The Race of Their Lives – Episode 5: Asian Spirit

The 40,000 mile Clipper 2015-16 Round the World Yacht Race will begin in London, UK on August 30 for the fleet of twelve identical Tony Castro designed Clipper 70s. The series is divided into 16 individual races, with the team with the best cumulative score winning the Clipper Race Trophy. Each team is led by a professional skipper with an all-amateur crew.

Extract from Episode 5 of the Race of Their Lives TV series. Video published on Aug 26, 2015.

It’s regarded as the toughest endurance challenge on the planet. Yet it’s undertaken by amateurs and novices: Corinthian adventurers who receive intensive training before embarking on the world’s longest ocean race. Discover the diverse range of characters who take on this huge feat of human endeavour; what motivates them and how they cope under pressure.

The race was established by legendary British yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world in 1968-9; it was created to give people from all walks of life the opportunity to experience ocean racing and, for some, the rare opportunity to complete a circumnavigation.

More people have climbed Mount Everest than have raced around the world by sea. Twelve identical 70 foot yachts, each under the command of a professional skipper will cover more than 40,000 nautical miles. People of all ages and backgrounds take on Mother Nature in the raw in a series of global races, between six continents over eleven months.

Hopes and dreams are on the starting line but the toughest test of human spirit is yet to come.

The ports along the race route are Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Cape Town, South Africa; Albany, Sydney, Hobart and Airlie Beach, Australia; Da Nang, Vietnam; Qingdao, China; Seattle, USA; Panama; New York, USA; Derry-Londonderry, Ireland; and Den Helder, Netherlands before returning to London by late July.

More at www.clipperroundtheworld.com