Wind Farm in Palm Springs, California, United States.

Teams must search through a field containing hundreds of paper airplanes with various words written on them for one matching the clue "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services", leaving teams to figure out that this referred to Qantas, which are written on the correct airplanes. Once teams present a correct airplane to host Phil Keoghan, he will give them their first clue and tickets for one of two Qantas flights to their first destination, Sydney, Australia. The first eight teams would receive tickets for the first flight, and the last three teams would receive tickets for a flight schedule to depart 90 minutes after the first. In addition, the last team to complete the task would be penalized with a U-Turn on the Race's first Detour.

The order when teams found their paper airplane are as follows:

For coming in last place, Amanda & Kris received an automatic U-Turn at the first Detour they encounter.

Upon arrival at Sydney Airport, teams must travel by train to Circular Quay in Sydney Harbour, then take a ferry to Manly. Once there, teams must make their way to Oceanworld Manly, where they would find their next clue.

"Who's ready to get tanked?"

The team member assigned to perform the Roadblock must scuba dive in the Oceanworld shark and ray tank and search the tank for a compass. They must then exit the tank and use the compass to decode a message hidden in a series of nautical flags outside. The correctly decoded message instructed teams to go to the Manly 16 ft Skiff Sailing Club, find the Commodore, and tell him the phrase "I am Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" to receive their next clue.

The Roadblock performers per team are underlined:

Teams must change into wet suits, then join a sailing crew and ride a 16ft Skiff through a race course to a series of buoys from which they must retrieve their next clue.

Teams must make their way to Shelly Beach to check in.

For coming in first place, Gary & Mallory won the Express Pass.

This leg is a No-Rest Leg. Teams would check in as normal, but receive their clue to start the next leg from host Phil Keoghan. The team that comes in last place will not receive a penalty.

Leaderboard

Legend:
First Place • Eliminated • Last placer on a Non-Elimination Leg • Season winner • Season 2nd place • Season 3rd place • ► Used the Fast Forward• ϵ Used the Express Pass• ⊂ User of the first Double U-Turn slot • ⊃ Recipient of the first Double U-Turn slot • ⋐ User of the second Double U-Turn slot • ⋑ Recipient of the second Double U-Turn slot• ∪ Was penalized with an automatic U-Turn

1st place Gary & Mallory Father/Daughter	2nd place Amanda & Kris Engaged	3rd place Kisha & Jen Sisters	4th place Zev & Justin Best Friends	5th place Flight Time & Big Easy Harlem Globetrotters
6th place Jaime & Cara Former NFL Cheerleaders	7th place Margie & Luke Mother/Son	8th place Ron & Christina Father/Daughter	9th place Mel & Mike Father/Son	10th place Kent & Vyxsin Dating Goths
11th place Jet & Cord Cowboys

Trivia

This marks the first time a team is penalized with an automatic U-Turn at the first Detour, although the penalty would not be incurred until the next leg due to there being no Detour in this leg.
This leg marks the first time in which there is no rest period between two legs.
This marks the first time that no team is eliminated in the first leg, as even though the first leg of The Amazing Race 15 ended with a non-elimination point, one team had already been eliminated at the Starting Line.
The episode title is said by a sailing instructor to Jaime & Cara.

Reception

Michael Slezak at TV Line (02/21/2011): "Season Premiere Recap: Swimming With Sharks"

References

The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business Episodes
"Head Down and Hold On" · "I Never Looked So Foolish in My Whole Entire Life" · "We Had a Lot of Evil Spirits Apparently" · "This Is the Most Stupid Day Ever" · "Don't Ruin the Basketball Game" · "I Feel Like a Monkey in a Circus Parade" · "You Don't Get Paid Unless You Win" · "I Cannot Deal with Your Psycho Behavior" · "We're Good American People" · "Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen" · "This Is Where It Ends"