clipper yacht race newcastle

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Newcastle was a welcome sight for 200 sailors as their first taste of land for 2024

The City of Newcastle is stop number six for the 2023-2024 Clipper Around the World Race.

Newcastle locals turned out in force to greet over 200 sailors as they arrived after spending Christmas and New Year at sea. Racing in eleven identical yachts, the sailors are competing in Leg 4 of the 2023-2024 Clipper Around the World Race, and set sail from the West Australian port of Fremantle on the 19th December 2023 bound for the East Coast of Australia.

First held in 1996, the Clipper Around the World Race is an international yacht racing event that brings together non-professional sailors from all over the world to circumnavigate the globe. After undertaking rigorous training, the competitors set off on the 40,000 nautical mile (74,080km) race which is split into eight legs, visiting fourteen ports on six different continents.

The award-winning Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club is the host for a stopover on leg 4, the Australian Coast to Coast leg which takes in Fremantle (WA), Newcastle (NSW), and Airlie Beach (QLD) before heading to China. Leaving Fremantle, the fleet set off on a 2900 nautical mile journey rounding the southern tip of Tasmania, before a tactical battle up the coast including Christmas and New Year wrapped in wet weather gear as the summer storms made life interesting.

Over 54 nationalities are represented in the fleet with 13 Australians amongst them, and they were all very pleased to reach Newcastle.

Laura Ayres, Managing Director of Clipper Ventures, is based in Gosport in the UK but was onsite in Newcastle to greet the sailors as they arrived. “Newcastle is ideal as a stopover port for the race. A great midway point between Fremantle and the Whitsundays, and excellent facilities” she said. “We have received lots of community support, and a level of professional backup that makes the city an ideal hub for ocean racing.”

George Coldham, a 29-year-old software consultant from the Northwest of England, is a competitor doing the full circumnavigation on the yacht  UNICEF . “I live two miles from the wettest town in England so somehow spending 11 months on a boat seems almost normal” he said laughing.

Coldham is looking forward to having some time to relax. “Stopovers in places like Newcastle in summer make it worthwhile though. Everyone at the club has been very welcoming and helpful with information about local activities. We have around three days of boat maintenance, but then our time is our own. I have already been in touch with the local rowing and swimming clubs, and then I’m off for a trail run at Blackbutt Reserve.”

Local Newcastle sailor Bronwen Crosby will be taking it all in as she will be joining the  Zhuhai  entry for the Whitsundays to Vietnam-China leg. Bronwen learnt to sail at the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club’s sail training academy and inspired by Lisa Blair, another Australian sailor who has competed in the event, set her sights on the offshore adventure. “After reading Lisa’s book telling her story of becoming the first woman to sail solo around Antarctica, I made up my mind to join the Clipper Race. I can’t wait to get onboard!”

Declan Clausen, Deputy Lord Mayor City of Newcastle, was an honoured guest at the celebration to congratulate the placegetters, presenting them with their pennants and welcoming all the sailors of the Clipper Around the World Race to the city.

The Deputy Lord Mayor also praised the organisation that was needed to be the host city saying that he “wanted to acknowledge the amazing partnership that has been formed between the City of Newcastle and the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club.”

Congratulating the competitors and the Clipper Around the World Race organisers, the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club Commodore Barry Kelly said at the celebration “Few people can talk about sailing around the world. Something drove you to the sport of sailing. There is nothing like it.”

The full results of the Newcastle leg:

34:27:23 CV31  Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam

43:51:00 CV20  Dare To Lead

55:23:42 CV22  Bekezela

59:45:13 CV28  UNICEF

60:42:36 CV25  Zhuhai

72:24:51 CV27  Qingdao

72:40:18 CV23  Perseverance

74:04:47 CV21  Our Isles and Oceans

79:03:50 CV29  PSP Logistics

85:31:32 CV26  Yacht Club Punta del Este

86:06:18 CV30  Washington, DC

About the Clipper Round the World 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 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.

www.clipperroundtheworld.com

About Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club

The Club was incorporated on the 19th of April, 1994, and since then, has grown to be a nationally recognised name in both sailing and sailing development. NCYC has gone through various phases of development, beginning with the completion of four marina arms, boatyard, and commercial centre. The second phase of development saw the completion of two more marina arms, and the completion of the Clubhouse in 2008. In 2021, the Club completed stage three, doubling the capacity of its Clubhouse.

