Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

What Clipper Round the World Yacht Race does

Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, operated by UK-registered Clipper Ventures plc, is the organizer of the world's largest matched fleet of ocean racing yachts and a global endurance-challenge sailing event held biennially since 1996. Founded by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (the first person to complete a solo non-stop circumnavigation, 1968-69) and William Ward OBE, the company runs a fleet of 10-11 Clipper 70 ocean racing yachts across a 14-port, 40,000-nautical-mile circumnavigation that trains complete novices into ocean racers through a four-level compulsory programme. Approximately 700 crew participate per edition, paying £8,195+ for individual legs or £59,995 for the full eight-leg circumnavigation; the 14th edition is underway from Portsmouth (31 August 2025) through 2026.

The business operates through four sub-brands: Hamble School of Yachting (RYA-accredited training, up to 3,000 students per year), SKIRR Adventures (high-latitude 4,000nm expeditions to Scotland, Greenland, and Iceland), Clipper Events (corporate sailing and RORC Rolex Fastnet Race participation), and Clipper China (regional operations). Revenue is generated from participant race entry fees and a diversified B2B sponsorship stack comprising 10-11 yacht-naming team partners (e.g., Qingdao, Seattle Sports Commission, UNICEF UK, Brand Scotland/Oban Distillery, Power of Seattle Sports, Warrant Group, Yacht Club Punta del Este, Washington DC, London Business School, GOSH), 14 host port partners, and seven official suppliers (Musto, Hyde Sails, Sta-Lok, Spinlock, Marlow Ropes, Coppercoat, Grahame Robb Associates).

The company is privately held, headquartered in Gosport, UK, with 51-100 employees, and does not disclose financial statements. There are no announced external investors or private equity backers in the available sources, and there is no evidence of AI/ML, proprietary software platforms, or M&A activity; the technology stack centers on the Clipper 70 yacht fleet, geovoile.com-powered race tracking, Eventbrite ticketing, and standard embedded video/social media channels.

Name

Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

Legal name

Clipper Ventures plc

Website

https://clipperroundtheworld.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Clipper Ventures plc operates the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, the world's largest matched fleet ocean racing event, training novices to circumnavigate the globe aboard Clipper 70 yachts across 14 ports biennially, supported by sub-brands in sailing training, high-latitude expeditions, and corporate events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adventure sailing events and ocean racing

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro primary industry

Endurance Stage & Destination Challenges (Multi-day Tours, Charity Challenges) (MPAKAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sailing Experiences (Lessons, Regattas, Day Sails) (THAJAJAG)

Keywords

• Ocean yacht racing
• Sailing training programmes
• Circumnavigation events
• Corporate sailing events
• Sailing school courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Gosport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Race Entry Fees: Participants pay fees to take part in individual legs or the full circumnavigation of the race. Prices range from £8,195 for individual legs to £59,995 for full circumnavigation, plus training and kit packages. No previous sailing experience required.
2. Partnership and Sponsorship: Revenue generated through team partnerships, host port partnerships, fleet partnerships, official supplier agreements, and charity partnerships. Partners pay for brand exposure across the global race fleet, route stops, and crew activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Clipper Round the World Yacht Race organises and operates a biennial circumnavigation yacht race using a matched fleet of Clipper 70 ocean racing yachts, taking around 700 participants per edition from complete novices to ocean racers through a four-level compulsory training programme. Participants register for either individual legs (starting from £8,195) or the full 8-leg, 14-stage, ~46,850 nautical mile circumnavigation (from £59,995), plus required training and kit packages. The race is supported by an ecosystem of official suppliers, host port partners, team partners and charity partners such as UNICEF UK.

