​Introducing the Clipper Race Management Team

With a new Race Director, Dale Smyth, appointed, it’s a warm welcome to some new, and some very familiar, faces in the Clipper Race Management Team.

Consisting of the Race Director, Dale Smyth, Deputy Race Director, Max Rivers, Race Manager, Hannah Brewis and a new face at HQ, Operations and Logistics Manager, Catherine Udy, the Race Management Team is responsible for delivering the sailing and race logistics of the biennial global circumnavigation.

The responsibilities of the team are wide-reaching, and include management of the fleet operations, fleet safety, race route planning, weather management, course instructions, sailing staff recruitment and management, and race operations and logistics.

Dale, Max and Hannah have all previously worked as Race Skippers, and bring to the role their extensive sailing and Clipper Race knowledge. Max and Hannah also undertook the role of First Mate on the 2019-20 edition before progressing to skippers on the most recent edition, giving them a deep understanding of the race’s complex nature. Catherine joins the team as an adventurer with a wealth of experience working across logistics, HR and supply chain, as well as a stint as a Detective Constable with the Hampshire Police.

We spoke to the team about their new roles and the 2025-26 edition ahead…

Image: Dale Smyth - Race Director

What does your role entail? What are the key things you will be doing?

Dale: As the Race Director, I am responsible with my team for the sailing side of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. This includes management of the fleet operations, fleet safety, race route planning, weather management, course instructions, sailing staff recruitment and management and then race operations and logistics.

Max: As the Deputy Race Director, I will manage the recruitment and training of the Skippers and First Mates. I work closely with Race Director, Dale Smyth, to help create the race route and then I will be in each stopover ahead of the fleet, prepping for the arrival by managing berthing to ensure as smooth an entry to each port as possible. My main function is as the primary contact for the fleet, meaning I am on call 24 hours a day for the entire race to help support the teams with anything they may need.

Hannah: My role as Race Manager encompasses many different things, from managing the sailing staff alongside Dale and Max, to ensuring the boats have the correct medical equipment and medical support. I also will be managing customs and immigration, as well as supporting my fellow colleagues where needed.

Catherine: My role as Operations and Logistics Manager lets me get involved in a bit of everything, essentially making sure everyone and everything is in the right place at the right time! So, this will be planning the transport to each stopover for the shipping containers that follow us around the world on the race, organising flights and accommodation for the staff that travel to each stopover, and making sure all the crew and staff are kitted up and ready to go, not only for day one, but for the entirety of the race.

Image: Max Rivers - Deputy Race Director (Race Skipper of Our Isles and Oceans in the Clipper 2023-24 Race)

What part of the job are you most excited for?

Max: Working with a new set of Skippers and First Mates and helping them train and prepare for their race. I’m excited to be able to impart my knowledge to them to build their own successful teams and then of course I’ll be pouring over the ever-addictive Race Viewer and speculating about race tactics once the event begins.

Hannah: This will be the third race edition that I will be involved with, so to follow the race around the world again will be great. Although this time it is from a different side, I still cannot wait to see those boats arrive in port celebrating their achievements. I’m also excited to watch the departure ceremonies and the Parade of Sail at each stop. I’ve never really seen them as I’ve always been on a boat in the middle of it so never got to appreciate how good it all looks.

Dale: Putting together a successful and safe race and working with the incredible sailing staff that we recruit each cycle. It will be amazing to see satisfied crew after their amazing achievements.

Catherine: The part of the job I’m most looking forward to is waving the boats off on day one of the race, knowing the brand-new crew are about to embark on what will possibly be the best adventure of their lives.

Image: Catherine Udy - Operations and Logistics Manager

What stopover are you most looking forward to, or is there a race you are excited to follow?

Catherine: Normally the race stops over in South Africa, so hopefully we’ll be going back again! It’s been high up on my list of places to visit, and I’m very excited to have the chance to see the wildlife and natural beauty that the country has to offer.

Hannah: The stopover I will be most looking forward to is Washington, DC. (Hopefully we go back!)

I skippered the Washington, DC boat in the previous edition so although I maybe biased, it was definitely the best stop in the last race! I've never followed a race from the land so to see ones the same or similar to the last race will be really interesting.

Dale: Leg 2 for me is always a really special leg. Having been raised South African and sailing from South America to South Africa regularly over my career, I know that teams will love this challenge. From the first experience they will have of being in the Roaring Forties and riding a Southern Ocean low with its awe-inspiring big seas and albatross, to the remoteness and finally the breathtaking approach to the South African coastline with its final hurdles of either wind holes or gales. This leg, to me, offers everything one could want from an ocean crossing… and more!

Max: South Korea is promising to be an amazing location, and I am looking forward to experiencing the culture and cuisine. It comes before the Mighty North Pacific Leg which is one of the toughest challenges on the race. I also have an affinity for Panama, which is an amazing mixture of east and west cuisine. You will notice the trend that food holds high importance in my stopover! I'm also looking forward to following Leg 1 as it has some really interesting tactical components.

Image: Hannah Brewis - Race Manager (Race Skipper of Washington, DC in the Clipper 2023-24 Race)

What have you been up to so far?

Hannah: At the moment we are in the thick of Skipper and First Mate recruitment. We’ve been out of the office and onto the boats running week-long trials for the candidates.

Catherine: I’ve only been here a few weeks, but I’ve already had the chance to go out on the Clipper 70’s during the first round of Skipper trails, and I have been managing the kit required for the start of next year’s race.

Dale: The past weeks have been an incredibly busy period of recruiting and inducting a new team, which I am so happy about. I feel really excited to work with them in the coming race edition. We have also begun the critical process of Skipper and AQP recruitment running regular week-long trials, which will carry on into early next year. I personally have been in a period of handover from the previous Race Director, so all in all it's been busy!

Max: So far, I have been massively focused on Skipper and First Mate recruitment. At this stage getting the best people to lead these teams is what is most important. We are looking for sailing staff who are safe but the right people to lead and inspire our crew: they are teachers, coaches and also racers.

If you think you have what it takes, it's not too late to apply for the role of Race Skipper or First Mate.

What made you want to work for the Clipper Race?

Max: I really believe in the race and what it can do for crew. It's an amazingly unique opportunity to do something that no one else is doing. I loved leading my team around the world and want to help the next generation of Skippers lead the next generation of crew around.

Catherine: I love the sea, adventures and a challenge, and the Clipper Race allows me to get involved with all three. This job is going to push me outside my comfort zone and allow me to travel to some amazing places and work with some amazing people.

Hannah: I have always wanted to be part of the Race Management team. Being a First Mate and Skipper I have seen the race from one side but always have been very interested to be involved from the other side.

How will your experience as a skipper be valuable in this role?

Max: I hope that I will be able to bring the empathy of having been the in the same boots as the Skippers, as well as my intricate knowledge of a Clipper 70. Most importantly I have the ability to help the Skippers work with their crew to create a competitive and harmonious team. I understand how hard the job of both a First Mate and Skipper is, and how much time and energy is needed, so I can support where needed.

Hannah: Both Max and I have been First Mates in the Clipper 2019-20 Race and then Skippers on the 2023-24 edition. We both know first-hand what it’s like to be out in the ocean and what goes into sailing these boats around the globe. I hope to use this experience to be a great Race Manager.

Want to join an adventure like no other? Keep an eye on our careers page for openings, from sailing staff to being part of the HQ team.