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RACE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC

Clipper 2025-26 round the world yacht race.

Raced by people like you, this global ocean race is an endurance challenge like no other. Crew come from all walks of life and nations around the world to tackle one or multiple legs of the record-breaking circumnavigation. Train from novice to become an ocean racer as part of a team onboard a 70-foot ocean racing yacht. Guided by a professional race skipper and first mate you’ll face the world’s most extreme ocean conditions and mental challenges before returning victorious.

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Led by a professional Skipper and Mate, you can choose to compete in the full 40,000 nautical mile circumnavigation, or test yourself on one or more of the eight unique race legs to suit your schedule and budget. This bucket list experience can see you taking on the notorious Atlantic, Southern Ocean and North Pacific including stopovers in some of the world's most spectacular destinations.

We take lessons from having raced more than 3 million miles and apply them to our pioneering four-level training. Even if you have never sailed before, our mandatory program will enable you to take on some of the most extreme environments on the planet with confidence. As part of your training package we'll kit you out with cutting edge foul weather gear, tried, tested and approved by the world's top professional sailors.

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"BY TAKING ON MOTHER NATURE’S TOUGHEST CONDITIONS, WE WIDEN OUR HORIZONS AND HAVE MEMORIES TO CHERISH THAT CAN ONLY BE WON THROUGH EXPERI ENCE AND TEAMWORK"

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The world's first solo, non-stop circumnavigator, chairman | clipper round the world yacht race.

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Release the shackles of normality.  With adventure your guide, courage your companion you'll chase unfamiliar stars to distant lands and follow the horizon to its edge and keep going. You will be humbled by the fury of mother nature and rewarded in equal measure, with vibrant displays from the natural world.

The Clipper Race will challenge you to step outside your comfort zone, stretching both your physical and mental limits. Whether you're looking for the challenge of epic ocean storms, facing 15m waves and hurricane-force winds, or the tactical challenge of navigating the Doldrums now you can prove to yourself what you are truly capable of.

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Globetrotting sailors depart DC for final leg of the Clipper Race with firework fanfare

by Noah Shubert

WASHINGTON (7News) — For over a week now, The Wharf in Washington, D.C. has housed a collection of boats belonging to some of the toughest people on Earth, and tonight they set sail again.

Even with a large red archway reading "Welcome to the Clipper Race Fanzone" adorning the Waterfront walkway, passersby who chose not to stop in may not truly comprehend the sheer gravity of the event.

Since June 17, the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race , a 40,000 nautical mile (NM) boat race circumnavigating the globe, has docked in the local D.C. port for the first time.

Team Washington, DC currently sits in tenth place.

The 11 teams participating in the race have enjoyed an eight-day respite in the Nation's Capital after concluding the second part of the race's seventh leg, a 1,990 NM stretch from the Flamenco & Shelter Bay Marinas in Panama. The seventh leg originated in Seattle, Washington before the Central American stop.

The eight-legged in totality race began Sept. 3, 2023, when boats set sail from Portsmouth, U.K. Along their journey, the clippers have docked in ports worldwide including Spain, Uruguay, South Africa, Australia, Vietnam, China, Panama, and the United States.

SEE ALSO | Katie Pumphrey to make waves with historic 24-mile swim from Bay to Baltimore Tuesday

June 25 marks the start of the race's final leg, "The Atlantic Homecoming," a 3,823NM transatlantic odyssey stopping in Oban, Scotland before the ultimate conclusion of the race on July 27 at its origin in Portsmouth.

In celebrating the momentous occasion, The Wharf has planned a grand sendoff event. The eleven yachts will begin their departure at 8 p.m. in a slipping lines ceremony followed by a parade of sail where the vessels will line up together in formation. A large fireworks display will begin at 9 p.m., completing the ceremony as the teams set sail for Europe.

An astounding 730 total crew members manage the 11 yachts. Each boat is manned by one skipper, one first mate, and a crew of around 70 other individuals who keep things running smoothly.

The first Clipper Race took place in 1996, with over 6,000 lifetime competitors in its 28-year history. No previous sailing experience is required, but prospective competitors must complete a 4-week long ocean racing course before being approved to participate.

CLIPPER ROUND THE WORLD YACHT RACE

An adventure like.

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is a renowned and extraordinary sailing event that pushes participants to their limits.

Spanning over 40,000 nautical miles, this epic race takes non-professional sailors on a challenging journey around the globe.

Divided into multiple legs, teams navigate epic sea states, battle unpredictable weather conditions, and experience the thrill of ocean racing.

