And they are off. Ten Clippers crossed the start line Sunday, 31 August in Portsmouth, UK, for Stage 1 of the 2025/26 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.
Before the start, the ten Clipper Race Teams paraded through Gunwharf Quays to the cheers from thousands of spectators.
They are heading into stormy weather, so the Battle over Biscay is officially underway. The fleet is racing to Puerto Sherry, Spain.
The round the world yacht race is crewed by more than 500 amateur sailors, many of them novices. Ten identical yachts will sail 40,000 nautical miles over eight legs – it’s an endurance test like no other.
I was delighted to see Qingdao is racing again. FSN was invited to sail on her in Fremantle two years ago. I spent a fabulous afternoon sailing with her skipper and crew, as I reported here.
May all the Clippies have fair winds and following seas.
We look forward to welcoming them in Fremantle in December.
Story by Jean Hudson @jeansodyssey.
Jean Hudson is our Shipping and Sailing Correspondent and also a regular feature writer and photographer here on the Shipping News. You may also like to follow up her informative Places I Love stories, as well as other feature stories and Freo Today photographs, right here.
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