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No sailing experience? No problem. If you like new challenges, you’ll love the Clipper Round the World yacht race.
Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. (Photo: Clipper Racing)
Updated on March 9, 2026 at 09:51 AM
If there’s one thing that unites all endurance athletes, it’s a sense of adventure. Whether they’re biking through the mountains, running through city streets, swimming in icy waters, or doing all three in the same day, some athletes love to discover their potential. If this is you, put up Clipper about world yacht racing On your endurance bucket list. It’s a world-wide voyage available to anyone, and requires no sailing experience.
You can sign up for the whole thing — 40,000 nautical miles! — or one or more of these Eight legs. Everyone accepted goes through four stages of intensive training to prepare you for life as a full-time ocean racer, and each yacht has professional sailors on board at all times. Because sailing skills can be taught, but what grit and determination does it take to finish them? This must be worth it. Along the way, you’ll feel the speed of the Atlantic trade winds coming from the UK to South America or the turbulent ‘Roaring Forties’ from South Africa to the west coast of Australia, and much more.
This year’s race is well underway, and applications are now being accepted for the 2027-2028 edition. In the spring and summer, you can get a first-hand introduction to racing at events on the West and East Coast. At these free-to-attend events, you can board one of the Clipper Race yachts and meet the racing crew. the Events In Seattle from April 22-24 and in Washington, D.C. from June 18-20. You can too Keep up with your favorite yachts online and follow them in real time as they race around the world.
There’s nothing like hearing from someone who did it. Samantha Harper has done it all. The GP from Canada was part of the 2017-2018 Clipper Race, completing the entire journey in over eleven months of racing. This is not her first participation in global endurance racing, as she will complete her final race in the 4th Desert Ultramarathon Series in Mongolia in 2027, and she has finished the Marathon of the Sands six times. But the Clipper race was a mental and physical challenge unlike any other for her, and as unique an adventure as you can find anywhere. We spoke with Harper to learn more about the experience and to help you decide if it’s right for you.
outside: As an endurance athlete, what appealed to you about racing the Clipper?
Samantha Harper: “Learning to sail” has been on my to-do list for years. This was a very obvious way to cross out the item. I think the more endurance events you complete, the more you wonder what else is outside your comfort zone.
What was it like for you to learn such an extreme new sport?
Intimidating at first. The learning curve was steep and I felt like I was learning a whole new language. However, participation in the Clipper race is conditional upon completion of four weeks of mandatory training, so I knew I would learn enough to be an effective (and safe!) member of the crew.
How did your previous endurance experience help you complete the Clipper Race?
The biggest transferable skill I gained from endurance racing was self-management. Whether you spend 24 hours running an ultramarathon or 24 days crossing an ocean, you need to maximize your rest periods and have a system to make it easier to access the key parts of your kit.
What kind of physical, mental and natural obstacles do you face on your journey?
When you are sailing into the wind – which is often the case – it is normal for the boat to tilt. Living below deck at a 40 degree angle and in close quarters with your crewmates requires patience and agility! The boat races 24 hours a day, so there’s no such thing as a day off if you’re tired or not in the mood to get on deck (or seasick, as was the case with me, many times). You have to dig deep and keep showing up, because your crewmates are counting on you to pitch in.
How does finishing a race help you face new challenges?
These days, if I’m stuck in the “pain cave” at an endurance event, I remind myself that I’m a Clipper Race competitor and this helps me push myself higher.
How has completing the race impacted your life in other ways?
I came away from an experience like this with lifelong friends and some great stories. Since the race, I have set myself the goal of sailing solo into the Torngat Mountains, a remote national park located in the far north of Labrador, which will require more training and improved skills to do so safely.
What would you say to someone thinking about participating in the Clipper Race?
My brother’s favorite quote is “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right.” Watch clips from the race, where almost all of these people were just like you and me before they took on the adventure. They did it – so can you!
the Clipper about world yacht racing It is one of the toughest endurance challenges on the planet. People from all over the world train to become ocean racing sailors. This unique event sees teams brave extreme conditions as they race over 40,000 nautical miles in a true test of tenacity.