With a fleet of identical yachts, the race promotes camaraderie, teamwork, and personal growth, offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ambitious individuals to embrace the extraordinary world of offshore sailing.

CIRCUMNAVIGATION

Race Crew choose to participate in one leg, combine several or complete the full eleven month circumnavigation, a profound experience that expands horizons, tests limits, and fosters a deep appreciation for the vastness and diversity of our planet.

CLIPPER 70 FLEET

The Clipper 70 racing fleet of eleven identical cutting-edge, high-performance yachts is specifically designed for the demanding challenges of ocean racing. These state-of-the-art vessels showcase innovation, speed, and reliability, providing a thrilling platform for teams to compete safely in the Clipper Race.

Our brands centre around adventure and breaking out of comfort zones to embrace the unknown. To do this successfully, safety is core to what we undertake everyday, for everyone.

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The sprint is on: Clipper Race fleet heads for Airlie Beach in short, tactical offshore race

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CAPE TOWN FOR CAPETONIANS

A South African first: Cape Town skipper wins Clipper Race Atlantic leg

South Africa added to its bottomless bag of sporting victories when a crew captained by Capetonian Ryan Gibson triumphed in the South Atlantic leg of the illustrious Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and arrived in his home city on Thursday morning.

Also read: Clipper Round the World Yacht Race comes to Cape Town

This is the first time a South African has won this leg of the Clipper Race, an event that started in 1996 and sees people from all walks of life – whether professional sailors or not – train to take part in an eight-stage race around the world.

‘Dare To Lead’ won Race Three of the global circumnavigation, just five nautical miles ahead of second-placed team ‘Perseverance’.

Gibson is the skipper of a mixed-nationality team called ‘Dare To Lead’ which includes six South African non-professional crew members. As the sun rose over Table Mountain on Friday morning, Gibson and his team sailed across the finish line after racing 3 555 nautical miles from Uruguay.

The team had been in second place for the majority of the 19-day leg race but with just 48 hours of the voyage to go, the team used Stealth Mode (a tactical feature of the race that allows the teams to become hidden from each other for a 24-hour period) and popped back onto the race’s tracker in first place after heading south.

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Beyond being the first South African skipper to win the South Atlantic leg, this is a significant win for two reasons: it was the skipper’s first time in 15 years that he sailed into his home city, and he also opted to play his team’s Joker, which garnered the team double finishing position points.

Upon arriving at the V&A Waterfront, Gibson said, ‘This feels unbelievable. It’s sinking in now, and I am super proud of everyone.’

‘We just wanted to keep fighting and fighting. We learnt from the other legs to just never give up. It’s been a challenging crossing, we had some really high pressure which gave us some good speed, and then this morning ended up in a wind hole – so we had a painfully slow and tense finish,’ Gibson told the Clipper Race management team.

‘But everyone is so excited to be here in Cape Town. The South Africans on board have been talking about it so much, so arriving into Table Bay this morning was such a special moment. This is definitely a highlight of my career, and it will be forever,’ he added.

Gibson’s fellow South Africans on board ‘Dare To Lead’ are:

• Retief Jordaan – 38, Langebaan, construction manager, Circumnavigator
• Donavan Hendricks – 46, Johannesburg, managing director, Leg 2
• Nathali Immelman – 40, South African living in the UK, mental health practitioner, Leg 2
• Pieter Malherbe – 53, Malmesbury, business owner, Leg 2
• Marco Xinisteris – 43, Bedfordview, food processing, Leg 2 & 3
• Antoon Hofman – 31, Johannesburg, product developer, Leg 2

The fleet of eleven Clipper 70 ocean racing yachts will be berthed at the V&A Waterfront until 18 November and the public is invited to tour one of the yachts and get a taste of what it’s like to live on board.

Tours are available at Quay 6 from 11 am to 7 pm from 14 to 16 November.

There will also be a schedule of discovery talks happening at the amphitheatre where you can find out what it takes to become a Clipper Race Crew member. Discovery talks take place from 14 to 16 November, at 12pm, 4pm and 7pm each day.

To learn about the world’s toughest ocean challenge, explore interactive exhibits, watch race highlights, and chat with ex-race crew members, make your way to the Clipper Race Discovery Dome, which will be present until 18 November, from 9am to 5pm daily.

Come 18 November, the fleet will then set sail for Fremantle, Australia.

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Picture:  Clipper Round the World Yacht Race / Facebook

Article written by Tauhira Ajam

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About the race

The Clipper Race is one of the biggest challenges of the natural world and an endurance test like no other.

