The Final Leg - Boom!

The final ocean crossing - back across the Atlantic bound for Oban, Scotland.

Race 13 from Washington, DC to Oban, Scotland got underway with another Le Mans Start due to the motoring needed out to a safe area. Winds changed direction straight away at the start and the fleet split in different directions using the small amount of current available at the time plus the ever-changing winds.

A spectacular fireworkd departure from Washington DC

Final Le Mans start of the series

Ryan reported: “For the last six hours, we have been windholed so, very light winds drifting around. The boats ahead are just starting to make some better speeds slowly so, hopefully, we can get going soon and get ourselves into the Gulf Stream current which we are all aiming towards.

“For some reason, we couldn't get the boat moving for the first 12 hours and find ourselves at the back now. It seems to be our tactics for the last couple of races, drop to the back of the fleet and then fight our way back. We are all feeling good about this race and look forward to what lies ahead!”

The breeze did pick up and the big team of 21 crew plus skipper and AQP had that homeward bound feeling. This was reinforced by a message from Clipper Race HQ that it was exactly 4 weeks until the fleet’s arrival back in Portsmouth.

Ryan observed that: “looking back 10 months it does feel like we have accomplished a lot in that time so I’m feeling almost ready to wrap this circumnavigation up. On the sailing front, the boat is feeling well and all crew very motivated for this one so hoping for some great sailing between now and Race Finish into Oban, Scotland.

“Once passing the Scoring Gate and the edge of the ice limit the fleet will likely venture north finding hopefully some good strong low pressure systems to take us home, so basically we could have good breeze from now on, let's see.”

The team was rewarded with what they described as the best sailing they’d had in the whole circumnavigation. Amazing surfs, nice strong winds and of course the occasional squall to give everyone a nice freshwater shower.

AQP Charlie set the scene: “The sun has been out, we’ve had amazing cloudless and moonless nights, letting the stars shine like you just can't get anywhere else other than the middle of an ocean, and the Milky Way is a bright belt across the sky. The crew and ourselves have just been soaking in as much as we can. It’s a bittersweet feeling, knowing that this is the last ocean crossing and penultimate race of the circumnavigation.”

He added: “We’re all still loving it and could quite happily keep going if given the opportunity. Also only adding to the sentiment, as of three hours ago we crossed the most westerly point we went to in Uruguay, meaning our round the worlders, Ryan and I have technically circumnavigated! Although we are holding off the celebrations until we officially circumnavigate by crossing our track and getting safely back into Portsmouth.”

Unfortunately, the southerly route wasn’t quite paying off as much as hoped. The currents had not been as strong as expected so progress up the fleet was slower than hoped. However, the fleet was still quite compressed so the team felt there was still very much all to play for.

Ryan’s next update reflected their progress: “Life onboard is great…sailing has been absolutely top notch (I'm starting to sound British, even been saying mate lately!). The weather has been stable and sunny conditions, nights full of stars and a moon directly in front of us to aim towards.

“Temperatures are nice, daily distances are fantastic and the new weather forecast shows a bit of a transition over the next 36 hours but then hopefully straight into another low-pressure system that could take us to the Ocean Sprint and closer to Scotland.”

The sails were struggling after more than 10 months propelling Dare To Lead around the world; at this stage of the race flipping from Code 1 to Code 3, because ‘Stitches’ (the Code 2) was out of action and resting for the remainder of the leg having just blown it in the same area as the last race. Despite this, Ryan proudly reported: “So far, so good, as we had a great night sailing with some big surfs into the 20s fairly often.

“The wind and rain have eased off, and should continue to do so throughout the day, then some interesting weather ahead with a big high pressure potentially blocking the direct route to Oban, and a big low-pressure brewing to the northwest which would help us possibly catch up a bit on the rest of the fleet. It will be an interesting last week of sailing in this very important race for many in the fleet!”

And indeed it was as temperatures dipped with the team pushing north, hoping for a good sailing angle to Oban in the forecast weather conditions. For a while they picked up an escort of Orcas. Most of the crew hadn’t encountered them before and Ryan commented: “it's always impressive how big the adult fins are and how they glide through the swell like a sharp knife.”

The big question now was when to gybe towards Oban. Ryan reported they had made good progress but were starting to feel the wind dropping going into the edge of the high-pressure system: “The crew is helming well, keeping the boat moving nicely, and ideal conditions to rotate through all crew giving the less experienced crew good time at the helm and some coaching.

“Everyone has done great in this race so far and even our Dare To Lead – Liyaba ambassador Olwami has had a few good runs on the helm. Lots of Stealth left, an important Ocean Sprint and a cracker finish into Oban so stay tuned and keep following the Race Viewer.”

For all of us on land we were indeed (as always) glued to the Race Viewer! Still over 800 miles to go to the finish line and the crew joked they were closer to Iceland (400 miles) and even Greenland at 515 miles. And with that they finally gybed and started heading towards Oban. The big question of course was ‘would it pay off?’

Now in the ocean sprint it was hard to judge their relative progress, but it appeared to be strong with the crew enjoying good sailing under spinnaker.  Ryan painted the picture: “The galley is smelling like a good French bakery at the moment, crew are enjoying the conditions outside of their warm sleeping bags and we are all motivated to sail as quickly as possible to Oban. Sunset is very late and sunrise very early, during the night tonight it didn't really get completely dark which was fun for everyone to experience.”

On 12 July came the last blog of Race 13 as the crew anticipated arrival into Oban within the next 24-36 hours. Despite a fast approach at first, advances on the fleet were eroded, and the team slipped to seventh place. Ryan stated: “We still have good speeds so hoping we will make it above the high and then we should reach the waypoint 40 miles out of Oban by tomorrow afternoon, and then the light wind last stretch begins for the home run into Oban. Our Isles and Oceans is within 10 miles and we are coming out of Stealth Mode shortly.

