There’s a quiet misconception that lingers around this race; that a few weeks of training, drills in the Solent, and a brisk hop across the Channel can somehow prepare you for the reality of the open ocean. It’s not anyone’s fault. It’s just impossible to simulate the magnitude of oceans like the North pacific or... Continue Reading →
Team Washington DC supporters update 20th January The stories we tell ourselves about luck on this race are curious ones. We often reach for luck as an explanation; sometimes fairly, sometimes as a convenient way to avoid confronting harder truths. In reality luck’s influence varies. There are events we frequently label as bad luck; sail... Continue Reading →
DC supporters update 8th January Every single person on board works hard to choose the attitude they bring to the boat. That matters more than most people realise. This race is long, relentless, and emotionally demanding, and yet our crew continue to show up for one another with humour, kindness, and resilience. This leg we’ve... Continue Reading →
DC supporters update from skipper 29th December Like many boats, we’ve had our fair share of events that in Ocean racing shape the leader board but more important test who we are as people.I read the book ‘Legacy’ about the culture of the New Zealand All Blacks. Their motto “Better people make better All Blacks”... Continue Reading →
Rather than a sailing update, this post is something more personal; a moment to reflect on what it feels like to lead this race as a young woman, and the conversations that come with it. It’s also an acknowledgement of the family I won’t be with this Christmas.During the last race, there was a lot... Continue Reading →
DC supporters update 21st November By now many of you will know that we had an encounter of the very large and very unexpected kind: we hit a whale in the South Atlantic. I’m sure you’re keen to know what really happened, so here goes. After nearly one hundred thousand miles at sea, you develop... Continue Reading →
Leg 1 is one of the most varied and challenging legs of the entire race, spanning thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean. From the chill of the English Channel to the heat of the tropics, it delivers every shade of ocean racing: the brutal, the beautiful, and everything in between. For us it’s been... Continue Reading →
DC Supporters update 8th October: Ocean racing is one of the most rewarding experiences imaginable, but it’s also one of the toughest. Out here, things break. Lines chafe, sails tear, equipment fails. Sometimes it’s just one of those things (the ocean reminding us who’s boss). Other times, it’s human error. In Race 1, we sustained... Continue Reading →
21st September 2025 Update for supporters of team Washington DC I thought you’d like to know a bit more about life on board. Many of you may be sailors, but some may not, so I’ve shaped this post for everyone. This leg is a long one, probably the longest stretch of consecutive days at sea... Continue Reading →
As skipper of Team Washington DC on the 2025–2026 Clipper Round the World Race, I have the privilege and responsibility of leading Team Washington DC, a crew of mostly of novice sailors, through some of the most demanding oceans through an eleven-month global circumnavigation. My role is part coach, part navigator, part mediator, and always... Continue Reading →
