Team Scotland takes the win for Stage 1 of the Clipper 2025-26 Race

Stage 1: Battle Over Biscay certainly didn’t disappoint the Clipper Race crews as they began the circumnavigation with a particularly challenging first race.  

Met with strong winds in Portsmouth, UK, there was no gentle start for the ten teams as they settled into life on board the Clipper 70 racing yachts with strong, upwind conditions and choppy sea states. A big weather front passed as the teams entered the Bay of Biscay which made for even more challenges for the Race Crew, who were then met by spells of light wind on the final stretch to Puerto Sherry, Spain. 

Taking an early lead and retaining it for most of Stage 1 was Team Scotland, finishing in first place after 8 days, 13 hours, 17mins and 11 seconds at sea. 

Image: Team Scotland celebrate in Puerto Sherry

Arriving at Puerto Sherry Marina at sunrise, Team Scotland Skipper Heather Thomas said: “The past 24 hours we had Team GOSH right behind us, so we had a lot of pressure to hold onto that first place! The crew did really well, they all worked really hard. I am incredibly proud of them; they battled sea sickness and bad weather so I’m really proud of what they’ve achieved.”  

Image: Race Skipper of Team Scotland - Heather Thomas

Addressing the Team Scotland crew on arrival, Clipper Race Director Dale Smyth added: “That was really, really tough. There were some hard upwind conditions during the first few days and again in the Bay of Biscay – that's not an easy way to start this race so we’re really proud of you for getting here and managing to get first place. It was a big display of commitment to hold that position and a lot of hard work – congratulations.” 

Crossing the line in second place was Team GOSH, which also scooped an impressive first place for the Ocean Sprint and second place through the Scoring Gate, meaning they will score an additional five bonus race points in total.  

Image: Team GOSH arrives in Puerto Sherry

Speaking on arrival, Team GOSH Skipper, Oli Irvine, said: “That was pretty intense! I couldn’t be prouder of the crew, they always had smiles on their faces even when the conditions got really heavy. Everyone got on with the job. Pleased with the result, but it’s just the first race, what’s important is that we reflect on how we raced. I’m more pleased about how the team raced, than the result itself.” 

Speaking about his tactical decision to head west, he added: “It was good to pull off a bit of a move – that was a bit nerve-wracking on my side. I didn’t want to let the crew down so I’m glad it paid off and they executed it perfectly. 

“We saw the leaders were getting headed in the Ocean Sprint. At that point we were mid-fleet. So, we thought we’d take a bit of a risk and head out west to get the most direct line down the Ocean Sprint. That worked and also gave us a really good line down to Puerto Sherry, so we regained some places too.” 

Finishing off the podium into Puerto Sherry is Power of Seattle Sports, which was mostly in the top three for the entire duration of Stage 1. In addition to coming in third, the team added three bonus points to its race total for crossing the Scoring Gate in first place.  

Image: Team Power of Seattle Sports arrives into Puerto Sherry

Skipper Angela Brandsma said: “What a race! What wind! What conditions! What a crew! They are high spirited, and they just didn’t quit – it was really cool and made it easy for me.  

“This was not an easy race to slide into!” 

As the day went on, arrivals continued with Yacht Club Punta del Este narrowly missing out on the podium, in fourth place. They were followed by London Business School in fifth place.  

Image: Team Yacht Club Punta del Este

Skipper of Team Punta del Este, David Sautret said: “It was a race full of learnings for us, we overtook two yachts, and we learnt a lot as a team to improve our rankings again. 

“We had some tough racing against Power of Seattle Sports and London Business School.” 

The second half of the leaderboard was led by Team Qingdao in sixth place. Team Skipper Phil Quinn said: “This first stage was not without incidents! The weather threw everything at us, and the team worked hard. We began making up miles and got back in the race again.” 

Image: Team Qingdao

Image: Team London Business School

Team UNICEF was the next team to cross the finish line, taking seventh spot on the leaderboard, closely followed by Team Tongyeong.    

Speaking on arrival into the marina, UNICEF skipper Guy Waites said: “It was a baptism of fire – that's for sure! We were looking at the podium for a lot of the race and then events took a turn for the worse with our mainsail track, so we had to go on the defensive and then lost out to positions because of it. We are thoroughly disappointed – but not with any of the team – we just move forward now. The team is first class; I wouldn’t change a single one of them.” 

Image: Team UNICEF celebrate in Puerto Sherry

Whilst Lou Boorman, Skipper of Team Tongyeong added: “For most of the crew, we had some of the strongest wind they’ve ever seen, and they’ve been getting used to life on board – this is all new to them, I’m really proud.” 

Image: Team Tongyeong arriving into Puerto Sherry

We delayed our Ocean Sprint to wait for the wind, and we got second overall in the Ocean Sprint, so that was a tactical decision that paid off.” 

The final two teams, taking ninth and tenth places respectively, is Team Washington, D.C and Team Warrant.  

Image: Team Washington, DC arrives into Puerto Sherry

First Mate on board Team Washington, DC, Charlie Cullen said: "We've had a challenging race with tough conditions. We've definetely bonded as a group. The last couple of days we've had some lovely downwind conditions. It's been really enjoyable."

Team Warrant Skipper, Dylan Kotze said: "It's been an adventurous few days of sailing and the welcome into Puerto Sherry has been lovely. Incredibly proud of the team, it was a really tough sail and these guys stepped up. We've come togther as a group, a few days to reset during the stopover but we're ready to go for the next race."

Image: Team Warrant in Puerto Sherry

Now that all teams have arrived into Puerto Sherry Marina, it will be time for a stopover full of activities, yacht tours and some much needed recovery for the ten crews.  

For more on the Puerto Sherry stopover, head to the dedicated stopover page and keep an eye out on the Clipper Race social channels.