Just under six weeks are remaining until the start of the race. The preparations are in full swing. I hope I will find some time to post an update. But in the meantime I will give you a short overview of where we are going.
At the moment, we don’t have all ports confirmed where we will stop. The organisers are working hard to finalise all the details and be able to inform us and everyone else about the stops. Until we get this confirmation, I can only give you a rough idea based on the ports already confirmed and the route the race was taking in previous editions.

Leg 1: The Atlantic Trade Winds
We will start from Portsmouth end of August. The official start is on the 31st August when we will set sail with course Puerto Sherry. This should take us roughly one week. After a few days in Spain we will cross the Atlantic before arriving in Punta del Este on the southern hemisphere. For many of us this will be the first equator crossing on a (sailing) vessel. Thus, we have to expect the visit of Neptun. It is a longstanding tradition amongst sailors. After something close to 6’250NM and a total of 35 days at sea we will finished the first leg.
Leg 2: The South Atlantic Challenge
From Punta del Este we will embark on yet another Atlantic crossing. Further south than before, we might get a first taste of the Roaring Forties, depending on the weather condition. After completing almost three weeks at sea, we should arrive to Capetown in South Africa. There we can celebrate the past 3’600NM and enjoy some sun.
Leg 3: The Roaring Forties
We might have caught a first glimpse of the Roaring Forties on the previous leg, but on our journey to Australia we will get to know this sea area for sure. More than three weeks are scheduled for the passage, of which we will spend the majority in this well know sea area with its notoriously strong weather. Here the predominantly westerly winds are not slowed down by any land masses and can thus build huge waves. Putting more than 4’800NM behind us, we will arrive in Fremantle.
Leg 4: The Australian Coast-to-Coast
Starting in mid-December from the west coast of Australia, we are heading for its east coast. On this journey, we will get further south than at any other time during this race. While others are cosy at their homes, celebrating Christmas with their families, we will celebrate with our new family on board. Most likely we will reach the stopover on the east coast only after New Year’s Eve and cover about 3’400NM. This marks the halfway point of our circumnavigation.
Leg 5: The Asia-Pacific Challenge
After rounding Australia it will be time for us to wave goodbye to the southern hemisphere. As soon as we have crossed the equator for the second time, we will be setting course for the South Chinese Sea. There we will have to navigate numerous small fishing vessels. The final stop of this leg will be in Qingdao, which has established itself over the last few years as a regional sailing capital. Depending on the exact route we will cover around 5’800NM and spend 35 days at sea.
Leg 6: The Mighty Pacific
As the name already suggests, we are taking on something big. In the longest race on our journey, we will cross the pacific. After a final stop in the Korean city of Tongyeong we will be at sea for more than four weeks non-stop before arriving in Seattle. Besides the remoteness on this leg, we will be facing rough conditions in spring time, that will test us relentlessly for a total of 8’000NM.
Leg 7: The Americas Coast-to-Coast
On this leg we will sail along the coast for an unusually long time. Initially we will be sailing south along the west coast before crossing through the Panama-Canal, leaving the pacific behind. Then the ports open on the other side of the canal, we are back in the atlantic. This is a huge step towards our final destination Portsmouth. From the Canal we will sail through the Carribean all the way to Washington DC. In this leg we will cover around 6’250NM, which will take us around 40 days accounting for some lighter winds and the canal crossing.
Leg 8: The Atlantic Homecoming
On the final leg we are heading back to Europe. Our third atlantic crossing in this race will lead us across the north atlantic. After a short stopover in the Scottish city of Oban, we are sailing back to Portsmouth. This is where our circumnavigation has started almost a year ago. On this last leg we will cover another 6’250NM which will bring the total to more than 40’000NM.
Dates and further details to the stopover ports are updated regularly on the official site of the race: Clipper Round The World Yacht Race
Leave a Reply