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 →
Life onboard during an 11-month circumnavigation brings with it a rhythm that becomes strangely ordinary, even in the most extraordinary of environments. In the daily grind of sailing our routine of wakeups, watches, sail changes, and meals, can begin to blur together. Even in the middle of vast oceans or under starlit skies, life can... Continue Reading →
This is the second in a series of blogs exploring the many dimensions of participating in the Clipper Race. In this entry, I focus on the sailing, the core of the journey, which is as relentless as it is exhilarating. Ocean racing is not just about pointing the boat in the right direction and sailing... Continue Reading →
A lot has happened since last posting here. In May 2023 as I stepped off 59 North’s Falken after a transatlantic passage, I received a call from Clipper HQ asking me if I wanted to be an additional qualified person (AQP: better known as first mate) on the race. Since then, I have been caught... Continue Reading →
I’ve been an AQP (first mate) on the Clipper Race for 8 months and we have sailed well over halfway round the world. It feels like we are on the home straight. Life has been super-fast paced since the trials for the position in February 2023. Since the race started on September 3rd I have... Continue Reading →
