The Clipper Round the World Race takes place every two years and is the only round the world yacht race open to non-professional crew. The race is the longest ocean race in the world, covering 40,000 miles and 6 continents, stopping in 15 ports along the way and taking almost a year to complete! The 13-14 race will be the 9th edition of the race; the first one was run in 1996.
There is one professional skipper on board the yacht and 20 amateur crew, 40 percent of whom have never sailed before signing up for the race. All this takes place on 12 identical 70 foot yachts which have been built for speed, not comfort! 21 people living and working together in a confined area will be a challenge in itself – there is no getting off the boat in the middle of the ocean if things get tough and no shops to go to if you run out of something. Life on board the yachts revolves around a ‘Watch’ system, where the crew is split in half and work four hours on watch, four hours off watch all day… and all night! Bread is baked on a daily basis on board, with every person taking their turn to act as ‘Mother’ once a week – looking after 21 people on a yacht that may be bouncing on the high seas won’t be seen as a day off from sailing the boat.
Below is an illustration of the route that might be taken for the 13-14 race.
More information about the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race can be found here.