As far as Australian yacht clubs go, NCYC’s history is relatively short, yet still boasts as one of the newest yacht clubs in Australia, and certainly the newest with significant club and marina assets.

www.ncyc.net.au

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Clipper in Newcastle

The nsw city of newcastle was a welcome sight for 200 clipper race sailors as their first taste of land for 2024..

08 January 2024

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The City of Newcastle is stop number six for the 2023-2024 Clipper Around the World Race.

Newcastle locals turned out in force to greet over 200 sailors as they arrived after spending Christmas and New Year at sea.

Racing in eleven identical yachts, the sailors are competing in Leg 4 of the 2023-2024 Clipper Around the World Race, and set sail from the West Australian port of Fremantle on the 19th December 2023 bound for the East Coast of Australia.

First held in 1996, the Clipper Around the World Race is an international yacht racing event that brings together non-professional sailors from all over the world to circumnavigate the globe.

After undertaking rigorous training, the competitors set off on the 40,000 nautical mile (74,080km) race which is split into eight legs, visiting fourteen ports on six different continents.

The award-winning Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club is the host for a stopover on leg 4, the Australian Coast to Coast leg which takes in Fremantle (WA), Newcastle (NSW), and Airlie Beach (QLD) before heading to China.

Leaving Fremantle, the fleet set off on a 2900 nautical mile journey rounding the southern tip of Tasmania, before a tactical battle up the coast including Christmas and New Year wrapped in wet weather gear as the summer storms made life interesting.

Over 54 nationalities are represented in the fleet with 13 Australians amongst them, and they were all very pleased to reach Newcastle.

Laura Ayres, Managing Director of Clipper Ventures, is based in Gosport in the UK but was onsite in Newcastle to greet the sailors as they arrived.

“Newcastle is ideal as a stopover port for the race. A great midway point between Fremantle and the Whitsundays, and excellent facilities” she said. “We have received lots of community support, and a level of professional backup that makes the city an ideal hub for ocean racing.”

George Coldham, a 29-year-old software consultant from the Northwest of England, is a competitor doing the full circumnavigation on the yacht UNICEF.

“I live two miles from the wettest town in England so somehow spending 11 months on a boat seems almost normal” he said laughing.

Coldham is looking forward to having some time to relax. “Stopovers in places like Newcastle in summer make it worthwhile though. Everyone at the club has been very welcoming and helpful with information about local activities.

“We have around three days of boat maintenance, but then our time is our own. I have already been in touch with the local rowing and swimming clubs, and then I’m off for a trail run at Blackbutt Reserve.”

Local Newcastle sailor Bronwen Crosby will be taking it all in as she will be joining the Zhuhai entry for the Whitsundays to Vietnam-China leg.

Bronwen learnt to sail at the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club’s sail training academy and inspired by Lisa Blair, another Australian sailor who has competed in the event, set her sights on the offshore adventure. “After reading Lisa’s book telling her story of becoming the first woman to sail solo around Antarctica, I made up my mind to join the Clipper Race. I can’t wait to get onboard!”

Declan Clausen, Deputy Lord Mayor City of Newcastle, was an honoured guest at the celebration to congratulate the placegetters, presenting them with their pennants and welcoming all the sailors of the Clipper Around the World Race to the city.

The Deputy Lord Mayor also praised the organisation that was needed to be the host city saying that he “wanted to acknowledge the amazing partnership that has been formed between the City of Newcastle and the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club.”

Congratulating the competitors and the Clipper Around the World Race organisers, the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club Commodore Barry Kelly said at the celebration “Few people can talk about sailing around the world. Something drove you to the sport of sailing. There is nothing like it.”

