Hunt on for Kiwis to Take on Challenge of a Lifetime as Clipper Fleet Makes Historic First Visit to New Zealand

Just days after the ten-strong fleet of 68-foot ocean racing yachts competing in the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race arrived in Tauranga for the event’s first ever visit to New Zealand, the search is on for Kiwis to race in the next edition of the race that covers 40,000 miles around the world.
 

To coincide with the fleet’s stopover, Clipper’s Crew Recruitment Manager David Cusworth, has arrived in New Zealand to hold a series of presentations so that people can find out more about taking part in the world’s longest race. With the next race set to start from the UK in July 2013, race organisers are holding presentations in Wellington, Auckland and Tauranga to give locals the chance to get on board. No previous sailing experience is required as full training is provided.

“It’s great to be here in New Zealand to meet some of the people who will be lining up on the start line for the ninth edition of the Clipper Race in 2013. With the new fleet of Clipper 70s in build for the next race, interest is at an all-time high and given the level of interest I’ve already seen here, there’s going to be an unprecedented number of New Zealanders represented on the teams,” Crew Recruitment Manager, David Cusworth, said.

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is crewed by people from all walks of life, aged from 18 to more than 70, representing more than 40 nationalities. Each one of them chooses to sign up for either the whole circumnavigation, or one or more of the legs, which make up the year-long challenge.

Interest in future races is stronger than ever and the trend of crew places being consistently sold out for the last two editions of the race looks set to continue. A brand new fleet of twelve innovatively designed Clipper 70s will increase capacity to meet this growing demand. The new 70-foot yachts will come into service for Clipper 13-14 and serve the next four editions of the Clipper Race through to 2020.

With planning for Clipper 13-14 now well underway, a record number of prospective crew are attending interviews to take part in the Clipper 13-14 Round the World Yacht Race. Almost 300 crew members have already signed up, with scores of hopeful applicants attending for presentations and interviews every week.

Aucklander Christel Townley is a 29-year-old accountant who took part in one leg of Clipper 09-10 sailing from Australia to China on board Visit Finland after finding out about the race whilst living in London. Despite having sailed with her family in her summer holidays in the Marlborough Sounds as she was growing up, Christel admits that she was apprehensive when she signed up as a Clipper crew member.

“I remember being very nervous, wondering what I'd got myself into when I signed up and started the training but it was a fantastic week and I knew I'd made the right decision,” Christel said.

“It's such a crazy environment to be in when on board, with people with all sorts of experience and from all walks of life, people I'd never otherwise get to know as part of my day to day life, yet here you are living with them 24 hours a day. It was intense but we were all in the same boat and everyone just got stuck in and had a damn good laugh and a few drinks when we arrived in port,” she added.

Christel said the highlights for her were “meeting so many fantastic people” and experiencing spectacular sunrises, sunsets and moonrises on board.

For anyone considering taking part in Clipper 13-14, Christel’s advice is, “Just do it as you never know when you'll get another opportunity.”

Another Kiwi crew member with no regrets is Fred Tooley, Clipper 11-12’s oldest crew member, who is fulfilling an ambition held for more than half of his 72 years by taking part in the race. The retail assistant from Manukau, Auckland, joined Gold Coast Australia, the team currently topping the leader board, for the race from Geraldton, Western Australia to Tauranga and will also participate in the next stage from Tauranga to Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.

As he stepped onto home soil last week, an emotional Fred said, “There’s only one phrase for it: this is something else! When I first saw New Zealand it was down by the bottom of South Island, coming around Stewart Island and I had a little cry then. I really didn’t know what to expect of myself, I was really quite surprised. With the last 20 miles and only a couple of hours to go, I sat on the side of the boat and just reflected and it’s so fantastic.

“My wife said, ‘You’ve wanted to do this for the last 35 years – go and do it.’ One of our friends said this is costing a lot of money but money is absolutely nothing to the way I feel right now. My wife will never ever know – not because I won’t tell her – she’ll just never know what she’s done for me. I’m having a little cry even now! I try to put it into words and all I can say is, this is something else. If there’s anybody thinking about it, don’t think about it, just go and do it! It’s the only way you’re going to know how I feel right now.”

To find out more visit: www.clipperroundtheworld.com