Biography
Where from: Rayleigh, Essex
Nautical Miles sailed: 56,000nm
Dan grew up sailing dinghies and cruisers from a young age with his family around the East coast of the UK. Having completed his Masters of Civil Engineering (MEng), sailing was not a profession he had considered, however, being inspired to sail around the world, Dan signed up to the Clipper 2019-20 Race as a Circumnavigator.
During the 2019-20 edition, Dan quickly fell in love with competitive sailing and the Clipper Race, and decided that he wanted to make this a career. He spent lockdown working on his personal development, undergoing several months of courses, which helped him progress to be selected for the role of AQP on Unicef when the race resumed following the pandemic. Working alongside Skipper Ian Wiggin, Dan and his crew on Unicef achieved some excellent results, including first place on the final race into London’s Royal Docks, and a third place finish on Race 14 across the Atlantic from New York to Derry~Londonderry.
Since finishing the Clipper 2019-20 Race on Unicef, the idea of undertaking the race as a skipper on one of the boats, enabling others to take on the race of their lives, has stuck with Dan. He says: “The selection process was high pressured and intense, it pushes you to the limits, but my previous Skipper on Unicef gave me so many options to manage the boat and take on extra responsibility, I felt ready to undertake this challenge”
Dan believes that his previous knowledge will empower his team to be competitive and have an incredible experience. “In my experience it is the crew that make the Clipper Race. All the incredible individuals coming together with the same goal of completing their adventure. Without them the race wouldn't be possible. Everyone has their own story and reason for undertaking this huge challenge,and it’s only when all these individuals pull together as a team that we can complete this amazing undertaking.”
A self-confessed lover of the outdoors, Dan’s interests include rock climbing and white water kayaking, and he has previously worked as a Canoe Instructor and Scout Leader.