The full results of the Newcastle leg:

34:27:23 CV31 Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam 43:51:00 CV20 Dare To Lead 55:23:42 CV22 Bekezela 59:45:13 CV28 UNICEF 60:42:36 CV25 Zhuhai 72:24:51 CV27 Qingdao 72:40:18 CV23 Perseverance 74:04:47 CV21 Our Isles and Oceans 79:03:50 CV29 PSP Logistics 85:31:32 CV26 Yacht Club Punta del Este 86:06:18 CV30 Washington, DC

The fleet will be docked in NCYC until 10 January, with the weekend of 6 & 7 January providing the opportunity for the public to come down and visit the boats, meet the crew and see what life is like on board a Clipper 70 racing around the world.

About the Clipper Round the World 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 program, it’s a record-breaking 40,000 nautical mile race around the world on a 70-foot ocean racing yacht.

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.

clipperroundtheworld.com

About Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club

The Club was incorporated on the 19 April 1994, and since then, has grown to be a nationally recognised name in both sailing and sailing development. NCYC has gone through various phases of development, beginning with the completion of four marina arms, boatyard, and commercial centre.

The second phase of development saw the completion of two more marina arms, and the completion of the Clubhouse in 2008. In 2021, the Club completed stage three, doubling the capacity of its Clubhouse.

As far as Australian yacht clubs go, NCYC’s history is relatively short, yet still boasts as one of the newest yacht clubs in Australia, and certainly the newest with significant club and marina assets.

ncyc.net.au

Odyssey begins

Newcastle send-off

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Eleven Strong Farewell Newcastle Clipper Around the World Race

The 1pm gun from Newcastle’s Fort Scratchley was a fitting farewell signal to over 200 sailors on eleven identical yachts as they set off on their sprint to the Whitsundays in the second race of the Australian leg in the Newcastle Clipper Around the World Race.

The Clipper Around the World Race is an eleven-month circumnavigation with non-professional sailors across 55 nationalities represented in the fleet.

Planning for the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club and the City of Newcastle to host a stopover for the 2023-2024 Clipper Around the World Race was triggered by a phone call just eight months ago.

The award-winning Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club had previously expressed an interest with the event organisers in hosting a stopover, and then the clubs CEO, Paul O’Rourke, received a phone call that started a process cementing Newcastle’s status as an international sailing destination.

“The initial phone call showed that we had a lot of common ground with Clipper Ventures who organise the Round the World Race. A passion for sailing, a connection with community, and an understanding of what makes such an international event successful for everyone” O’Rourke said. “Our management team, staff, members, and a host of enthusiastic volunteers stepped up to not just co-ordinate the sailing and administration side, but tourist activities as well. Working with City of Newcastle we had the sailors going surfing, outrigger canoeing, swimming, on winery tours, and more.”

The Lord Mayor of Newcastle Nuatali Nelmes said that the city had provided the perfect backdrop for one of the world's highest profile sailing events during the 10-day stopover of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, which injected almost half a million dollars into the local economy.

"Utilising our beautiful harbour, and with support from City of Newcastle and the hospitality of the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club, we warmly welcomed more than 200 competitors from 55 countries across the globe to our shores following the arrival of the first vessel early on January 2," Cr Nelmes said.

"Since then the race crews, support staff, their families and partners have enjoyed all our city has to offer, exploring the Wickham/Honeysuckle precinct, experiencing Newcastle's restaurant and café culture and our wonderful local businesses. With almost 200,000 followers on social media, the race is yet another high-profile event helping to promote Newcastle to an international audience. We wish the fleet well as it heads to Airlie Beach for the next leg of the race and hope their experiences here will encourage them to return to our city in the future."

The 950 nautical mile race from Newcastle to Airlie Beach in Queensland is more of a sprint than some of the legs in the circumnavigation and is expected to take six or seven days. Clipper Race Director Mark Light said that “this will be a fast and furious race with little chance to make up ground in the event of a poor tactical choice or sailing evolution that may not have gone completely to plan.”

