Meet the Race Crew who have signed up for a life less ordinary

Leg 1 – The Atlantic Trade Winds Alex Bellars, Perseverance, Race 1 | Day 1 “What a first day! The on-shore festival built into a wonderful crescendo, and the energising effect of the stage walk and being presented to the Gunwharf Quays crowds was enormous. We’ve said our farewells and hugged family and friends goodbye… with a few tears shed. Our team song, “Who Let The Dogs Out?” has echoed across Portsmouth many times today!

“Out on the water, after the business of the Parade of Sail, Perseverance has made a great start, both in terms of beginning to work together as a crew for the first time, and from a pure performance point of view.”

Bartosz Nalazek, UNICEF, Race 2 | Day 25 “To be fair, my son, there were also many moments of great vulnerability and weakness, scary moments hard to imagine from land. Heavy waves and winds pushed our boat around in the Bay of Biscay, like we’d suddenly found ourselves in the peak of your bath time, often seasick, covered by salty waves. I changed sails, fixed things, cooked meals, shivered from cold rain, burned from hot sun and melted in sweat laying on my bunk. King Neptune has put us on trial many times, I am far yet from a seasoned sailor.

“You might ask me then why did I go through all this, was seeing a few happy dolphins and sunsets worth all the effort and strain?

“My son, this race is much greater than everything I have described so far. To race means to challenge yourself to find your strengths and overcome your weaknesses. It means experiencing your limits, your teams, and your opponents as well and trying to push them even further. To race means to commit to becoming the best version of yourself, to commit your mind and heart as you go and grind, grind, grind way out of your comfort zone.”

Leg 2: The South Atlantic Challange Giovanni Scalsi Riquelme, Bekezela, Race 3 | Day 16“We have definitely endured hardships, but we have gained invaluable insight into ourselves and others, managed our psychology and ultimately resisted. I read somewhere that no challenge is greater than our ability to handle it. And that is so true. And we’ve got proof… you should see my hands, they’re sandpaper!

“At the end of this trip, we’ll find ourselves tired but content. The South Atlantic may be relentless but it’s also breathtakingly beautiful. We’ve learned to dance with its moods, from milk pond calms to feisty winds while dealing with technical problems, and with each passing day, we’ve become one with the elements. This is an adventure like no other and we’re savouring every moment of the wild adventure.”

Luis Hintz, Yacht Club Punta del Este, Race 3 | Day 12 “We travel through this habitat full of animals that approach us to observe, to understand, to assess, because we are intruders but also their guests. Whales are curious and come to the surface to say hello when we are stuck in wind holes. Dolphins follow us when we speed up and Petrels glide alongside us closely for food. The boat surfs an ecosystem and creates another one at the same time.

“Beings made of the earth, travelling in a world made of water and air using the fire in their hearts to achieve the impossible.”

Leg 3: The Roaring Forties Dianne McGrath, PSP Logistics, Race 4 | Day 18“This floating home is a microcosm of life back on land with all its highs, lows, excitement, and mundanity. A special gift this home has given me has been the opportunity to reflect deeply and to improve myself on multiple levels personally and technically. I am continually learning more about Dianne, my limitless capabilities and what that may mean for my future life post Clipper Race in 8 plus months’ time as I continue to transform within the relative safety of my tossed about sea-borne home.

“As a consequence, I’ve come to realise that the Clipper Race slogan is not quite fitting for me. I do not see it as the Race of My Life. Instead, I see that my life is being shaped by the home environment that this race creates.”

Leg 4: Australian Coast-to-Coast Ben Holt, Our Isles and Oceans, Race 5 | Day 15“The build-up to the new year on Our Isles and Oceans was a tad different to your usual affair, the sound of Champagne corks popping replaced by the occasional crash as we carved through yet another large wave.

“Everyone made their way on deck just before the clock striking midnight to the waft of freshly made caramelized apple pie courtesy of Richard. Suited and booted in our foulies (or in one case, a kilt – a risky garment to climb the companionway in), we gathered in a circle in the cockpit, gleefully counting down the last minute of 2023. We entered the new year with a synchronised chorus of “Happy New Year” echoing across the boat. Hugs were exchanged happily before arms were linked for the traditional rendition of Loch Lomond.