With no previous sailing experience necessary, before signing up for the intensive training programme, it’s a record-breaking 40,000 nautical mile race around the world on a 70-foot ocean racing yacht. The next edition will be the Clipper 2025-26 Race and will begin in late summer 2025. The route is divided into eight legs and between 13 and 16 individual races including six ocean crossings. You can choose to complete the full circumnavigation or select one or multiple legs.

The brainchild of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world, the first Clipper Race took place in 1996. Since then, almost 6,000 Race Crew from all walks of life and more than 60 nations have trained and raced in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race; the only race in the world where the organisers supply a fleet of identical racing yachts (eleven), each with a fully qualified skipper and first mate to safely guide the crew. Crew complete four levels of intense ocean racer training before they compete. Mother Nature does not distinguish between female and male, professional or novice. There is nowhere to hide - if Mother Nature throws down the gauntlet, you must be ready to face the same challenges as the pro racer. Navigate the Atlantic Tradewinds and Doldrums en route to South America, endure the epic Roaring Forties, experience Indian Ocean sunsets, face the mountainous seas of the mighty Pacific - and bond with an international crew creating lifelong memories before returning victorious.

Seize the moment, unleash the adventure.

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is the only event of its type. Anyone, even if they have never stepped on a boat before, can join the adventure.

History of the Race

Since the first Clipper Race crew left Plymouth in October 1996 on board eight 60-foot yachts, the race’s increase in size is almost immeasurable.

Today more than 5,000 people and three generations of Clipper Race ocean racing fleets have competed in what is known to be the world’s toughest ocean racing challenge.

The route of each edition of the race is unique, often formed by Host Ports around the globe. In the race’s twenty five year history, more than fifty cities have played host to the Clipper Race.

Click here to further explore the history of the race.

The third generation of one-design Clipper Race yachts debuted in the Clipper 2013-14 Race, proving to be faster and more dynamic than previous Clipper Race yachts.

The eleven 70-foot yachts make up world’s largest matched fleet of ocean racing yachts. Designed by renowned naval architect Tony Castro, they are the shining jewel in the Clipper Race crown, perfectly adapted to this gruelling sailing challenge.

Click here to learn more about the Clipper 70s.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston

Over 50 years have gone by since Sir Robin Knox-Johnston made history by becoming the first man to sail solo and non-stop around the globe in 1968-69.

One of nine sailors to compete in the Times Golden Globe Race, Sir Robin set off from Falmouth, with no sponsorship, on 14 June 1968. With his yacht Suhaili packed to the gunwales with supplies he set off on a voyage that was to last just over ten months. He arrived back in Falmouth after 312 days at sea, on 22 April 1969, securing his place in the history books.

Sir Robin wanted everyone to have the opportunity to experience the challenge and sheer exhilaration of ocean racing because there are far more flags of success on the top of Mount Everest than on the high seas.

Among many other races, in 2007 Sir Robin has circumnavigated again in the VELUX 5 OCEANS race at the age of 68. In addition, Sir Robin competed in the 10th anniversary edition of the Route de Rhum race which started in St Malo, France, on 2 November 2014, and finished at the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe.

Published on June 27th, 2024 | by Assoc Editor

Clipper Race: The race to Scotland is on!

Published on June 27th, 2024 by Assoc Editor -->

(June 27, 2024) – The last ocean crossing and Race 13 is on for the 2023-24 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race participants. The Le Mans Start took place approximately 50 nautical miles out to sea from Chesapeake Bay at 10:00 East Coast Time (15:00 GMT). All the boats started on an easterly heading of about 80 degrees. Ten minutes later and it was every team for themselves with the difference in headings varying by almost 180 degrees.

This is the first time on this edition there has been such a massive variation in tactics at the start and followers cannot wait to see how the strategies play out.

Orchestrating the Le Mans Start was Qingdao Skipper Philip Quinn, whose team has won the past two races. He reported back from the starting line, “Welcome to the start of Race 13, from Washington, DC to Oban in Scotland. With another Le Mans underway, the fleet got off on time at 1000 local (1400 UTC).

“As the lead boat we were placed in the center of the line, where we got the fleet lined up in order. With help from all the other Skippers we were able to start on time. Just as we started, the wind changed direction, but we were able to hold our positions and course for the regulated ten minutes before we saw the fleet hoist spinnakers.

“Some choosing the biggest Code 1 and others the smallest windseeker. Some boats also immediately gybed and changed course, shortly followed by everyone else. So now the race is on. Thanks to all the other Skippers for their help in making the start work.”