Light was very pleased with the race start which required co-ordination with multiple organisations. “It really was a fantastic start in Newcastle Harbour. The start served up some beautiful conditions of an easterly breeze around 10 knots, making for close upwind racing on the start line, an exciting show for the crowds lining the foreshore, and spectating on the water.”

The first yacht to cross the line just off Newcastle’s Queens Wharf was PSP Logistics  but unfortunately they had ‘jumped the gun’ and so incurred a two hour penalty. UNICEF was the first yacht with a clean start, closely followed by Qingdao , Zhuhai and Our Isles and Oceans .

About the Clipper Round the World 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 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.

www.clipperroundtheworld.com

About Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club

The Club was incorporated on the 19th of April, 1994, and since then, has grown to be a nationally recognised name in both sailing and sailing development. NCYC has gone through various phases of development, beginning with the completion of four marina arms, boatyard, and commercial centre. The second phase of development saw the completion of two more marina arms, and the completion of the Clubhouse in 2008. In 2021, the Club completed stage three, doubling the capacity of its Clubhouse.

As far as Australian yacht clubs go, NCYC’s history is relatively short, yet still boasts as one of the newest yacht clubs in Australia, and certainly the newest with significant club and marina assets.

www.ncyc.net.au

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Eleven strong Clipper Race Fleet say farewell to City of Newcastle

The 1pm gun from Newcastle’s Fort Scratchely was a fitting farewell signal to over 200 sailors on eleven identical yachts as they set off on their sprint to the Whitsundays in the second race of the Australian leg in the Clipper Around the World Race.

The Clipper Around the World Race is an eleven-month circumnavigation with non-professional sailors across 55 nationalities represented in the fleet.

Planning for the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club and the City of Newcastle to host a stopover for the 2023-2024 Clipper Around the World Race was triggered by a phone call just eight months ago.

The award-winning Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club had previously expressed an interest with the event organisers in hosting a stopover, and then the clubs CEO, Paul O’Rourke, received a phone call that started a process cementing Newcastle’s status as an international sailing destination.

“The initial phone call showed that we had a lot of common ground with Clipper Ventures who organise the Round the World Race. A passion for sailing, a connection with community, and an understanding of what makes such an international event successful for everyone” O’Rourke said. “Our management team, staff, members, and a host of enthusiastic volunteers stepped up to not just co-ordinate the sailing and administration side, but tourist activities as well. Working with City of Newcastle we had the sailors going surfing, outrigger canoeing, swimming, on winery tours, and more.”

The Lord Mayor of Newcastle Nuatali Nelmes said that the city had provided the perfect backdrop for one of the world’s highest profile sailing events during the 10-day stopover of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, which injected almost half a million dollars into the local economy.

“Utilising our beautiful harbour, and with support from City of Newcastle and the hospitality of the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club, we warmly welcomed more than 200 competitors from 55 countries across the globe to our shores following the arrival of the first vessel early on January 2,” Cr Nelmes said.

“Since then the race crews, support staff, their families and partners have enjoyed all our city has to offer, exploring the Wickham/Honeysuckle precinct, experiencing Newcastle’s restaurant and café culture and our wonderful local businesses. With almost 200,000 followers on social media, the race is yet another high-profile event helping to promote Newcastle to an international audience. We wish the fleet well as it heads to Airlie Beach for the next leg of the race and hope their experiences here will encourage them to return to our city in the future.”

The 950 nautical mile race from Newcastle to Airlie Beach in Queensland is more of a sprint than some of the legs in the circumnavigation and is expected to take six or seven days. Clipper Race Director Mark Light said that “this will be a fast and furious race with little chance to make up ground in the event of a poor tactical choice or sailing evolution that may not have gone completely to plan.”

Light was very pleased with the race start which required co-ordination with multiple organisations. “It really was a fantastic start in Newcastle Harbour. The start served up some beautiful conditions of an easterly breeze around 10 knots, making for close upwind racing on the start line, an exciting show for the crowds lining the foreshore, and spectating on the water.”

