Latest news with #ClipperRoundtheWorldYachtRace
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Man to sail around the world with no prior experience
A man is taking on an endurance challenge like no other, spending the best part of a year on a yacht, despite no previous sailing experience. Kevin Lynch, 42, from Wokingham, Berkshire is preparing to take part in a 40,000-mile nautical race around the globe, starting in Portsmouth, Hampshire on 31 August. At its most remote points, those competing in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race will be closer to astronauts on the International Space Station than people on Earth. Mr Lynch, who previously worked in IT, said he "didn't even have an interest in sailing" before signing up for the challenge. The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, crewed mainly by non-professional sailors, was founded 30 years ago by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston in March 1995. Participants will complete four weeks of training ahead of the 11-month route through treacherous seas. Taking part in all of the different legs of the race costs around £50,000. The global race will also take in Cape Town, Qingdao, Tongyeong City, Seattle and Oban. Mr Lynch told BBC Berkshire he loves being outdoors and taking on challenges, having previously undertaken a running trip in Borneo. He said: "If I'm not outdoors and doing challenges then I'm indoors, doing rock climbing and hot yoga." He said in many ways, he is "not the right man for the job". He explained how he saw an advert on social media last year and thought it looked "pretty cool". He then made a "spontaneous" application after taking voluntary redundancy in December. He said: "I'm not sure I even know what I'm doing, I've had no experience in sailing and no interest which is strange. "The high end training that they put you through is seriously intense. "There's people from all walks of life and all levels of sailing. "There could be people who have done their yacht masters who actually teach people like me, who have no sailing experience and people who sailed when they were young and want to get back into it." He said he is "physically prepared" and looking forward to getting to know his race team. He added: "I'm going to be cold, I'm probably going to get seasick and be tired, but that's okay, I will deal with it - I know it's going to happen." You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Yacht race takes amateur sailors round the world Derry to miss out on 2024 clipper world yacht race Clipper yacht arriving in Londonderry Clipper Round the World Yacht Race
BBC News
28-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Derby sailor to race around the world with amateur crew
A woman from Derby will spend a year sailing around the world in a 70ft yacht crewed by mate Zoe Longley will be one of two professional sailors on board one of 10 yachts taking part in the biannual Clipper Round the World Yacht Race - dubbed the "world's toughest endurance challenge".The crews will make six ocean crossings and call into 14 ports across the globe, including Oban, Cape Town, Qingdao and said the race was set to be "intense" but the opportunity to sail around the world was a dream come true. She said: "I've wanted to sail around the world for a long time."I've heard it's a bit of a test but I'm very much up for it as I'm sure all the crew are."There's lots of pulling on ropes, lots of pulling on sails, lots of boat tilting trying not to fall off." Each crew, aside from the skipper and first mate, is made up of amateurs who will be steering their vessels 40,000 nautical miles when the event gets under way from Portsmouth on 31 Longley, 27, said: "They don't have to have had any previous experience before they sign up to do the Clipper Race but they would have all done at least four weeks of intense sailing to prepare for the race."And then as the race goes on the training continues, it never stops so by the end of the race the circumnavigators are pretty good - there's actually two mates this year that were circumnavigators the race before."Taking charge of an inexperienced crew means the event carries out a rigorous selection Rivers, deputy race director, said: "Our talented first mates have sailed all over the world and come from diverse maritime backgrounds."Their primary role throughout the race is to support the team skipper in all aspects of boat management, meaning this bunch are not only great sailors but also teachers, leaders and mentors for the race crew." Miss Longley has previous experience on transatlantic deliveries, conservation expeditions in Mexico and crewing scuba diving vessels in said: "Before this job I did lots of other stuff including some skippering myself, so I feel very much prepared for this new exciting adventure."It doesn't really feel like giving up a year of my life for a job, it feels quite the opposite."
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Clipper round-the-world yacht race set to return to Scotland next summer
OBAN is set to welcome the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race once again, after it was selected as a port in the 25/26 edition of the legendary sailing challenge. The west coast town hosted the race for the first time in July last year, when it was estimated to have attracted thousands of visitors to the area and generated £2 million in revenue from the crews and their families alone. The town will be hoping for a repeat of this success when the competition's 11 boats and 200 sailors arrive there in early summer 2026, during the town's international sailing festival. The stopover will come during leg eight of the 40,000-nautical mile race, when the sailors will be tackling the 3900 nautical miles from North America to the finish line in Portsmouth. READ MORE: Five of the best things to do in Oban as it's crowned Scottish town of the year The announcement comes just months after Oban was named Scotland town of the year in the 2024 Scotland Loves Local awards. Argyll and Bute council leader Jim Lynch said it was 'fantastic news' that the race will be returning to Oban next year. 'It's a huge, international event and so is a welcome opportunity to attract people to Oban, and Argyll and Bute more widely, and to bring global focus on the area as a great place to visit and invest,' he added. Andrew Spence, chief executive of Bid4Oban, added that the event would 'showcase Scotland at its best with numerous events and activities planned'. Last year, the crews spent 10 days in Oban, during which they visited Dunollie Castle, and took part in whisky tastings at Oban Distillery, Gaelic lessons, and a shinty taster session, as well as a trip to nearby Lismore. Stirling-born Max Rivers, who was a skipper during the 2023-24 edition and is deputy race director in the 25-26 edition described the experience of arriving in home waters. 'The west coast of Scotland has some of the best sailing in the world, and it was an honour to share the most gorgeous parts of the nation with my global crew,' he said. 'Having grown up sailing in and around Oban, I relished the opportunity to sail there again with the Clipper Race. 'Our arrival and departure in the Firth of Lorn didn't disappoint with its amazing wind and scenery, making it truly one of the most memorable sailing locations in the world. 'And to top it off, the town was an amazing host with brilliant events and spectacular hospitality. 'Oban put on a superb stopover, and I am delighted that our next intake of international crew will get to enjoy all that the town has to offer in 2026.' The roster for the 25/26 edition of the race includes five participants living in Scotland, and Clipper Ventures head of partnerships, Kate Ashley, said work is currently underway to include a 'Scottish named yacht' in the event. 'This partnership with Oban means we will once again see this Scottish town of the year sit alongside major international cities on our race route,' she said. 'Oban, with its rich maritime history and warm hospitality, is the perfect destination to welcome our adventurous crew after a tough ocean crossing. 'Our event brings with it a global audience and in the 30 years since the Clipper Race launched its first circumnavigation, we've seen many collaborations develop into broader partnerships which can include a team entry. 'A Scottish named yacht in our event would give brands an international platform as our fleet sails to 14 destinations around the world and we are currently working to make this a possibility.' Other ports announced on the race so far are Portsmouth (where the race begins and ends), Cape Town, Tongyeong in Korea and Qingdao in China, with further ports due to be announced later this month. The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race was founded in 1996 by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo and non-stop around the world. Most participants have no previous sailing experience before undertaking an intensive training course to prepare them for the race, and they can choose to complete the full 11-month circumnavigation or to test themselves on one or multiple legs.
