On 31 August, twenty sailing professionals will depart from Portsmouth for the Clipper Round the World Race. Notably, 55% of the leaders are women, setting a record for the event.
The Clipper Race is unique in training individuals from diverse backgrounds to become ocean racers. This year's line-up features 11 women as skippers and first mates, including Lorraine O'Hanlon from County Clare.
Ella Hebron, a Clipper 2025-26 Race Skipper, stated, “Sailing is a level playing field – with the ocean an equaliser." She reflects on the challenges and joys that all sailors face. Each of the ten teams includes an experienced skipper and first mate. Four out of ten skippers in this edition are women, and the number of female first mates has risen from four to seven. The crew comes from various professions, including teachers and firefighters, and up to 40% have never sailed before.
Participants undergo rigorous training for the eleven-month race. Welsh Skipper Lowri “Lou” Boorman emphasised, “There are no ‘pink jobs’ or ‘blue jobs’ on the boat.” She believes in the capability of every crew member, regardless of gender.
As the race begins, crews will tackle extreme weather and challenging conditions, testing their mental and physical limits.
The full Clipper 2025-26 Race Skipper line-up:
Angela Brandsma, Dutch (Sneek, The Netherlands)
David Sautret, French (Bordeaux, France)
Dylan Kotze, South African (Cape Town, South Africa)
Oliver Irvine, Northern Irish (Chester)
Ella Hebron, British (Eastbourne, East Sussex, UK)
Gavin Rees, Welsh (Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, UK)
Guy Waites, British (Leeds and Catwick, Yorkshire, UK)
Heather Thomas, British (Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK)
Lowri “Lou” Boorman, Welsh (Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales)
Philip Quinn, Irish (County Down, Northern Ireland)
The full First Mate line-up is as follows:
Amy Smith, British (Somerset, UK)
Charlie Cullen, British (West Sussex, UK)
Brian Uniacke, Irish (Dublin, Ireland)
Diana Vega, British (Isle of Wight, UK)
Faith Nordbruch, British (Isle of Wight, UK)
Jade Golder, British (Surrey, UK)
Lorraine O'Hanlon, Irish (Clare, Ireland)
Millie Apperley, British (West Yorkshire, UK)
Otto Kulow, British/German (Leipzig, Germany/Harrogate, UK)
Zoe Longley, British (Derbyshire, UK)
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