The battle for the overall win of the 2023-24 Clipper Race was as hot as it gets before the start, and now it’s cranked up another notch as things turn red hot out there. Overall race leader Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam has blasted off on an easterly heading, but surprisingly Perseverance and Zhuhai, both of which finally played their Jokers this race, didn’t decide to cover or chase Bob Beggs and his crew, and have instead opted for a course 90 degrees to the north of Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam’s.

In a short report from Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam, its First Mate Cameron McCracken said, “It was a particularly light final Le Mans Start of the 2023-24 edition, but it was excellently organized by lead skipper and Mr. Qingdao, Philip Quinn. It took a few gybes and sail plans before the boats finally found the breeze to set us on our way to Oban, but we’re moving now and raring for the race ahead.”

Getting straight into tactics, Perseverance Skipper, Ineke Van der Weijden reported, “We are on our way for Race 13: Oban Atlantic Homecoming. However, to get us going was one of the strangest Le Mans Starts I ever had. Under the expert leadership of Phil, we were all lined up perfectly and on a fine reach. So far, all normal. Then, right as we start, the wind changes, and we have a deep down wind start with just 4 knots of wind. So very slow going.

“Everybody started getting Code 1 and wind seekers on deck, and just as Phil indicates the 10 minutes are over, the wind changes again. Now we are all of a sudden on the other gybe. Half the fleet hoisting kites on the one gybe, the other on the other gybe. If there had been any more wind it might have gotten spicy, but as it was, we just all floated in various directions.

“As we were originally the leeward boat, the wind shift technically meant we ended up starting as windward boat. Nice! I think we managed quite well out of the strange situation, but the wind is still very, very light, so it will be interesting to see who comes out of this ahead when it fills in.”

Joining the chasing duo on northerly headings are forth placed Dare To Lead, fifth placed UNICEF, as well as PSP Logistics, Bekezela and homeward bound team Our Isles and Oceans.

Ready to start racing, Skipper Ryan Gibson on board Dare To Lead said, “We have just started Race 13 from Washington, DC to Oban, Scotland in interesting conditions since the wind changed direction completely at the start.

“However, lead Skipper Philip on Qingdao managed to get it started and the fleet is currently getting taken along by current and no wind in different directions. We are all excited, motivated and ready to give 140% for the second to last race of this circumnavigation. Let’s go!”

Dan Bodey, Skipper on board UNICEF reported, “Our last Le Mans Start is proving to be a challenging one, with light winds making tactical choices hard to figure out. It is interesting to see the different sail plans amongst the fleet. We feel on UNICEF we did well and are very excited for the rest of the race.”

Skipper of Bekezela, David Hartshorn said, “Well done Philip on Qingdao, on being the lead skipper of a difficult one weather wise, light variable wind. I wouldn’t have wished to call that one, but we are off on the home coming ocean crossing, so thank you. Light winds saw the team conduct a faultless Le Mans headsail hoist and then reacted swiftly to demands from #1 (First Mate Maisie) and myself to hoist the Code 1 at the end of the 10 minutes.

“Just at the point of hoisting, the wind flipped, and we had to switch from a starboard to a port hoist. But they did and now we are crawling slowly at 1.8kts, and not quite the right way, but then so is the rest of the fleet. Oban, standby we are on our way.”

Hoping for another podium spot, Skipper Mike Miller reported from PSP Logistics, “Well, that was an entertaining start. The wind was just strong enough to get the race underway, well done Phil and Henry, but just as the start horn sounded there was a huge wind shift, to the extent that we, at the leeward end of the line, suddenly found ourselves at the windward end.

“Some quick thinking and some good crew work got our spinnaker up on the other side of the boat, and we find ourselves surprisingly well placed as we push towards the breeze and the current.”

Reporting back from Our Isles and Oceans, Skipper Max Rivers said, “For the Le Mans Start we found ourselves at the windward end of the pack, normally a favourable position. However, a large unexplained and un-forecast change of wind direction caused chaos in the fleet, with people heading in all sorts of directions and a high variety of sail plans.

“The wind doesn’t look like it is going to settle or fill in for a number of hours, so for the moment we play the waiting and teasing game and hope to catch whatever wind we can find as soon as we can. The crew performed well, communicating effectively and managing the required sail plans when they were asked, helping us perform smoothly and effectively.”

Yacht Club Punta del Este is currently the most southerly pointing team and is in what we’ll call the easterly pointing pack for now, with Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam leading Qingdao, Washington, DC and Yacht Club Punta del Este on the most southerly heading.