The first yacht to cross the line just off Newcastle’s Queens Wharf was  PSP Logistics  but unfortunately they had ‘jumped the gun’ and so incurred a two hour penalty.  UNICEF  was the first yacht with a clean start, closely followed by  Qingdao ,  Zhuhai  and  Our Isles and Oceans .

About the Clipper Round the World 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 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.

www.clipperroundtheworld.com

About Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club

The Club was incorporated on the 19th of April, 1994, and since then, has grown to be a nationally recognised name in both sailing and sailing development. NCYC has gone through various phases of development, beginning with the completion of four marina arms, boatyard, and commercial centre. The second phase of development saw the completion of two more marina arms, and the completion of the Clubhouse in 2008. In 2021, the Club completed stage three, doubling the capacity of its Clubhouse.

As far as Australian yacht clubs go, NCYC’s history is relatively short, yet still boasts as one of the newest yacht clubs in Australia, and certainly the newest with significant club and marina assets.

www.ncyc.net.au

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Newcastle leaves lasting impression as it bids Clipper fleet bon voyage

THE Clipper Round The World fleet sailed out of Newcastle Harbour on Wednesday, but if the endorsement of the crews is any indication, the ocean race is likely to return in 2025-26.

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It was a spectacular sight in the harbour as the 11 70-foot yachts sailed past Newcastle's CBD and then Nobbys breakwall to start their six-day voyage north to Airlie Beach.

Crowds gathered along the Newcastle Foreshore and Stockton to farewell the fleet that had been anchored at Wickham's Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club for the past week.

Crews battled to find the wind as they jostled for position leaving the harbour.

Yacht Qingdao came dangerously close to the Stockton breakwall at one point.

As of Wednesday afternoon the James Finney-skippered Zhuhai, narrowly leads the fleet off the Stockton Bight.

South African yacht Dare To Dream, skippered by Cape Town's Ryan Gibson, leads the Clipper race overall.

Gibson said he would highly recommend the Clipper returning to the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club.

"The support has been amazing," Gibson told the Newcastle Herald prior to departure.

"Everything is very close together and well organised. Everything here has made it easy for us, which is what you want for stopovers."

Light winds were predicted for the first 24 hours on leaving Newcastle, promising a dog-fight of a race.

"I think tonight will be a bit tricky," Gibson said. "Once we get into the winds, probably tomorrow afternoon, then we'll be quite set. It'll be quite tactical and being in the right area for these light winds."

This is Gibson's first Clipper and after Dare To Lead's surprise victory in race three between Punta del Este in Uruguay and Cape Town - which included double points after playing their joker card - he's re-evaluated his goals.

This was further enhanced by placing second in the race from Fremantle to Newcastle.

"In the beginning it was quite the learning curve for the first race or two," he said.

"But at the moment, with the position we're in and the team we have, we're definitely looking for an overall win and that would be amazing."

Standing in Dare To Lead's way could be Ha Long Bay Viet Nam. The yacht, skippered by Britain's Josh Stickland, won the 2500-nautical mile race from Fremantle to Newcastle by 12 hours on January 2 .

It was a massive change in fortunes for Ha Long Bay Viet Nam after they begun the Clipper with placings of last and second-last.

"The biggest change is the attitude on board and everyone is gelling as everyone gets to know each other's intricacies," first mate Ella Hebron said.

"The crew is getting along amazingly, but also, every single evolution in the last race was immaculate. There were no mistakes made, which is unheard of."

The long recovery time in Newcastle also has Ha Long Bay Viet Nam ideally recharged to build on their overall placing of fourth in the Asia-Pacific leg.

"The stopovers, coming in first or last, makes a world of difference," Hebron said.

"When you're losing, which we were in the first three races, you have to overcome losing a race.

"We'd finished our deep clean and maintenance work [in Newcastle] before over half the fleet were in.

"They [the other crews] then have to deal with that loss of time in the stopover, so you're then going into another race not rested."

At 19 Hebron, who hails from Eastbourne in England, is the youngest sailor in the Clipper and is tasked with managing people up to three times older.

