Live event happening today – Non-professional sailors embark on 40,000nm yacht race.

“The best years of your life are spent commuting, or behind a desk and I am done with that now. There’s a world out there, with different lives to be had. I want a taste of that whilst I am still fit and able to.”

Everyday people set out on lifechanging Clipper Round the World Yacht Race – departing Portsmouth today, Sunday 31 August.

Today, Sunday 31 August, everyday people including teachers, chefs, plumbers, students, accountants, firefighters, retirees, geographers, lawyers, software developers and doctors representing over 40 nationalities will take all that Mother Nature can muster when they embark on the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

Clipper Round the World Yacht Race ©Clipper Ventures

The Clipper Race spans 40,000 nautical miles around the world, crossing six oceans and facing all extremities of weather and sea states. From hurricane force winds, to blistering heat, the isolation of the North Pacific Ocean to learning to live on a yacht with stripped back facilities in close quarters with their teammates – this event is a true test of mental and physical fortitude.

One of the Race Crew taking part is Gareth Brown, a city worker from Colchester, Essex, who recently retired to circumnavigate with the Clipper Race. He said: “The best years of your life are spent commuting, or behind a desk and I am done with that now. There’s a world out there, with different lives to be had. I want a taste of that whilst I am still fit and able to.”

Competing against him is Wendy Greaves, a secondary school teacher from Lytham near Blakpool. She said: “I lost my husband to motor neurone disease, and with my son off to university I didn’t want to rattle around the house and when the Clipper Race popped up on Facebook it looked like the perfect distraction.

“I wanted to do something challenging, that would put me out of my comfort zone. This will certainly be a challenge!”

Clipper Round the World Yacht Race ©Clipper Ventures

The Clipper Race is unique in that it is open to anyone over 18, with no previous sailing experience required, taking people from all walks of life and training them to become ocean racers.

The youngest crew member taking part in this edition of the Clipper Race is Thomas Roy, 18, from Hamble, Hampshire. He said: “After my mum passed away, I had some funds and the opportunity to take part in the Clipper Race. I am taking a gap year between college and university, and I am a dinghy sailor, and my mother was always a sailor, so I thought I would go for it.

“All my friends are busy buying things they need for university – I am also packing but it’s a bit more hectic, it’s very different things and my bag is a lot smaller!”

Clipper Round the World Yacht Race ©Clipper Ventures

A true test of human endeavour, today, 20 sailing professionals will depart Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth, leading their ten teams, formed of non-professional sailors, on an eleven-month endurance challenge around the world.

And on this record-breaking 14th edition of the race, 11 out of the 20 exceptional leaders (55%) will be women – the first time this has been seen in a round the world sailing race.

Clipper 2025-26 Race Skipper, Ella Hebron, competed on the previous edition of the global event as a First Mate, so has already completed one circumnavigation. Ella said: “Sailing is a level playing field – with the ocean an equaliser. It’s not going to treat male or female, older or younger people any differently to each other. The relentlessness of the ocean – you can’t manipulate it, it’s there to give everyone the same challenges and everyone the same joys.”

Clipper Round the World Yacht Race ©Clipper Ventures

The race is broken down into eight legs and Race Crew can take on any combination of one, through to all eight legs – making them circumnavigators. On this edition, the race will stop in Puerto Sherry (Spain), Punta del Este (Uruguay), Cape Town (South Africa), Fremantle and Airlie Beach (Australia), Subic Bay (Philippines), Qingdao (China), Tongyeong City (Korea), Seattle (USA), Panama, Washington, DC (USA) and Oban (UK) before returning to Portsmouth (UK) next summer.

Wendy on board her Team Warrant yacht – Clipper Round the World Yacht Race – photo © Clipper Round the World Race

The Clipper Race was founded 30 years ago by legendary sailor Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo, non-stop around the world. Now in its 14th edition, the Clipper Race breaks down barriers to ocean racing and enables people from many different age, geographic and occupational backgrounds, the lifechanging opportunity to push their limits and experience Mother Nature in her raw and powerful glory.

Clipper Round the World Yacht Race ©Clipper Ventures

Leading the teams around the globe on the upcoming edition are Skipper and First Mate pairings:

• David Sautret (France) and Lorraine O Hanlon (Ireland) | Team Yacht Club Punta del Este
• Angela Brandsma (The Netherlands) and Amy Smith (UK) | Team Power of Seattle Sports
• Heather Thomas (UK) and Millie Apperley (UK) | Team Scotland
• Lowri (Lou) Boorman (UK) and Brian Uniacke (Ireland) | Team Tongyeong
• Gavin Rees (UK) and Zoe Longley (UK) | Team London Business School
• Ella Hebron (UK) and Charlie Cullen (UK) | Team Washington, DC
• Oliver Irvine (UK) and Otto Kulow (UK/Germany) | Team GOSH
• Philip Quinn (Ireland) and Faith Nordbruch (UK) | Team Qingdao
• Dylan Kotze (South Africa) and Jade Golder (UK) | Team Warrant
• Guy Waites (UK) and Diana Vega (UK) | Team UNICEF

by Clipper Round the World Race