Biography

Where from: Isle of Wight, UK

Nautical miles sailed: Over 150,000nm

Josh Stickland is returning to lead a team around the world for a second consecutive edition of the Clipper Race.

First taking to the water aged 10, it was with the Prince’s Trust and UKSA’s support that Josh qualified as a Watersports Instructor and he has never looked back. The professional sailor lives on the Isle of Wight, UK, has worked all over the globe on yachts and superyachts up to 110m, but the pull of the Clipper Race was too much to resist for the former Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam skipper.

Having faced the freezing temperatures and remoteness of the North Pacific and the English Channel, and wind gusts of over 80 knots in the South Atlantic, Josh has amassed a huge amount of ocean racing experience. Josh is looking to build on his strong coaching and team development skills demonstrated in the 2019-10 edition, to deliver a competitive campaign.

Aside from building his crew, watching them grow and develop into a self-sufficient team and achieving performance successes, Josh cites encounters with whales, freeing a sea bird which found its way into the yacht and a fierce low pressure system during Leg 2 as some of the stand out moments of the previous edition. Josh says: “I have missed the racing element, and the thrill of forming a competitive race team. The vast conditions keep you on your toes - in the South Atlantic we had 86 knot (98mph) wind speed crept up on us in a matter of hours. As the skipper, you need to be as positive as possible - you don’t have to have that in any other sailing role. Your morale makes a real difference every single day.”

When he’s not working or racing on yachts, you’ll find Josh exploring in his campervan or heading to the coast for a surf.