UPDATE – MARCH 2020 – Due to COVID-19 the Clipper Race has been postponed until February 2021. The tentative plan is for the race to resume, starting in Subic Bay, Philippines.
CLIPPER 2019-20 RACE FACTS
▪The Clipper Race is the world’s biggest round-the-world ocean race, and is also regarded as one of the toughest endurance challenges on the planet.
▪At over 40,000 nautical miles long and taking almost a year to complete, it consists of eleven teams competing against each other on the world’s largest matched fleet of eleven 70-foot ocean racing yachts.
▪Over 700 crew are expected to take part in the 2019-20 edition. Crew can choose to take part in either the entire race or one or more of its eight legs.
▪The Clipper 2019-20 Race will set sail from St. Katharine Docks, London on 1 September 2019 marking the event’s twelfth edition. It will return some eleven months later.
▪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.
▪Around 40 per cent of crew have never sailed before starting a comprehensive training program ahead of their adventure. It is the only event of its kind for non-professional sailors.
▪There is no upper age limit, the oldest competitor to date was 74. Crew must be aged 18 or over before starting the race.
▪This unique challenge brings together everyone from chief executives to taxi drivers, nurses and firemen, farmers, Olympians, airline pilots and students.
▪The overall route is split into a series of 15 races and points are awarded for each race. The team with the highest cumulative points at the end of the final race wins the series, and the Clipper Race trophy.
▪ Confirmed Host Ports on the 2019-20 route: London, UK ▪ Portimão, Portugal ▪ Punta del Este, Uruguay ▪ Cape Town, South Africa ▪ Fremantle,The Whitsundays, Australia ▪ Sanya, Zhuhai, Qingdao, China ▪ Seattle, USA, Panama, New York, USA ▪ Bermuda ▪ Derry-Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
▪The eleven Clipper 2019-20 Race Skippers have a combined total of 1,400,000 nautical miles between them and hail from the UK, South Africa, and Spain. Their names are:Chris Brooks (Essex,UK), Mark Burkes (Worcestershire, UK), David Immelman (Cape Town, South Africa), Ben Keitch(Sussex, UK), Seumas Kellock (Edinburgh, Scotland), Nick Leggatt (Cape Town, South Africa), Jeronimo Santos-Gonzalez (Melilla, Spain), Josh Stickland (Hampshire, UK), Mike Surridge (WestSussex, UK), Guy Waites (York, UK), Ian Wiggen (Devon, UK).
▪Clipper Race Crew are expected to complete a combined total of over half a million training miles before the race starts.
▪ The Clipper Race Charity Partner for the 2019-20 and 2021-22 editions is Unicef UK. To date crew,supporters and Clipper Race Partners have raised over £690,000 for the charity since the partnership began.
▪More than half a million litres of water is filtered through the fleet’s watermakers.
▪On each yacht, round the world crew members will spend on average a minimum of 504 hours of their life stood at the helm.
▪Each crew member will burn around 5,000 calories per day.
▪Race Crew come from over 45 nations and represent more than 350 different career choices.
▪The biggest waves reported during the 2017-18 edition were over 14 meters tall, officially classified as a phenomenal sea state, during Leg 6 across the North Pacific.
▪The highest wind speed recorded during the Clipper 2017-18 Race was 94 knots during Leg 6 on board Liverpool 2018, that’s 108 mph.
▪The fastest, verified, yacht speed was record by OneDLL during the Clipper 2013-14 Race at 35 knots.
Facebook: Clipperroundtheworld
Twitter:@ClipperRace
Instagram:@ClipperRace
Hashtags: #ClipperRace #Raceofyourlife
For more information on the race, including videos and the race tracker, please see the official website in the link below.
Regular Mike 