LIFE AS AN OCEAN RACER
Join the Clipper Race and you’ll compete like a professional ocean racer – with all the excitement and intensity that life at an angle brings.
Experience the Adventure
The Clipper Race isn’t for the faint-hearted. Each full edition takes around eleven months, of which about 220 days are spent racing at sea, at all hours and in all conditions. Respite comes at the stopovers between stages, but you’ll still be expected to perform vital tasks like maintenance and supply replenishment.
You’ll be allocated to one of ten race teams, each of which is made up of around 60 Race Crew. Up to 22 crew members can be on board at any time, and everyone will pull their weight under the watch system.
We race hard
The ocean waits for no-one, so racing takes place 24 hours a day. For some, 03.30 is a tough wakeup call, yet the reward of watching the sun rise, thousands of miles from land, remote seabirds chasing the wind uplift from your sails, and with a hot coffee and camaraderie to warm you, all make it worthwhile.
There might be times when the cramped living environment, lack of home comforts, the heat or the cold, the silence or the noise get to you. This is when you may have to dig deep – or support your teammates.
Our Fleet
The third generation of one-design Clipper Race yachts, the Clipper 70, debuted in the Clipper 2013-14 Race. They've proved to be faster and more dynamic than previous Clipper Race yachts, breaking speed records up to 35 knots.
The 70-foot yachts make up the world’s largest matched fleet of ocean racing yachts. Designed by renowned naval architect Tony Castro, they are the shining jewel in the Clipper Race crown, perfectly adapted to this gruelling sailing challenge.
Unrivalled equipment ready for the toughest conditions
Your SafetyOutfitted in pro-tested technical clothing and state-of-the-art safety gear, including AIS-enabled lifejackets, you’ll have top-tier protection against anything the ocean throws at you.
Crew Stories
Swapping desks for deck
Regina, Actuary, 39
Circumnavigator on board Bekezela
Na Kyung ‘Regina’ Lee, 39, pushed her limits and achieved the remarkable. She became the first Korean woman to circumnavigate the globe under sail, ticking this huge accomplishment off her bucket list.
Crew Stories
From behind the lens to leading the fleet
Patrick, Camera Assistant, 35
Circumnavigator on board Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam
A born adventurer, Paddy joined the Clipper Race to step back from the day to day, to look at life from a distance and reconnect with challenge and excitement.
Crew Stories
Tools down, sails up
Fernanda, Cabinet Maker, 40
Legger on board Punta del Este
Discover how Fernanda Nunez, an award winning cabinet maker from Uruguay traded her chisels for charts and found an entirely new blueprint for life far beyond the workshop walls.
Crew Stories
Escaping the corporate rat race
Olaf, Engineer, 58
Circumnavigator on board Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam
A chance encounter with the Clipper Race team at Boot Düsseldorf set Olaf on a life-changing course; signing up for the full circumnavigation, packing his life up and heading to sea - a decision he never regretted.
FAQs
Yes – potentially! Our Race Crew come from all walks of life: You must be aged 18 or over when you take part in the race, however you can apply at 16 and train at 17. We have even had crew in their early 70s take part. The most important thing is that you are both mentally and physically strong enough to take part as this is a big physical and mental challenge!
Not at all! In the 2023-24 edition, over 55 different nationalities have taken part. English is the core working language, so crew need a reasonable level of English to communicate effectively. Having a large number of international crew, all communicating in their second or third language, adds to the challenge.
Find out more
Link arrowThe Application
It all starts right here…Train to become an Ocean Racer and experience the exhilaration of circumnavigating the globe on a 70-foot racing yacht.
Link arrowThe Training
Becoming an ocean racer demands rigorous training. Every crew member, regardless of experience, completes four levels of Clipper Race training to tackle the world's most challenging conditions.
Link arrowThe Race
The Clipper Race is one of the biggest challenges of the natural world and an endurance test like no other.
Join the Race
40,000nm. 5 Oceans. 1 Circumnavigation. See you on the start line.