Race Skipper: The toughest job in sailing

Tasked with leading a crew of up to 22 adventure-seekers around the world, the role of a Clipper Race Skipper is one of the most demanding leadership positions in the industry. Once the successful Skippers get through a rigorous selection process, five months of intensive preparation follows.  

Image: Demanding conditions faced on the Clipper 2023-24 Race

The initial selection process involves rounds of interviews and intense on-the-water trials, but the hard work doesn’t stop there. Once recruited, Skippers will undergo a full programme of preparation to hone their skills across a range of areas, from on the water drills and leadership development to studying SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) and leading each level of Clipper Race Training course.

The Clipper Race Management Team is responsible for the recruitment and development of Skippers and is predominantly made up of previous Clipper Race Skippers, all of whom have first-hand experience of racing around the globe.

Dale Smyth, Clipper Race Director, said: “The role of a Clipper Race Skipper is one of the hardest sailing jobs in the industry. We are not only looking for vastly experienced offshore sailors but also incredible team leaders. Racing around the world for eleven months while supervising up to 22 Race Crew in a confined environment calls for the highest calibre of individual. Tenacity and passion is required to keep the team competitive and most importantly, happy.

“Despite this job being tough, it is in equal measures rewarding, as you will be instrumental in helping people to achieve their lifelong dreams. Having skippered on the Clipper Race myself I can attest to the fact that it is both tough and fulfilling.”

Image: Race Director Dale Smyth Skippered Dare To Lead on the 2017-28 edition

Clipper Race Skippers are thoroughly prepared. They know every inch of their ocean racing yacht and are ready to take on the challenge of leading crew around the world. Skippers are first and foremost responsible for keeping their crew safe, and fundamental in coaching the diverse Clipper Race crew, helping them to become ocean racers. Around 40% of the crew have never sailed before signing up to the intensive and rigorous Clipper Race Training programme. Every crew member must complete four levels of compulsory training ahead of the race, where they gain essential knowledge and skills to be an effective crew member.

But the real learning starts once they begin racing. Here the Race Skipper is instrumental in passing on knowledge, teaching and helping in honing their skills, and providing mentorship to empower the crew to grow and develop.

Max Rivers, Deputy Race Director, skippered the Our Isles and Oceans team on the 2023-24 edition. About the opportunities the role offers to a professional skipper, he says: “A Clipper Race skipper is a unique opportunity to teach crew from a huge range of backgrounds and in some of the most remote corners of the globe. To take everyday people who may have not sailed before and teach them to safely circumnavigate the globe whilst competing in a race, is a challenge that only the Clipper Race can offer.

“Managing our incredible crew is an absolute joy and we find that as skippers we learn from them as much as they learn from us. We are supported by amazing maintenance and HQ staff allowing us to know that we are safe even when miles from land. We cross oceans that are on every sailor’s bucket list and see the majesty of the planet at its most raw.”

Image: Max Rivers, Deputy Race Director and Skipper on the 2023-24 edition

To assist each Race Skipper as a second-in-command, each yacht also has a First Mate.

Dale adds: “These are fully qualified and professional seafarers who fulfil the position of First Mate on board and will help the Race Skipper to run the yacht and manage the team. They will also help the entire crew in achieving their goals and objectives. First Mates are outstanding individuals who are well established in the maritime industry and many of them will be building towards becoming a Race Skipper in the future using the clear pathway that Clipper Ventures offers.”

The pre-race schedule for Skippers and First Mate’s is as thorough as it is wide-ranging. In addition to large amounts of time spent on-the-water and learning about all aspects of the Clipper 70s, Skippers are trained to use specialist navigational software by TIMEZERO, learn about lifejacket servicing and safety from Spinlock, and receive further product training from Marlow Ropes. Additional specialist sessions are delivered on subjects such as enhanced medical training, and weather systems with Clipper Race Meteorologist Simon Rowell.

Image: Learning about on board tools and technology is a key part of Skipper and First Mate Training

On both the 2019-20 and 2023-24 editions, Grahame Robb Associates (GRA) partnered with the Clipper Race as Official Learning and Development Supplier. The company delivered a bespoke leadership and development programme for Race Skippers and First Mates, designed to advance their existing strong leadership skills. GRA draws on its extensive experience in coaching elite national sports teams and sportspeople, along with corporate leaders to deliver a unique learning programme.

The tailored scheme is designed for the professionals to push the boundaries of their existing capabilities. It further develops the Race Skippers as leaders through experiential learning in an environment which simulates the pressure of real-life race conditions, as well as throwing them into new situations.

Are you looking to develop your sailing career with a view to becoming a Race Skipper or First Mate? Applications are currently open for the 2025-26 edition. Find out more here: https://discover.clipperroundtheworld.com/race-skipper