However, she came into the race well-credentialed with more than 10,000 nautical miles of experience, which included a trans-Atlantic crossing and multiple trips over the English Channel.

"It was a bit weird coming into it because there were all these fairly-successful people, who are a lot older than me and I had to be leading them," she said.

"But you get on the boat and age doesn't matter at all. We're lucky in the sense that we have a crew that appreciate that."

READ MORE: Clipper yacht race puts wind in Newcastle's sails as coastal destination

READ MORE: Sailing against the wind: Why the Clipper is the ultimate test at sea

Josh Leeson

Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.

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Clipper Race set to make fourth return to the Whitsundays as part 2023-24 global route

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Clipper sailors hail ‘warm welcome’ in Oban after Atlantic crossing

S ailors competing in this year’s Clipper Round the World yacht race have praised the “warm welcome” they received when the event came to Scotland for the first time in its 27-year history.

The penultimate seventh leg of this year’s race, which started in Portsmouth last September, saw the boats racing 3,500 miles from Washington DC in the USA to Oban in Argyll and Bute.

For skipper Ineke Van Der Weijden, whose boat Perseverance won the leg in a time of 15 days and seven hours, crossing the finishing line late on Friday was a “magical” experience.

“For the last two hours, we were already sailing inside the islands. As we got there the sky lifted almost, because it was very foggy beforehand, and the sun started shining through and it was seven, eight o’clock in the evening.

“It was peaceful. It was beautiful. Then slowly, some small boats started coming out to see us in, which is absolutely wonderful. We all loved it. We just enjoyed it.

“We have a former crew member that has a seaplane so he came out to fly over us. It was absolutely one of the best runs I’ve ever had. Magical is exactly what it was.”

It was not the first visit to Oban for the professional sailor, who used to work as an international consultant before her first Clipper race in 2017-18 inspired her to change career.

“I have been to Oban before, I’ve done sailing out here before. I love it. Scotland is some of my most favourite sailing,” she explained.

“It’s beautiful. First of all, have you seen the landscape? But what I really like is it isn’t as overrun and overdeveloped as a sailing community. I like that it’s really sailors that want to be sailing.”

Paddy Moran from Galway, sailing on the Ha Long Bay Vietnam, said the approach to Oban was “spectacular”.

He added: “Even though we came in in the middle of the night, it was one of the most spectacular approaches that we had.

“We’ve had some pretty spectacular approaches to cities like Cape Town, Seattle, Washington up the Chesapeake Bay, but coming into Oban through the islands and up the channels was absolutely gorgeous, even at night.

“The warm welcome was as good as any we’ve got anywhere around the world. It was obvious that everybody was happy to see us, loads of people stayed up till two and three in the morning to welcome us in, so that was lovely.”

Sailing in specially designed 70ft racing yachts, the 11 crew are competing over an eight-leg course that sees them circumnavigate the world across six oceans and travel some 40,000 nautical miles.

The Clipper 70s, which can reach speeds of around 35 knots, are built for stability as well as speed, with Ms Van Der Weijden explaining that “when you’re out at sea in heavy weather you’ll feel that the boat is not the problem, the boat will do fine”.

Each crew, which can be up to 22-strong, do four to six-hour shifts on deck, which slopes steeply when under sail.

Below deck the sailors take turns to cook in a cramped kitchen using a gimbal-mounted oven, and they sleep using a “hot bunk” system, which sees them take it in turns with another crew member to use the compact beds.

It is difficult to miss the fact the race has come to Oban, where the fleet will remain until the final leg begins on Sunday.

The town’s curving harbour is lined with race-branded banners and bunting, and the colourful yachts are moored at pontoons next to the fanzone on the North Pier.

Oban is hosting a number of tie-in events, with the fleet’s arrival coinciding with the town’s Festival of the Sea.

Mr Moran said Oban is “buzzing right now” with the presence of the crews plus their families, friends and supporters.

He added of the race’s impact on the town: “I think it’s just put it on the map. I think that for myself it’s made a point of saying, you know, the west coast of Scotland is absolutely beautiful.

