Race Skippers – you've got a match!
The professional pairings and Race Crew for each team competing on the Clipper 2025-26 Race have been announced.
Revealed at Crew Allocation, the first major event of the circumnavigation, this weekend (17 May), the paired Skippers and First Mates got the chance to meet their teams for the upcoming edition to start discussing goals and strategy.
Each team’s Skipper and First Mate will now work together as they take their future crew through the final stage of their training over the upcoming months. The first batch of Level 4 Training starts next week (Wednesday 28 May). This is the first time that the Skipper, First Mate and team will train together on their Clipper 70 ocean racing yacht.
The professional sailing duos for the Clipper 2025-26 Race are:
TEAM QINGDAO
PHILIP AND FAITH
Skipper (L) Philip Quinn from County Down, Northern Ireland, and First Mate (R) Faith Nordbruch from the Isle of Wight, UK
DAVID AND LORRAINE
Skipper (R) David Sautret from Bordeaux, France and First Mate (L) Lorraine O’ Hanlon from Clare, Ireland
David Sautret - "I am very pleased to sail with Lorraine. She is a former race crew member and embodies the spirit and skill of this incredible journey! I find we have very complementary skills, and it will be great to sail together. "
ALISTAIR AND OTTO
Skipper (R) Alistair Dickson from North Wales, UK, and First Mate (L) Otto Kulow from Leipzig, Germany and Harrogate, UK
Alistair Dickson - "I’m really pleased to be paired with Otto. His energy and enthusiasm are infectious, and he brings a calm, collaborative - but also competitive - approach to the boat."
ELLA AND BEN
Skipper (R) Ella Hebron from Sussex, UK, and First Mate (L) Ben Birley from Cumbria, UK
Ella Hebron - "I sailed with Ben for the first time a few weeks ago and was struck by his calmness, humility and self-awareness; skills I that I hold in high esteem and know are pivotal on a yacht race. It was a match I had hoped for, and it feels like the stars have aligned."
ANGELA AND AMY
Skipper (R) Angela Brandsma from Sneek, Netherlands, and First Mate (L) Amy Smith from Somerset, UK
Dylan and Jade
Skipper (R) Dylan Kotze from Cape Town, South Africa, and First Mate (L) Jade Golder from Surrey, UK
Dylan Kotze - "I'm really honoured and proud to lead this team and couldn't be happier to have Jade as my first mate. Her wealth of experience, combined with her calm and reassuring presence, brings so much strength to the team."
GAVIN AND ZOE
Skipper (R) Gavin Rees from Wales, UK, and First Mate (L) Zoe Longley from Derbyshire, UK
Gavin Rees - "I am privileged to have been paired with Zoe Longley who holds an impressive sailing CV in sail training and leading extended expeditions. She also shares my passion for coaching and developing crews and I can't wait to go sailing with and see her in action with the crew."
Team UNICEF UK
GUY AND DIANA
Skipper (L) Guy Waites from Yorkshire, UK, and First Mate (R) Diana Vega from the Isle of Wight, UK
Guy Waites - "I aim to empower Diana’s goals for the race and her future sailing career. Together we have a wonderful Team UNICEF, with a rich diversity of 17 nationalities and one common goal!"
HEATHER AND MILLIE
Skipper (R) Heather Thomas from Yorkshire, UK, and First Mate (L) Millie Apperley from West Yorkshire, UK
LOU AND BRIAN
Skipper (R) Lou Boorman from North Wales, UK, and First Mate (L) Brian Uniacke from Dublin, Ireland
Between now and the start of the Clipper 2025-26 Race on 31 August, each of the team leader pairings will be based at Clipper Race HQ, training, preparing and strategising for the upcoming eleven-month marathon race around the world.
Race Crew are similarly counting down to the big day; they will be undertaking the final stages of the compulsory four levels of Clipper Race training and getting to know the strangers who will become their closest teammates.