Lecture: Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

Follow The River Lecture Series at the Hudson River Maritime Museum

$10/person | HRMM Members $5/person

Program Topic:

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is a 40,000-nautical-mile, eleven-month adventure for non- professional sailors. Founded in 1996 by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, it pushes endurance, teamwork and skill while racing across the planet’s oceans. Crews, led by professional Skippers and Mates, battle storms, towering waves, and blistering heat on identical 70-foot yachts.

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is an epic 40,000-nautical-mile, eleven-month challenge where amateur sailors race around the globe on a fleet of matched 70-foot yachts. Founded in 1996 by legendary sailor Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, it pushes endurance, teamwork, and sailing skills to the limit. Crews, led by professional Skippers and First Mates, face raging storms, towering waves, and scorching heat while navigating some of the world’s most demanding waters. Open to all experience levels, the Clipper Race offers a rare chance for non-professionals to experience the thrill and hardship of ocean racing across the planet’s toughest seas.

Presenter:

Ireland-born-and-raised Jacqueline Kavanagh, 53, is an ocean racer. Once a stranger to sailing, she circumnavigated the globe as part of the Clipper 2019-20 Race, clocking up 40,000nm and adding big ocean crossings to her list of achievements.

She now fronts the Clipper Race Recruitment Team where she encourages others to pursue their dreams and take on the adventure of a lifetime. She’s just an ordinary person who has been there, done it, and worn the foulies, making her the perfect sounding board for anyone wanting to take on the challenge.