New York - Crew Profiles

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The question of "who takes part in the Clipper Races?" always gets an interesting response due to the diversity of its competitors. No experience necessary! Young and old, male or female, at Clipper we encourage people from all walks of life to take part in the adventure!

Skipper

Duggie Gillespie

Age 40, Professional Skipper

Double circumnavigator Duggie Gillespie grew up in Kirkcudbright in Scotland and started sailing dinghies at school. After qualifying from the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, as a Chartered Surveyor, he took part in the first Global Challenge, the British Steel Challenge 1992-93, as a crew member aboard Interspray.

On returning from the Global Challenge, Duggie became a mate for Challenge Business and within a year became a skipper. Although he has two circumnavigations under his belt, the Clipper 07-08 route will provide a new set of challenges for him.

“Part of the appeal of taking part in Clipper 07-08 is visiting new places. It is a totally different route to my previous circumnavigations and I am really looking forward to the new challenge,” Duggie said. “I’m really looking forward to sailing into New York next year – that is going to be quite an experience,” he added.

“This will be my first east-about round the world race, so I’ll be going round the opposite way to the last times,” Duggie said. “It will give me a chance to ‘unwind’ my previous two west-about circumnavigations!” he added.

Duggie won both the Challenge Business inaugural Challenge Transat race and the Round Britain Challenge 2003, skippering the yacht LogicaCMG.

He is familiar with his new charge, New York, having previously skippered corporate charters on the fleet of identical Clipper 68s.

When he is not sailing, Duggie enjoys outdoor sports including fell running and sea kayaking.

Crew Profiles

Gary Purdom

Age 54, Retired

An experienced sailor, Gary, from Bainbridge Island near Seattle, Washington, USA, was inspired in the 1970s by the story of Robin Lee Graham’s circumnavigation. He left California solo in the late 1960s on a 24-foot yacht, Dove.

His wife has listened to him talk about it for the 28 years they have been together and eventually said to him, “Either do it or stop talking about it!” So now he’s becoming a circumnavigator and says the best part so far is his daughter’s reaction: “Thanks, dad, for inspiring me to follow my own dreams.” Says Gary, “Being able to fulfil my dream and inspire my children makes it all worthwhile.”

Crew List

Aidan Kane, 27, Software designer
Legs
- Liverpool - La Rochelle - Salvador
Alison Parr, 40, Business Group Manager…
Legs
- West Coast USA - Panama - Jamaica
Alistair Besly, 48, Accountant
Legs
- Full Circumnavigation
Barry Painter, 41, Engineer and Managing…
Legs
- Liverpool - La Rochelle - Salvador
- Qingdao - Hawaii - West Coast USA
Benjamin Dobke, 27, PhD Research Student…
Legs
- Qingdao - Hawaii - West Coast USA
David Lees, 62, Professor of Medicine…
Legs
- Full Circumnavigation
Felicity McClarty, 29, Language Teacher…
Legs
- Durban - Freemantle
- Freemantle - Singapore - Qingdao
Gary Purdom, 54, Retired
Legs
- Full Circumnavigation
Giles Rooney, 40, Managing Director…
Legs
- Qingdao - Hawaii - West Coast USA
Henrietta Southby, 18, Student
Legs
- Salvador - Durban
- Durban - Freemantle
- West Coast USA - Panama - Jamaica
- Jamaica - New York - East Coast N.America - Europe - Liverpool
Ian Stewart, 48, Banker
Legs
- Freemantle - Singapore - Qingdao
Jennifer Leech, 31, Marketing Manager…
Legs
- Salvador - Durban
- Durban - Freemantle
- Freemantle - Singapore - Qingdao
Joanna Lloyd Davies, 52, Management…
Legs
- West Coast USA - Panama - Jamaica
John Rhys Williams, 28, Sports Journalist…
Legs
- Liverpool - La Rochelle - Salvador
Judith Mott, 47, School Secretary
Legs
- West Coast USA - Panama - Jamaica
- Jamaica - New York - East Coast N.America - Europe - Liverpool
Justyn Comer, 38, Corporate training…
Legs
- Full Circumnavigation
Keith Chester, 61, Metallurgist/Company…
Legs
- Freemantle - Singapore - Qingdao
- Jamaica - New York - East Coast N.America - Europe - Liverpool
Kenny Marlow, 37, IP Network Consultant…
Legs
- West Coast USA - Panama - Jamaica
- Jamaica - New York - East Coast N.America - Europe - Liverpool
Kristian Doyle, 29, Post Doctorial…
Legs
- West Coast USA - Panama - Jamaica
Mark Goodwin, 40, Pattern Maker
Legs
- Qingdao - Hawaii - West Coast USA
Mark Picton, 43, IT Consultant
Legs
- Jamaica - New York - East Coast N.America - Europe - Liverpool
Michael Cowler, 35, Studio Engineer…
Legs
- Freemantle - Singapore - Qingdao
- Jamaica - New York - East Coast N.America - Europe - Liverpool
Nate Thompson, 18, Student
Legs
- Full Circumnavigation
Neil Robinson, 39, IT Project Manager…
Legs
- Jamaica - New York - East Coast N.America - Europe - Liverpool
Nicholas Gibbs, 19, Student
Legs
- Durban - Freemantle
Pam Young, 54, Teacher
Legs
- Jamaica - New York - East Coast N.America - Europe - Liverpool
Paul Kerby, 43, Managing Director
Legs
- West Coast USA - Panama - Jamaica
Paul Samuel, 44, Director
Legs
- Durban - Freemantle
- Freemantle - Singapore - Qingdao
Robert Burgess, 36, Property Developer…
Legs
- Liverpool - La Rochelle - Salvador
- Salvador - Durban
- Durban - Freemantle
Sarah Nesbitt, 23, Student
Legs
- Freemantle - Singapore - Qingdao
- Qingdao - Hawaii - West Coast USA
- West Coast USA - Panama - Jamaica
- Jamaica - New York - East Coast N.America - Europe - Liverpool
Sharon Al-Momani, 40, Event Organiser…
Legs
- Liverpool - La Rochelle - Salvador
- Jamaica - New York - East Coast N.America - Europe - Liverpool
Steve Hawthorne, 39, Computer Consultant…
Legs
- Qingdao - Hawaii - West Coast USA
- West Coast USA - Panama - Jamaica
- Jamaica - New York - East Coast N.America - Europe - Liverpool
Steve Nicoll, 52, Royal Marines
Legs
- Qingdao - Hawaii - West Coast USA
Tony Peters, 47, Ambulance paramedic…
Legs
- Full Circumnavigation
Trevor Archbold, 29, Account Manager…
Legs
- Freemantle - Singapore - Qingdao
- Qingdao - Hawaii - West Coast USA
Veronica Rechten, 42, Civil Engineer…
Legs
- Full Circumnavigation