The Clipper Round the World Race was founded by Sir Robin Knox Johnston to allow non-professional sailors to experience true offshore racing under the guidance of a professional skipper. The crews train hard in the weeks before the start of the event in England and then race all over the world as they complete a full circumnavigation. On board the boats you will find doctors and accountants, business folk and home makers. They are novices when they start and by the time they have raced around the world, they are hardened blue water sailors. Here’s an update from the race’s website.
Although Race 7: The Forever Tropical Paradise Race may only be in its opening hours, Dare To Lead has managed to pull away and currently has a two nautical mile advantage on the pack which, after the first Le Mans start of the 2017-18 edition, remains tightly compacted.
Whilst the Dare To Lead team settles in as it gears up for the first long race since Race 3 from Cape Town, South Africa, to Fremantle, Australia, speaking from on board, Skipper Dale Smyth said: “Today, the temperature is soaring and we did our start at 04:00 UTC. We got a clean break and a little bit of space ahead of the fleet, long may it last.” Read more.