Frequently Asked Questions - Race News

Frequently Asked Questions

11 July 2007

Do I need any sailing experience?

No previous sailing experience is required. With each crew berth comes comprehensive and compulsory Clipper race training on our 68-foot yachts. Even if you are an experienced sailor you must take part in the pre-race training in order to learn how to sail the boats as a team.

Is there an age limit?

Crew must be 18 years of age or over prior to starting the race. We do not have an upper age limit, all we require is a doctors consent that you are fit to take part in an around the world yacht race. Our oldest crewmember to date was 68.

Can anyone get involved?

The Clipper 07-08 race is open to anyone who meets the above criteria and really wants experience the adventure of their lifetime. We are looking for people from all walks of life who have a thirst for adventure and who want to try something extraordinary. Our previous crewmembers have included a nurse, student, housewife, managing director, traffic warden, office cleaner, taxi driver, dentist, farmer, motor mechanic, funeral director, auctioneer, fireman, policeman, engineer, artist, army officer, gardener, lawyer, banker - the list is endless!

How much does it cost?

Full circumnavigation £27,000

Leg 1: £4,160
Leg 2: £3,400
Leg 3: £3,675
Leg 4: £4,150
Leg 5: £3,675
Leg 6: £3,780
Leg 7: £4,160

Plus Race Training £2,950 (A minimum of 19 days pre-race training is compulsory as described in the training section.)

I’m not sure if I am ready to do the whole race...

The choice is yours! You can choose to sail on any number of legs or race the whole way around the world. You can tailor make your adventure… but you might just surprise yourself and fall in love with the oceans!

Are the majority of the crew male or female?

The Clipper Races have a good proportion of male to female crew. At the moment, the split is approximately 60/40.

How do most people raise the necessary funds?

Everyone is different and there are no hard and fast rules on getting together the money to take part. Clipper Ventures offers as much support as it can to help crew members in their quest of raising money, but if you really want to do the race, you will find a way. It is a misconception that most crew are able to just write a cheque and sail.

Is it really a race?

Without a doubt, Clipper 07-08 will be a very competitive sailing event. This is not a cruise around the world, but a race between some of the world’s most exotic locations. Each yacht is identical. Each yacht is skippered by a professional yachtsman or woman whose main aim is to get the yacht and the crew around the world the quickest but also the safest. The racing during all five of our previous events has been extremely close and very competitive with the overall winner decided by the very last race. This makes it thrilling for competitors and the growing band of race followers all the way round the world.