Celebration
30 Sep 2014 / 17:30

An evening to celebrate the journey of Switzerland’s entry in the Clipper 2013-14 Race presented by David Cusworth and Switzeland Skipper Vicky Ellis.

Vicky, 31, was the only professional female skipper on the Clipper 2013-14 Race and just the third female skipper in the 19-year history of the Clipper Race.

Under her guidance Switzerland finished fifth in the overall standings table and with Vicky receiving a special trophy at the official prizegiving ceremony of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race (RSHYR) for being the first female skipper over the line.

As well as putting their sailing skills to the test, the crew of Switzerland also raised $45,000 for the yacht’s official charity, Mercy Ships.

During their circumnavigation, the team raised money and awareness for the hospital ship charity with its 'Saving Lives Every Leg' campaign.

Vicky and her crew of amateur sailors secured three podium finishes during the 2013-14 edition with a memorable victory in the race from Hobart to Brisbane to cap off an impressive race campaign, which saw them finish out of the top eight yachts only three times in the sixteen race series.

Originally from landlocked Worcestershire, Vicky moved to Bristol in her teens where she studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bristol. Influenced by her grandfather, she fell in love with sailing at a young age and at 15-years-old Vicky completed her RYA competent crew certificate, before going on to join her university’s sailing team.

After graduating from Bristol University with first-class honours, Vicky went onto work as a Chartered Engineer before joining Clipper Ventures as a training skipper, assisting the amateur Clipper 11-12 Race crew fulfill their full potential.

The duo aim to inspire more people to join the adventure of a lifetime.

Venue

Hotel Beau Rivage, Quai du Mont-Blanc 13, Geneva 1201, Switzerland