“Go for a real extreme one”

Ronen Koehler, an IT Security Executive from Tel Aviv, is set to join a small yet elite group of fellow Israelis who have taken part in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

The 49-year-old will compete in the world’s longest yacht race on Leg 5, racing from Australia to China via Singapore.

“I heard about the Clipper Race in early 2005 from someone I met who had a dream of crossing the Atlantic,” explains Ronen.

“Since then I got the Clipper Race newsletter periodically until I decided to do a leg.

“I have been a Naval Officer and a Submarine Captain, and for me going back to sea is like going back to the world I loved. I have decided to give myself a present for my 50^th birthday in 2014 by doing the Clipper Race.“

Ronen will race from the east coast of Australia to the cosmopolitan city of Singapore before continuing north in search of the Chinese sailing city of Qingdao.

“I chose Leg 7 from San Francisco to New York but then a good friend told me ‘if you are going to do it go for a real extreme one.’  Leg 5 seems tough, yet interesting in different areas, cultures, weather conditions and navigation challenges.”

Each and every crew member taking part in the Clipper Race goes through a comprehensive training programme made up of three on-the-water courses.

“For me the Level 1 training was like going back to my submarine days - around the clock shifts,” he reveals. 

“The teamwork that is built so quickly is by far the highlight - eight people who meet for the first time and become a team in a few hours and I took away from my training the importance of teamwork in a long race like the Clipper Race.

“I am looking forward to the whole race experience, testing myself, being part of a team and living at sea again.”

If you are interested in following Ronen’s footsteps and signing up for the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, click here to request more information.

You can also use the official Route Builder to help plan your adventure around the world. Just click here to build your route.