Defy Your Ordinary

The Clipper Race is for everyday people prepared to make an extraordinary decision.

The adventurers that choose to take on this challenge may come from every walk of life, but they all share one defining characteristic: they refuse to let routine define what they were capable of.

Even before you’ve considered the physical side of making six ocean crossings and tackling 40,103 nautical miles of sailing, you have to consider the mental strength it takes to pack your bags, close the door to the place you call home, and kiss your loved one's goodbye for the adventure of a lifetime.

It may not be easy, but these people refuse to let age, career, or the monotony of everyday life hold them back from the adventure they seek. Going on to find something within themselves to defy their ordinary.

After sailing around the world alone at the age of 30, our Chairman and Co-Founder, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston has embodied the spirit of adventure his whole life.

Sir Robin says:

“The spirit of adventure does not recognise human age, those who have it will keep exploring. 

“Maybe they do it out of curiosity, maybe to try yet another experience, it does not matter the motivation, these people are living life to the full and pushing the boundaries of human endeavour.”

And Sir Robin’s words are echoed through the stories of anyone who has taken part in the Clipper Race. David Sautret, who skippered Team Yacht Club Punta del Este on the 2025-26 edition, reflected on what his Race Crew had achieved as he returned to dry land.

Speaking of how his crew had defied their ordinary he said: “The Clipper Race has the power to change how you see yourself and assess what you are capable of.

"You do not need to be a professional sailor. You do not need to be young or fearless. You need the willingness to sign up, complete the training, and show up ready to learn and contribute. The ocean will do the rest.

“It will demand the best of you, expose the rest, and, if you stay the course, give you back a stronger, more grounded version of yourself — and a crew of friends who have shared something that words struggle to capture.”

The Race Crew passing through the Clipper Race's hatches edition after edition are testament to these words. These people are living out their everyday lives. They are tattoo artists, bakers, and vets by trade. They do the school run and the daily commute. They live an everyday life.

But they all make the decision to do something extraordinary.

Sara Brewer, 70, a Circumnavigator, on board Team Tongyeong said: “We had such a diverse crew from a neurologist to an astronaut to a tattooist. All on a boat. All of whom you have ample opportunity to chat to, and from that perspective it is so mind blowing. It opens up your view of the world and how interesting people are. You learn so much - it’s a hidden gem of the Clipper Race. It put the corporate me to bed and opened up exciting new horizons!”

She continues: “I am lucky that I have kept myself fit. I’m not obsessed with fitness, but I have my health. Rather than looking at how many years I have left to live, I carry on doing things until I can’t! 

“If you overthink it, you will find reasons to not do it."

Parisian Accountant, Martin Marant, 29, raced Leg 5 and 6 on board Team Tongyeong. On defying his ordinary, he said about his pre-race life: “On a normal day I would be sitting behind a laptop in a big tower building, wearing a suit and tie.”

“Most of the time when you are racing it can be hard - the first few days you might reconsider your life choices and why you did it - but you will be very grateful for this life experience. You’ll learn a lot about yourself, you’ll take in the blissfulness of seeing the most amazing sunrises, sunsets and wildlife and the people you meet are amazing too - the connections you make on the yacht are very special.” 

Canadian speed skating coach, Val Linton, 51, a Circumnavigator on Team Power of Seattle Sports said: “The big purpose was to get out and do hard things. As I get older, I want to push my body and my mind, and this has given me the drive to keep doing hard things - as long as I can keep moving my body.

“Before I left, I thought I would have lots of time to think about the big questions in life. But instead, it surprised me that it was full of conversations and trying to remember song lyrics. It has taught me, however, how simple life can be, and I hope to take some of that back with me.”

47 year-old, Heidi Brown, an accountant from the USA, circumnavigated on board Team Scotland. Talking about her achievements, she said: “What we’ve conquered all the way around the world is one hell of an accomplishment and we should all be proud of each other - the circumnavigators are a breed unlike any other!

“You have so many shared experiences, shared blood, sweat, and tears, mixed with salt and stories along the way. Moments where you work together and you get through that difficult moment, that scary moment, or that first storm.

"What’s next? That’s probably what I’m now scared of. It’s no longer the Bay of Biscay. It’s no longer the Roaring Forties. It’s no longer the cold of the North Pacific. It is what’s next.”

Bob Brown, 60, a Circumnavigator on board Team London Business School, defied his ordinary by switching plumbing for sailing in celebration of a big birthday: “I didn’t do the Clipper Race for any other reason than to become a circumnavigator. I wanted something special, something I would take to my grave with me.”

58-year-old Augusto ‘Gus’ Barcia, a circumnavigator from Galicia, has just returned from a year on board Team UNICEF. He said: “I think if I wasn't questioning my choice at least once a day for the entire 300 days of the journey it wouldn’t have actually delivered what I was looking for. You can’t hide, you can’t hide how you react and how you reflect on things that you encounter. If Gus had known what Gus was going to do, Gus would have called Gus and told him he was nuts. Gus is enormously proud to have been through this.”

Dutch filmmaker, Maartje Van Huijstee, 32, circumnavigated on board Team Power of Seattle Sports. She said: “It’s surreal to have come this far, especially when the beginning was so hard. I just wanted someone to tell me to stop, and that it was okay to stop because I didn’t know if I could do it for so long. But I managed to stick it out and it feels amazing.”

Is it time to defy your ordinary? Applications now open for the next adventure, setting sail 2027.