Take a year and take on the World.
Achieve something remarkable and take on on an unforgettable circumnavigation of planet earth in 2027-28. No Previous Experience Required, World-Class Training provided.
Since 1996, the Clipper Race has been putting people like you to the ultimate test: racing around the world’s oceans.
In 2027, the start line is yours. Conquer 40,000+ nautical miles of ocean, cross six oceans and visit up to fifteen destinations across six continents as part of a professionally led team - with no previous sailing experience required before training.
As a circumnavigator, you'll join an elite club of people who have completed a lap of planet under race conditions.
DEFY YOUR ORDINARY
BECOME AN OCEAN RACER
Take on the toughest mental and physical challenge of your life, racing 40,000+ nautical miles around the planet through towering swells, relentless winds and extremes of heat and cold.
Over 11 months at sea, you’ll be pushed beyond your comfort zone, testing your endurance, resilience and ability to perform under pressure as part of a professionally led international crew.
This is more than a race around the world. It’s a chance to discover what you’re capable of, push beyond the limits you thought you had and return home changed by what you’ve achieved.
No Experience. No Excuses.
World-Class Training Provided
You don’t need a sailing background to take on the Clipper Race, just the drive to push yourself further than ever before.
Before you race, you'll complete four levels of intensive training. Taking you from zero to ocean racer, preparing you physically, mentally and technically for the circumnavigation ahead.
From safety and navigation to tactics and extracting speed, every element is built on more than 30 years and five million miles of ocean racing experience.
You don’t need to know how to sail, you need to be ready to learn, adapt and push yourself to the limit.
This isn't a cruise
The world is your race track
The Clipper Race puts you inside a high-intensity ocean race. Twelve identical, purpose-built Clipper RX yachts go head-to-head in up to 15 stages around the planet, with the same boats, sails and equipment - so crew performance makes the difference.
Led by a highly experienced Skipper and First Mate, you’ll race as part of an international crew, making tactical calls, changing sails and pushing through huge swells and extreme conditions, with the fleet and podium in your sights.
You’re not a passenger sailing around the world. You’re competing to win.
Why Circumnavigate
Circumnavigate
Join the elite few
More people summit Everest each year than complete a full circumnavigation under racing conditions. Racing around the planet is an achievement reserved for a very small number of people and the Clipper Race gives you the chance to join them.
Unforgettable
Six Ocean Crossings
Complete six ocean crossings and round two of the world’s three Great Capes, at race pace. Take on the vast North Pacific and some of the planet’s most remote oceans under the same racing conditions as the pros.
Earn Every Arrival
See the world the hard Way
Sail into up to 15 destinations across six continents, earning every arrival after weeks at sea. Experience unforgettable host port welcomes, immerse yourself in local cultures and see the world in a way few ever will.
Race Together
Find your tribe
Race alongside an international crew and build friendships that last a lifetime. You’ll trust these people when conditions get tough, rely on each other when the pressure is on and share moments of triumph, exhaustion and emotion that few people will ever understand.
Defy Your Ordinary
Come Back Different
Spend 11 months pushing yourself beyond what you thought possible and return home with a new perspective on what you’re capable of. Learn to lead under pressure, make decisions when it matters, rely on others and become more resilient when things get tough. It will test you, stretch you and change you.
Clipper RX: The Next Gen Ocean Racer
The Clipper RXNew for the 2027-28 edition the Clipper RX ocean racing yacht represents the cumulation of 30 years’ experience from 15 circumnavigations since 1996.
Crew Stories
From Project Manager to Ocean Racer
Christin, Project Manager, 38
Legs 2 & 3 on board Tongyeong
Christin had enjoyed sailing on Leipzig’s lakes, Legs 2 and 3 of the Clipper Race would prove to be a much bigger challenge. She signed up to race from Uruguay to Western Australia via Cape Town, South Africa. In total, Christin raced around 10,500 nautical miles over three continents.
"I thought when I applied it might change my life. And it did"
Crew Stories
Escaping the corporate rat race
Olaf, Engineer, 58
Circumnavigator on board Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam
A chance encounter with the Clipper Race team at Boot Düsseldorf set Olaf on a life-changing course; signing up for the full circumnavigation, packing his life up and heading to sea - a decision he never regretted.
NO GOING BACK: WATCH THE DOCUSERIES
Watch NowNo Going Back captures the raw reality of the Clipper Race. People just like you, turned ocean racers, tested by storms, fear, and triumph on the world’s toughest sailing adventure.
FAQs
Yes – potentially! Our Race Crew come from all walks of life: You must be aged 18 or over when you take part in the race, however you can apply at 16 and train at 17. We have even had crew in their early 70s take part. The most important thing is that you are both mentally and physically strong enough to take part as this is a big physical and mental challenge!
Around 30% of crew members on each team will have done little or no sailing before they train with us. Others will have a range of sailing experience which might be dinghy sailing, flotilla holidays or crew with further advanced RYA qualifications and possibly experience of looking after their own boat. The one thing you will all have in common is that you’re looking to take part in a unique challenge, test your limits and find out if you have what it takes to traverse the oceans of the world.
The time you will need varies from leg to leg. The durations quoted on our “Build Your Race” section of the website and in the information pack, are for the approximate number of sailing days, so you will need to factor in additional time at each end of your leg and also any Host Port stopovers within the leg itself. Legs 2, 3 and 4 were the shortest in the 2023-24 edition at approximately four to five weeks and most of the other legs are between six to eight weeks.
Yes, you'll have the opportunity to explore one of our 70-foot Clipper Race yachts at many of our key events including Race Start and Finish and stopovers around the world. We also host regular 'open boats' at our Training HQ in Gosport. Check out our events page or email oceanracer@clipper-ventures.com for details of tours coming up.