Product overview

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is an endurance challenge and the world's largest matched fleet ocean racing event, operated by Clipper Ventures plc. The core product is participation in the circumnavigation aboard a fleet of Clipper 70 ocean racing yachts, supported by a four-level compulsory training programme (Levels 1–4) that transforms complete novices into ocean racers. Participants can enter individual legs (starting from £8,195) or the full circumnavigation (8 legs, 14 stages, approximately 46,850 nautical miles; from £59,995). The portfolio also includes public-facing port stopover experiences at multiple global destinations (yacht tours, Discovery Dome, Fan Zone, cultural events), Discovery Talks, and Race Start weekend events. The broader Clipper Ventures family includes sub-brands Clipper Events (corporate and offshore race participation), SKIRR Adventures (high-latitude expeditions), and Hamble School of Yachting (RYA-accredited sailing qualifications). UNICEF UK operates as a Charity and Team Partner with a dedicated fundraising campaign. Equipment is supplied by a network of Official Suppliers including Musto (technical apparel), Hyde Sails, Sta-Lok (standing rigging), Spinlock, Marlow Ropes, Coppercoat, and Grahame Robb Associates (leadership training).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Clipper 70: The 70-foot ocean racing yachts used in the race fleet - the world's largest matched fleet of ocean racing yachts.

Products and services

• Clipper Round the World Race Participation Biennial ocean yacht race participation open to novice and experienced sailors, taken as individual legs (~3,500-5,000nm each) or as the full circumnavigation covering approximately 46,850 nautical miles across 8 legs and 14 stages. Legs start from £8,195; full circumnavigation from £59,995 (plus required training and kit packages). Includes all race logistics, professional skipper leadership, route planning and stopover coordination.
• Clipper Race Training Programme Compulsory four-level training programme that prepares crew for ocean racing: Level 1 (Welcome aboard) basics; Level 2 (Living at sea) advanced skills; Level 3 (Spinnakers and speed) performance sailing; Level 4 (Remember it's a race) competitive racing. Required purchase for race participants.
• Clipper Events Bespoke corporate sailing events and offshore race participation including RORC Rolex Fastnet Race and IRC Round the Island Race entries. Corporate clients receive Musto BR2 kit and Clipper Race staff support.
• SKIRR Adventures 12-week, 4,000 nautical mile sailing expeditions to high latitudes including Scotland, Greenland and Iceland. Participants are kitted out in Musto HPX kit and experience remote arctic landscapes, icebergs and wildlife under sail.
• Hamble School of Yachting One of the UK's leading RYA-accredited sailing schools delivering courses from Competent Crew up to Yachtmaster Ocean to up to 3,000 students per year, kitted out in Musto BR1 foul weather gear.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £1.6 million raised for UNICEF UK over decade of partnership
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Warrant GroupcoreOthersWarrant Group joins as Official Logistics Supplier and Team Partner for 2025-26 Race. With over 40 years experience in global supply chains, Warrant oversees movement of race equipment and supplies to all international stopovers. Team entry named in company's honour.
• MustocoreOthersTechnical sailing apparel partner. Musto has kitted out Clipper Race crew since 2019. Partnership extended to include SKIRR Adventures, Clipper Events, and Hamble School of Yachting. Provides HPX Collection for ocean racers and BR2 range for other Clipper Ventures brands. Partnership spanning next four years.
• Sta-LokmajorOthersOfficial Standing Rigging Supplier for 2025-26 Race. Leading manufacturer of stainless-steel wire rope fittings and structural tie rods. Each of the eleven yachts equipped with Self-Fit Terminals and Supajust Turnbuckle Assemblies, manufactured and assembled in the UK.
• Hyde SailscoreOthersHyde Sails supplies the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race fleet for an eighth edition. Leading sailmaker known for high-performance, durable sails for cruising, racing, and commercial vessels.
• SpinlockmajorOthersSpinlock designs and manufactures best-in-class sailboat equipment endorsed by world's top sailors. Over 40 years of experience. Provides deck equipment for the fleet.
• Marlow RopesmajorOthersMarlow Ropes returns as Official Running Rigging Supplier for 2025-26 Race, marking its eleventh edition as a partner. Global leader in high-performance rope technology.
• CoppercoatminorOthersCoppercoat hull treatment applied to the Clipper Race fleet. Same Coppercoat treatment first applied in 2017 continues to protect the fleet.
• Grahame Robb Associates (GRA)majorOthersOfficial Learning and Development Supplier for 2025-26 Race. Prepares Race Skippers and First Mates with expert leadership training focusing on resilience, teamwork, and decision-making in high-pressure environments.
• Brand Scotland / Oban Distillery (Diageo)coreOthersTeam Scotland entry led by Brand Scotland (UK Government's Scotland Office) and Oban Distillery (Diageo). Partnership boosts economic growth, trade promotion, and inward investment into Scotland. Showcases Oban Single Malt Scotch Whisky on global stage. Supported by Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMs) and Argyll and Bute.
• Power of Seattle SportscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPower of Seattle Sports team entry led by Skipper Angela Brandsma and First Mate Amy Smith. One of the first all-female leadership teams building a race campaign from the onset. Seattle Sports Commission passionate about promoting pathways into sport and women in sport.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Intrepid Travel: Large adventure-travel operator running small-group, experience-led trips worldwide. Intrepid is a comparable peer in the broader adventure tourism category that Clipper Race competes in for the discretionary 'experiential travel' share of consumer wallet.
• Sunsail: Global yacht charter and sailing holiday company offering flotillas, sailing schools, and race participation. Sunsail overlaps with the Clipper training pathway and competes for amateur sailors progressing from RYA courses to more ambitious offshore experiences.
• SailGP: Global professional sailing league operating high-tech foiling catamaran events across multiple international venues. SailGP competes for the same corporate sponsors, host-port cities, and broadcast/spectator attention that the Clipper Race targets, but with a professional athlete roster.
• Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC): UK-based organizer of iconic offshore races including the RORC Rolex Fastnet Race and the IRC Round the Island Race. Clipper Events actively offers corporate participation in the Fastnet, making RORC a direct channel partner and competing organizer in the same amateur/professional offshore event space.