“I think it’s put it on a lot of people’s radar.”

Argyll and Bute Council leader Jim Lynch said: “It has been a great honour for Oban to host this fantastic sporting event.

“Our communities and businesses have given international Clipper race crews such a warm welcome.

“Tourism is a key industry for Argyll and Bute and the race has provided a welcome boost to the local economy, with many businesses reporting increased footfall.

“We thank everyone involved for showcasing the best Argyll and the isles has to offer, including marine tourism opportunities, wonderful local produce and a rich Gaelic culture.

“We wish all the Clipper race adventurers the best of luck with their grand finale.”

David Adams McGilp, VisitScotland regional director, said: “While it is too early to understand the full impact, the event has undoubtedly helped attract more visitors to the town and wider region, as well as raising the profile of the marine tourism offering in Argyll & Isles.”

The end of the race in Portsmouth on July 27 is a bittersweet prospect for many sailors, some of whom will have been away from home for nearly a year.

Jade Golder, a 24-year-old student from Surrey who took two years out of university to take part in the race, said: “I’m trying not to think about it. It hasn’t really hit me yet that we’re almost here.

“You start counting your last. So I’ve done my last galley [cooking shift], and this is our last stopover and things like that, but it doesn’t really hit home that it’s almost over.”

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Clipper sailors hail ‘warm welcome’ in Oban after Atlantic crossing

The Clipper Round the World yacht race began on September 3 in Portsmouth, where it is due to finish on July 27.

Sailors competing in this year’s Clipper Round the World yacht race have praised the “warm welcome” they received when the event came to Scotland for the first time in its 27-year history.

The penultimate seventh leg of this year’s race, which started in Portsmouth last September, saw the boats racing 3,500 miles from Washington DC in the USA to Oban in Argyll and Bute.

For skipper Ineke Van Der Weijden, whose boat Perseverance won the leg in a time of 15 days and seven hours, crossing the finishing line late on Friday was a “magical” experience.

“For the last two hours, we were already sailing inside the islands. As we got there the sky lifted almost, because it was very foggy beforehand, and the sun started shining through and it was seven, eight o’clock in the evening.

“It was peaceful. It was beautiful. Then slowly, some small boats started coming out to see us in, which is absolutely wonderful. We all loved it. We just enjoyed it.

“We have a former crew member that has a seaplane so he came out to fly over us. It was absolutely one of the best runs I’ve ever had. Magical is exactly what it was.”

It was not the first visit to Oban for the professional sailor, who used to work as an international consultant before her first Clipper race in 2017-18 inspired her to change career.

“I have been to Oban before, I’ve done sailing out here before. I love it. Scotland is some of my most favourite sailing,” she explained.

“It’s beautiful. First of all, have you seen the landscape? But what I really like is it isn’t as overrun and overdeveloped as a sailing community. I like that it’s really sailors that want to be sailing.”

Paddy Moran from Galway, sailing on the Ha Long Bay Vietnam, said the approach to Oban was “spectacular”.

He added: “Even though we came in in the middle of the night, it was one of the most spectacular approaches that we had.

“We’ve had some pretty spectacular approaches to cities like Cape Town, Seattle, Washington up the Chesapeake Bay, but coming into Oban through the islands and up the channels was absolutely gorgeous, even at night.

“The warm welcome was as good as any we’ve got anywhere around the world. It was obvious that everybody was happy to see us, loads of people stayed up till two and three in the morning to welcome us in, so that was lovely.”

Sailing in specially designed 70ft racing yachts, the 11 crew are competing over an eight-leg course that sees them circumnavigate the world across six oceans and travel some 40,000 nautical miles.

The Clipper 70s, which can reach speeds of around 35 knots, are built for stability as well as speed, with Ms Van Der Weijden explaining that “when you’re out at sea in heavy weather you’ll feel that the boat is not the problem, the boat will do fine”.

Each crew, which can be up to 22-strong, do four to six-hour shifts on deck, which slopes steeply when under sail.

