Taking a chance on adventure: 30 years of the Clipper Race

On 16 October 1996, a matched fleet of eight yachts departed Plymouth harbour on what was set to be the adventure of a lifetime.  

Image: Clipper 96 fleet

 Headed westwards into the unknown, some 186 non-professional sailors took part in the inaugural Clipper Race, paving the way for the 7,000 people from around the globe that would sail in their wake.  

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Watch video - Looking back: 30 years of the Clipper Race

At the helm of the event were Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail single-handedly around the world and entrepreneur William Ward. The idea for this life-changing challenge came to Sir Robin while on a mountain in Greenland when he wondered what the sailing equivalent to climbing Mount Everest might be. He knew first-hand how sailing could boost confidence and change lives, and he wanted as many people as possible to experience it. 

Image: On board Team London Business School in the Clipper 2025-26 Race

An exploratory advert in The Times was posted to see if there was any interest. Thousands replied. Now all that was needed was an adventure loving business partner prepared to invest in the event. 

Enter William Ward, an entrepreneur in his thirties who came highly recommended. He met Sir Robin who outlined the project. An encounter still vivid to this day:

“When I met Robin you could see there was a determination of steel to make something happen,”

recalls Ward. “Robin showed me some of the preliminary application forms and the passion of people wanting to do it absolutely oozed out. 

Thirty years on, that original vision remains at the heart of the Clipper Race. 

Reflecting on three decades of adventure, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston said:

“Thirty years ago, we took a chance on an idea that would give ordinary people the opportunity to achieve something extraordinary. Three decades on, that idea remains much the same.  

 “Of course, technology has developed, our boats have evolved in size, capability and design, but we’re still doing what we always set out to do all those years ago: training people from all walks of life to become sailors and to take on the incredibly life-affirming challenge of racing around the world.  

Image: Clipper 2000 fleet

The challenge of crossing an ocean, facing tough conditions, and digging deep with your crew mates isn’t something that ages. As Sir Robin once said:

“Few people on the planet dare to test themselves, and that’s why the Clipper Race is so special. It is an achievement that lasts a lifetime. It can never be taken away from you, and no matter how many years pass, or how life continues, that feeling of pride remains and continues to inspire future generations.”  

Image: Team Dare To Lead in the North Pacific Ocean in the Clipper 2023-24 Race

And Richard Burchell is one of those everyday people who took a chance on that feeling 30 years ago. Richard was one of the sailors on board for that very first edition, sailing from Hawaii to Hong Kong.  

Richard said: “Back in 1996, whilst at work, I brought a copy of Practical Boat Owner and came across a full-page advert about a Clipper Race adventure. For some reason, within 30 minutes, I had called Clipper up and asked for an application form, not really knowing much about it. This was the beginning of a lifetime adventure. 

“I filled in the form and applied for the leg from Hawaii to Hong Kong, purely because I wanted to see Hong Kong from the ocean as I had always loved the sight. No other reason. 

 “I attended training sessions in the Solent, but it was all a blur. What had I started?! From what I can remember it was a great training experience. I felt out of my depth, but I was determined to continue.”  

Richard had signed up to sail from Hawaii to Hong Kong, via Yokohama and Shanghai. He had started sailing Mirror dinghies in secondary school, moving onto Enterprise dinghies, but had always sailed recreationally. He was very happy just sailing around the Isle of Wight.  

With the reality of what he had signed up for filling him with both nerves and excitement, Richard continues: “When the boats set sail, I joined the party from a spectator boat and it was a spectacular event.  

 “In those days we did not have the internet or emails, and I followed the race by regular daily fax messages. How things have changed. I had a world map on the wall and plotted the race positions on the paper map of the world. 

 “Before I knew it, I was on my way to Hawaii to join the race, and I can remember waiting on the quay side for the boats to dock as I had arrived a few days earlier. I was excited about the adventure and worried about how a novice like me would fit in.  

 “I should not have been worried. I was welcomed on board having been recognised from the training weekends in the UK. I can still remember joining the crew on board and the layout of the boat but was worried that my bunk was right in the bow of the boat, I was bound to be seasick up there and I was. 

 “I still remember the crew on board and the skipper, Blue - he was a great skipper. 

 “The race to Japan was not really a race as the event is now, but the trip of a lifetime all the same, crossing oceans together learning about sailing and how to get on with each other and work as a team. We were pioneers sailing around the world learning as we go. 

“Each port we stopped off at - Japan, China and Hong Kong - was an adventure as neither Clipper nor the port officials had really encountered an event like this. It wasn’t not like today when the Clipper Race’s arrival is a major media event and slickly managed by an excellent admin team, but we managed. I got to see Hong Kong from the sea and my Mum and Dad both came out to meet me, a truly wonderful experience.  

“Clipper 96 taught me that if you try then you can achieve anything, at any time, you just need the positive attitude, grab chances when they come your way and go with them. Life is too short not to try everything, and I believe my time in the Cub Scouts taught me this and Clipper 96 reinforced it.  

“I still have the Clipper 96 sweatshirt and cap that was given to us, and yes, I can still get into it!”  

Image: Richard Burchell on the Clipper 2019-20 Race

Richard returned to the event almost 25 years later for some unfinished ocean-racing business. In 2019, he set off for the full round the world adventure and became a Clipper Race circumnavigator.   

30 years on from when Richard first stepped on board a Clipper Race yacht, the opportunity remains the same: to allow those with the spirit for adventure push themselves further than they thought possible.  

Sir Robin concludes: “As I look back, I’m immensely proud to see how the Clipper Race has grown, the lives it has changed and the thousands of people who have embraced the challenge. 

Now, as we look towards our 15^th edition, we don’t change our tack, we simply set a new course. The launch of the Clipper RX has been an incredible journey so far, the boats performance is exciting, and I look forward to watching the fleet get out onto the water, ready for our next generation of sailors.”