Direct peers

• Tall Ships Youth Trust: UK charity that operates tall-ship voyages for young people and corporate clients. It competes for the same novice-crew, life-experience, and corporate team-building customer base as Clipper Race, Hamble School of Yachting, and SKIRR Adventures.
• Vendée Globe: Solo, non-stop, unassisted round-the-world yacht race. While solo rather than crewed, it shares the same end-to-end circumnavigation format, biennial-ish cadence, global host-port ecosystem, and ocean-racing audience as the Clipper Race.
• The Ocean Race: The Ocean Race (formerly Volvo Ocean Race) is the most direct peer: a fully-crewed, multi-leg, around-the-world professional sailing race. It targets a different crew profile (professionals vs. Clipper's amateur-allowed model), but competes for the same pool of host ports, sponsors, and global sailing media attention.

Others

• World Sailing: World governing body for the sport of sailing. Not a direct competitor, but it sets the regulatory, safety, and class framework (including RYA pathways and offshore special regulations) that Clipper Race operates within and is a key stakeholder for any future Olympic or sanctioned event expansion.

Regional players

• Cunard / P&O Cruises: Premium ocean passenger cruise brands with global itineraries including circumnavigation-style voyages. While a different customer experience (passenger vs. participatory racing), they share the 'round-the-world ocean journey' positioning and compete for the same high-end experiential traveler.

Emerging players

• Hurtigruten Expeditions: Expedition cruise operator that overlaps with the 'high-latitude adventure sailing' niche served by SKIRR Adventures (Clipper's sub-brand). Both target consumers seeking remote, life-changing maritime experiences to polar/near-polar regions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ClipperRace
• YouTubeyoutube.com/clipperrtw
• Facebookfacebook.com/clipperroundtheworld
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clipper-ventures
• Instagraminstagram.com/clipperrace
• TikToktiktok.com/@clipperrace

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clipper Round the World Yacht Race