“After this burst of jollity, we sat in the cockpit, collectively, for a moment of silent reverie. The lights were dimmed, and we gazed out into the abyss around us, reflecting on the monumental nature of where we were and what we were doing. Sparks of bioluminescence danced in the waves around us, with flashes of brilliant blue lighting up the sea. This was bettered only by the sky itself, the Milky Way painting itself in waves and twirls above our heads, reminiscent of the Van Gogh painting it inspired. It was as if sky and sea were competing which could be the more spectacular.

“If there’s one thing I know for certain, it’s that those of us on board Our Isles and Oceans will never forget the way we welcomed in 2024.”

Olwami Zungu, Dare To Lead, Race 6 | Day 6 “Ryan’s leadership on the boat inspires me to take lead of my own life. Charlie’s composure teaches me not to rush everything I do in my life. The combination of both shows me that there is always a way of making things work when they are not in your favour. The crew have allowed me to embrace myself from different perspectives.

“Abundant lessons learned from the two races, most of which will shape me into the person I desire to be, and some of which I can tell the younger children growing up with ambitious dreams surrounded by barbed wire telling them they cannot achieve the achievable.

“A lot of words to be spread across my country, small steps to be taken and big changes to be forever made.”

Leg 5: The Asia-Pacific Leg Ziqi Wang, Qingdao, Race 8 | Day 3“In six months of sailing, I went from being a fledgling sailor who was exposed to transoceanic racing for the first time to now having accumulated thousands of nautical miles behind me. In the past six months, I have crossed the equator twice, passed through countless storms and wind tunnels, and sailed day and night. In the process, I also got to know people from all walks of life. Today, although some people have left and some have stayed, I cannot do without their help and support during my sailing in the past six months. It is also a kind of fate to be able to sail together on this small sailboat!”

Leg 6: The Mighty Pacific David Laufer, Washington, DC, Race 10 | Day 11 “They say that in baseball, during the post-season, the ball appears smaller, harder to hit, and play more difficult. The Pacific offers the same: the horizon seems further away, the ocean becomes more vast, and the waves reach up higher to meet the sky.

“True to form, the Pacific greeted us with a lively nighttime storm: winds reaching 60kph, driving rain, and a pitch black punctuated by momentary bursts of lightning. Helming was, to say the least, challenging. The wind slapped halyards against the mast, urging the boat forward as a jockey whips a horse. Is it any wonder that Poseidon is the god of oceans and horses?”

Leg 7: USA Coast-to-Coast Janice Baker, Perseverance, Race 11 | Day 8“So, as I start to prepare myself for going back home, I've spent a lot of time thinking of what I will take away with me. I can say that I have become a better sailor, that I have become more tolerant, patient and accepting of myself. I have more appreciation for all the little things that are so easy to take for granted. I am lucky to have met some amazing people and I have loved my time on Perseverance - bilges and all! So, thank you to Ineke and Joss and all my fellow crewmates, for the adventure, belly laughs, and continuous banter, but most of all for acts of kindness. Kindness is the one quality we all possess, and it's been given to me in bucket loads. To all of you who have given me a hug, encouraging words, or just a look... without you, it would not have been the same. I love you guys!

Arturo Zorillo, Zhuhai Race 12 | Day 7 “The Panama Canal crossing was really cool, it was amazing to see the natural beauty mixed with the ingenuity and engineering of hundreds of minds. These days, in such a historic site, and together with the transiting of some islands that have seen so many events unfold, it has been nice to think about all that has happened in this ocean. This ocean has seen it all, and all we can see in it is the wisdom that it holds, but not the scars. An energetic, noble and beautiful demonstration of the kindness and forgiveness of this world, giving us the opportunity to continue to navigate around it.”

As the Clipper 2023-24 Race draws to its conclusion, keep up with all the leaderboard latest at clipperroundtheworld.com/race/standings and join us at Gunwharf Quays over 26-28 July to welcome back the fleet after its 40,000nm adventure around the globe.

Find out what's on for the Grand Finale here: https://discover.clipperroundtheworld.com/grand-finale/