The brainchild of none other than Sir Robin, the first man ever to sail solo non-stop around the world. He wanted to 'share' the spirit and make others experience the highs and lows and breathtaking exhilaration of ocean racing, regardless of their background or level of sailing knowledge.
HISTORY
In 1995, with barely a year to go before the start of the first Clipper Race, the small team gathered by Sir Robin started planning with a vengeance, the fleet of eight 60-foot yachts commissioned and the crew recruited. The yachts, the last of which was delivered just two weeks before the race began, were named after the original tea clippers who ruled the waves 150 years ago, racing to deliver their cargo from China to the fashionable, tea-drinking sets in London. In the Great Tea Race of 1866 Ariel was first over the finish line, completing the 15,000-mile race from the Chinese port of Foo-Chow-Foo to London in just 90 days. More than a century later her namesake was the first to lift the Clipper Trophy after winning the Clipper 96 Race.
The routes for the first four Clipper races were similar but each had its own variations.
CLIPPER TROPHY 07-08
In current years, the number of teams have increased from 8 to a more significant 10 and these consist of (based on current overall standings, lastest scores for ongoing Clipper Trophy enclosed) -
1) Durban 2010 and Beyond 27, 2) Glasgow:Scotland with style 26, 3) Hull & Humber 25, 4) Liverpool 08 22.5, 5) westernaustralia2011.com 20, 6) Qingdao 19.5, 7) Nova Scotia 18.5, 8) New York 14.5, 9) Uniquely Singapore 13, and 10) Jamaica 6.5.
TEAM SELECTION
The event gives paying amateur crew members the chance to sail around the world. The organizers own a fleet of identical yachts, and provide qualified skippers to lead each team. Crew can either sign up for the whole race, or one or more legs. In contrast to the slightly older Global Challenge, the Clipper race uses lighter, faster boats and the route follows the prevailing currents and winds.
The selection process is open to all amateur sailors and hence in this manner Clipper Ventures is unique. They are the only organisation on the planet to offer the opportunity for non professional sailors to compete in a round the world yacht race.
In the process, they are now the only crewed race to sail through the Southern Ocean - one of the ultimate testing grounds for sailors.
Their occupations may be different, their ages may span generations, but the adventure in their hearts and steely determination in their eyes identifies them as Clipper Crew. This is the challenge of a lifetime, the opportunity to break away from the shackles of every day life, to pit your wits against the elements, the oceans and all that they can throw at you.
People from all walks of life, all ages, all social backgrounds, all countries joined in one common goal. To achieve something fantastic and memorable.
THE COURSE OF THE RACE
The course of the the latest edition of the Clipper Trophy is a specially designed course that takes into consideration the level of expertise of the crews of the world and combines it perfectly to the sailing conditions and life onboard to raise the bar in competition spirit, and result in an electrifying and exciting finish.
The Clipper Race isn't easy. But then what important things in life are?