Below deck the sailors take turns to cook in a cramped kitchen using a gimbal-mounted oven, and they sleep using a “hot bunk” system, which sees them take it in turns with another crew member to use the compact beds.

It is difficult to miss the fact the race has come to Oban, where the fleet will remain until the final leg begins on Sunday.

The town’s curving harbour is lined with race-branded banners and bunting, and the colourful yachts are moored at pontoons next to the fanzone on the North Pier.

Oban is hosting a number of tie-in events, with the fleet’s arrival coinciding with the town’s Festival of the Sea.

Mr Moran said Oban is “buzzing right now” with the presence of the crews plus their families, friends and supporters.

He added of the race’s impact on the town: “I think it’s just put it on the map. I think that for myself it’s made a point of saying, you know, the west coast of Scotland is absolutely beautiful.

“I think it’s put it on a lot of people’s radar.”

Argyll and Bute Council leader Jim Lynch said: “It has been a great honour for Oban to host this fantastic sporting event.

“Our communities and businesses have given international Clipper race crews such a warm welcome.

“Tourism is a key industry for Argyll and Bute and the race has provided a welcome boost to the local economy, with many businesses reporting increased footfall.

“We thank everyone involved for showcasing the best Argyll and the isles has to offer, including marine tourism opportunities, wonderful local produce and a rich Gaelic culture.

“We wish all the Clipper race adventurers the best of luck with their grand finale.”

David Adams McGilp, VisitScotland regional director, said: “While it is too early to understand the full impact, the event has undoubtedly helped attract more visitors to the town and wider region, as well as raising the profile of the marine tourism offering in Argyll & Isles.”

The end of the race in Portsmouth on July 27 is a bittersweet prospect for many sailors, some of whom will have been away from home for nearly a year.

Jade Golder, a 24-year-old student from Surrey who took two years out of university to take part in the race, said: “I’m trying not to think about it. It hasn’t really hit me yet that we’re almost here.

“You start counting your last. So I’ve done my last galley [cooking shift], and this is our last stopover and things like that, but it doesn’t really hit home that it’s almost over.”

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TOUR A CLIPPER 70 OCEAN RACING YACHT 06 Jan 2024 - 07 Jan 2024 / 1000-1800

Having raced more than 17,300 nautical miles facing some of the toughest conditions on the planet, the fleet of eleven 70-foot yachts welcomes you, your friends, and your family to explore above and below deck and meet the Race Crew.

The Clipper Race is a one-of-a-kind adventure challenge for people from all walks of life. They sign up for one or multiple legs of the epic voyage, but incredibly some have no prior sailing experience before training to participate.

Now you can experience a touch of the thrill and exhilaration of ocean racing for yourself. Berthed alongside, you'll be hosted by the courageous crew themselves. Ask about off-shore racing, insane weather conditions, mid-ocean wildlife sightings, teamwork and life on board - we are here to answer your questions!

The free tours last up to one hour and are suitable for people of all ages. No sailing experience is required!

If you have questions or you'd like to schedule a private tour (up to 20) for your community group, please email us at [email protected] .

Newcastle Yacht Cruising Club 95 Hannell St, Wickham NSW 2293, Australia

Published on June 20th, 2024 | by Editor

Clipper Race back in the USA

Published on June 20th, 2024 by Editor -->

The 2023-24 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race has arrived on the east coast of the USA, with the 11 teams completing the 1990nm course from Panama to Washington, DC. Team Qingdao, after winning the prior leg from Seattle to Panama, did it again when they crossed the finish line located just outside of Chesapeake Bay in 7 days, 17 hours, 1 minute and 28 seconds. The next start is on June 25 for the 3340 nm course to Oban, Scotland.

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

Related Posts

Clipper fleet arrives in Scotland →

Clipper Race: The race to Scotland is on! →

Clipper Race: Preview of race to Scotland →

Clipper Race: From Seattle to Panama →

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Maksim Azarenko

• Date of birth/Age: Jan 15, 2003 (21)

• Height: 1,78 m
• Position: Left Winger
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