Over half of the leaders will be women

When the 14th edition of the Clipper Round the World Race gets underway on August 31 from England, ten teams of amateur sailors will begin an eleven-month endurance challenge around the world. Using matched 70-footers, each boat will have two professionals to lead the crew, and for the first time ever, over half of the leaders will be women.

Each of the ten teams has an experienced skipper and first mate on board. Four of the ten skippers are women, along with seven of the first mates. In the summer of women’s sport- it’s not just women’s football, cricket and rugby breaking records – it’s happening out on the high seas too.

Clipper 2025-26 Race Skipper, Ella Hebron, competed on the previous edition of the global event as a First Mate, so has already completed one circumnavigation. “Sailing is a level playing field – with the ocean an equalizer. It’s not going to treat male or female, older or younger people any differently to each other.

“The relentlessness of the ocean – you can’t manipulate it, it’s there to give everyone the same challenges and everyone the same joys.”

With six ocean crossings on the 40,000 nautical mile, each team is crewed by up to 22 people – with up to 40% having never sailed before signing up. On the current edition, crew’s day jobs (when not competing!) include teacher, plumber, firefighter, accountant and pastry chef – and hail from over 50 nations around the world. All have been through intensive and rigorous training to take part in the adventure of a lifetime.

With four women taking on the role of Clipper Race Skipper, this is the highest number that has appeared on the event’s starting line and double the amount on the previous edition. The number of female first mates has increased from four to seven on the Clipper 2025-26 Race (compared to the 2023-24 edition).

Race Crew can sign up to participate on one or multiple legs or the full circumnavigation. On this edition – the number of these every day women choosing to sail the full circumnavigation has increased to 25% (from 21% on the last edition).

Welsh Clipper Race Skipper, Lowri ‘Lou’ Boorman says: “There are no ‘pink jobs’ or ‘blue jobs’ on the boat. I am capable of doing every role and I am 5-foot 2. If I can do everything, I know every single one of my crew can do all of those jobs as well.”

Over the course of the almost yearlong event, over 700 participants will face all that Mother Nature can throw at them.

Race Skipper line up:
• Angela Brandsma, Dutch (Sneek, The Netherlands)
• David Sautret, French (Bordeaux, France)
• Dylan Kotze, South African (Cape Town, South Africa)
• Oliver Irvine, Northern Irish (Chester)
• Ella Hebron, British (Eastbourne, East Sussex, UK)
• Gavin Rees, Welsh (Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, UK)
• Guy Waites, British (Leeds and Catwick, Yorkshire, UK)
• Heather Thomas, British (Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK)
• Lowri “Lou” Boorman, Welsh (Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales)
• Philip Quinn, Irish (County Down, Northern Ireland)

First Mate line:
• Amy Smith, British (Somerset, UK)
• Charlie Cullen, British (West Sussex, UK)
• Brian Uniacke, Irish (Dublin, Ireland)
• Diana Vega, British (Isle of Wight, UK)
• Faith Nordbruch, British (Isle of Wight, UK)
• Jade Golder, British (Surrey, UK)
• Lorraine O Hanlon, Irish (Clare, Ireland)
• Millie Apperley, British (West Yorkshire, UK)
• Otto Kulow, British/German (Leipzig, Germany/Harrogate, UK)
• Zoe Longley, British (Derbyshire, UK)

The Clipper 2017-18 Race saw a female one-two final result with Australian Skipper Wendy Tuck* becoming the first woman ever to win any round the world yacht race, with Brit Nikki Henderson taking second place, aged 23.

Since then, South African Kirsten Neuschäfer won the Golden Globe Race in 2022 – the first woman to win a solo round the world race under sail. On the Vendee Globe’s 2024 edition, French sailor, Violette Dorange, made history as the youngest ever participant to finish the event at just 23 years old.

The Clipper Race has created a pathway to becoming a sailing professional and on previous editions has supported Race Crew to progress through the ranks including from participant to First Mate to Skipper. Clipper Race Skipper, Heather Thomas has been through this sailing pathway.

In 2015, Heather was awarded a bursary place to race across the North Pacific Ocean on the Clipper Race as crew. After that experience, she decided she wanted to work in the sailing industry. Fast forward to 2024, Heather was the skipper of Maiden, the first ever all-women crew to win a round the world yacht race. And now she is returning to the Clipper Race as a Skipper.

“When I took part in the Clipper 2015-16 Race, I was lucky enough to have Wendy Tuck* as my skipper,” explained Thomas. “She was a phenomenal inspiration and mentor to me not only on the race, but going forward.

“She’s helped me a lot in my career and has encouraged me to do more racing. I didn’t necessarily think I’d get into racing, but Wendy instilled a competitive spirit in me and taught me a lot about sailing. I’m really excited to be following in her footsteps.”

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race was founded by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, thirty years ago (March 1995) and trains people from all walks of life to learn seamanship and become ocean racers. Each participant must complete four stages of intensive training before signing up for one or multiple legs or the full 40,000 nautical mile circumnavigation.

All skippers went through a rigorous selection process led by the Clipper Race Management Team. The team’s Race Director, Deputy Race Director, and Race Manager have all competed as a Race Skipper on previous editions and therefore understand the unique requirements of this role.

“Our selection process is tough, and rightly so, as these individuals are taking on one of the toughest jobs in the global sailing industry,” noted Clipper Race Director Dale Smyth. “They need to not only be incredibly good sailors but able to lead, inspire and look after a big team of diverse individuals across the harshest oceans on the planet.”

Event Details: www.clipperroundtheworld.com

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 Round the World Yacht Race has a fleet of identical Tony Castro designed Clipper 70s that compete on a multi-leg course around the world. The team having the best cumulative score over the entire course wins the Clipper Race Trophy. Ten teams will compete in the 2025-26 race, with the 14th edition getting underway from Portsmouth, UK on August 31.

The course has eight legs which includes stops in Puerto Sherry (Spain), Punta del Este (Uruguay), Cape Town (South Africa), Fremantle and Arlie Beach (Australia), Subic Bay (Philippines), Qingdao (China), Tongyeong City (Korea), Seattle (USA), Panama, Washington, DC (USA) and Oban (UK) before returning to Portsmouth (UK) in summer 2026.

Source: Clipper Round the World Yacht Race