Nano Antia, Skipper on board Yacht Club Punta del Este said, “A very well executed Le Mans Start by Phil from Qingdao. It was very hard as the wind was light and shifty. We all thought we were upwind but as soon as we started the wind was directly behind us.

“We were the most windward boat, so a downwind start was not great but we managed to hoist fast and moving forward. We are now under spinnaker going east trying to escape as tonight is forecasted to ease off again. Let’s see what happens! Vamos Punta!!”

Joker-playing Zhuhai is determined for a strong result on this race. Skipper of Zhuhai, James Finney reports, ”Finally Leg 8 is under way. It was a little anti climactic at first as after an initial puff, the wind deserted us for a good hour or so, with boats going in every direction that wasn’t to Oban. Thankfully, the wind has filled in for us now and we are very much underway with Perseverance in hot pursuit. We’ll see you all in Oban!”

And after a superb stopover in its home port, Washington, DC has set sail for Oban. Skipper Hannah Brewis said, “At the pace of snails, Race 13 is off! As always, a very well executed Le Mans Start was organized by Qingdao Skipper Phil. What wasn’t anticipated was as Phil counted down to 1000LT the wind completely shifted and died, This left us all quite stuck as yankees and staysails slapped around, and we patiently waited for the 10 minutes of “holding course” to elapse.

“Once this was over there was a flurry of activity as the boats switched to Code 1 or windseeker. After a few hours of wallowing about, the wind has filled, and the fleet is moving in the right direction. Long may it last.”

With three teams vying to hold on to the leaderboard podium and others chasing at their sterns and even more with a realistic chance of bagging an overall podium finish, this is without doubt the most important strategic moment of this race so far.

All fans can do now is sit back comfortably on the sofa and enjoy watching what promises to be an exciting couple of weeks of racing.

Race details – Team list – Race route – Tracker – Facebook

2023-24 edition will take the following route (updated):

Leg 1 Race 1. Portsmouth, UK – Puerto Sherry, Spain (1200nm) – 3 Sept Race Start, arrive 9 Sept Race 2. Puerto Sherry, Spain – Punta del Este, Uruguay (5300nm) – 15 Sept Race Start, arrive 12-16 Oct

Leg 2 Race 3. Punta Del Este, Uruguay – Cape Town, South Africa (3555 nm)- 22 Oct Race start, arrive 6-10 Nov

Leg 3 Race 4. Cape Town, South Africa – Fremantle, Australia (4750 nm) – 18 Nov Race Start, arrive 8-13 Dec

Leg 4 Race 5. Fremantle, Australia – Newcastle, Australia (2510nm) – Race Start 19 Dec, Arrival 1-4 Jan 2024 Race 6. Newcastle – Airlie Beach, Australia (985nm) – Race Start 10 Jan, Arrive 16-17 Jan

Leg 5 Race 7. Airlie Beach, Australia – Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam (4515nm) – Race Start 28 Jan, Arrive 21-26 Feb Race 8. Ha Long Bay – Zhuhai, China (645nm) – Race Start 2 March, Arrive 6-7 March

Leg 6 Race 9. Zhuhai, China – Qingdao, China (1370nm) – Race Start 12 March- Arrive 21-22 March Race 10. Qingdao – Seattle, USA (5580nm) – Race Start 27 March, Arrive 21-26 April

Leg 7 Race 11. Seattle, USA – Panama Canal (4200nm) – Race Start 5 May, Arrive Panama 27 May-1 Jun Race 12. Panama-Washington, DC, USA (1990nm) – Race Start 5 June, Arrive 17-19 June

Leg 8 Race 13. Washington, DC, USA – Oban, Scotland (3340nm) – Race Start 25 June, Arrive 12-16 July Race 14. Oban – Portsmouth, UK (815nm) – Race Start 21 July, Arrive 27 July

About the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race: The Clipper Race was established in 1996 by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world in 1968-69. His aim was to allow anyone, regardless of previous sailing experience, the chance to embrace the thrill of ocean racing; it is the only event of its kind for amateur sailors.

Held biennially, the Clipper 2023-24 Round the World Yacht Race got underway September 3 for the fleet of eleven identical Tony Castro designed Clipper 70s. This 13th edition has 24 crew aboard each yacht, coming from 63 different nationalities (105 sailors from the USA) for the 40,000 mile circumnavigation of the world.

The course is divided into 8 legs and 14 individual races, with some of the crew in for the entire circumnavigation while others will do individual legs. The team having the best cumulative score over the entire course will win the Clipper Race Trophy.

Source: Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

Tags: Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

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