“We have been racing close by to them since turning the corner near the ice limit and choosing the northern route, so it's great that it's a close finish between us both.” It was very close and the team was overtaken in the closing stage by the Scottish ‘home’ team. This was compounded by some of the leading teams playing their jokers to consolidate their lead in podium positions.

The final throw of the dice for this race came in a bitter-sweet snakes and ladders moment. The good news came with the Ocean Sprint and we clinched a valuable bonus of three points, as the fastest boat, to secure our fourth overall ranking. But then the final penalty for equipment damage deducted one point to put us in joint fourth with Unicef – although technically they were 5th as we had a race win under our belts.

Arrival into Oban captured from the Facebook Live feed

Next the last race (as it turned out) to the final finish line. And then, as Ryan put it: “We will be sailing around the bottom of the Isle of Wight, and once again seeing the Spinnaker Tower in Gunwharf. It will all start sinking in that we have just sailed around the world in eleven months, boom!”

Race 14 was to be a typical mix of start stop downwind, upwind, wind hole action, or inaction, as Charlie wrote in his final blog: “It’s been a very traditional start to the final race of this year long expedition around the world. As I write this we have Zhuhai sitting about a mile away from us, heading in about the same direction, on the complete opposite tack…In good time the wind should fill back in and we’ll be racing downwind round the back of Ireland, but for now it's incredibly slow and steady, at least this one time we can take solace in the fact that we’re guaranteed to be in port on Saturday!”

Oban race start

Charlie added that the dynamics onboard were such that it never felt like a job being AQP: “We’re just a whole team, set with the goal of getting to the next port, through the round-the-worlders have learnt to live with each other and we've grown to appreciate everyone's little quirks. It’s going to be very odd (when the race is over) to just be sitting at home resting still, not meeting up with this lovely bunch to take on another offshore passage.”

Great picture of tight racing in the early stages out of Oban.

On 26 July came Ryan’s final blog of the Clipper 2023-24 Race: “I can’t believe we are about to finish circumnavigating the globe! What an achievement for myself, Charlie, the round-the-worlders, leggers and our amazing supporters. I am extremely proud of the entire Dare To Lead team and have felt honoured leading this amazing team!

“Our supporters and fans have not only been amazingly passionate but very important to getting us all around and keeping everyone motivated. I’m sure the Race Viewer will be missed, thank you everyone.

“The leggers who have done parts of the race have bought new energy and played a crucial role in our success. Well done to all you guys! Our nine round the world crew have all been unbelievable, such a tight group working together around the entire world. You have all achieved something so special and well done for putting yourselves up for this extremely hard challenge.

“Charlie has been such a benefit, bringing lots of racing experience, technical skills and has supported me the entire circumnavigation making my job a lot easier. I hope he can Skipper a race in the future, well done mate!

“The racing levels have been very high, more and more as the race progressed, however everyone has made friends on other boats, and we all look forward to sharing a beer at each stopover with everyone amongst the fleet, so it was the perfect balance.

“Thank you to the entire Clipper Race team for giving us all this opportunity.

Tomorrow we will be docking into Gunwharf Quays where we started the race and emotions will be very high, that is guaranteed. I can’t believe it’s almost over and everyone will go their separate ways in a few days, but not for too long as we have our first reunion/celebration next weekend with lots of the team.”

Dare To Lead forever,

Ryan, Charlie and Crew

Mother Nature  had the last word when light airs resulted in time being called by the Clipper Race Office at 1900 BST (1800 UTC) on Friday evening 26 July 2024 bringing Race 14 to a slightly premature end and final positions calculated. It was close. Very close!

Unicef took first place to catapult them to a firm fourth place while we had a modest tenth place but it was enough to finish fifth, five points ahead of Qingdao. At the top of the leader board it was nail-biting for podium positions: Zhuhai came second in Race 14 to secure third place overall, just three points behind Perseverance which finished third in the final race. They were just one point behind the overall winners of the Clipper 2023-24 Race: Ha Long Bay Viet Nam with 138 points after finishing fifth in Race 14.

Arriving into Portsmouth

On Saturday though, all the teams paraded into Portsmouth in triumphant mood: they entire fleet had completed a circumnavigation of the planet with more than 45,000 miles under their keels in the past 11 months. Irrespective of being leggers or round-the -worlders, or on shore or aboard, all celebrated with a huge sense of accomplishment punctuated with tearful reunions and final farewells.

Dare To Lead team partners Dirk van Daele and Alex Wilkinson joined team members, officials and media on the pontoon to greet them home. The atmosphere was rich with emotion in the warm summer breeze.

Once ashore, the final team march to the ultimate prizegiving and one hell of a party!

We hope the ethos of teamwork and leadership will live on well into the future.

Deserved celebrations on stage in Portsmouth

Godspeed the 2023-24 crew of Dare To Lead for the rest of life’s great journey.

Leg 8 crew

Motivated and energetic as crew hit Race 12 hard!

The Atlantic. There was something in the air as Dare To Lead emerged from the Panama Canal back into the ocean where it all started almost 10 months ago.

“We had a fantastic start (to Race 12),” reported skipper Ryan. “Being the furthest upwind boat (in the Le Mans start) obviously helped but she found her groove early on and we created a nice lead on the pack. Wind increased quicker than expected so, before dawn we reduced sail, like a lot of the fleet, so lost some distance.”

However, Dare To Lead was still in the front pack but unfortunately lost its Yankee headsail sheet which dragged the team back a few places, although all the yachts remained fairly close together. Never-the-less an exciting start and with a good forecast everyone was looking forward to the race ahead.  

Ryan added: “The crew are very motivated and energetic for this third to last race of the circumnavigation, so we are sailing hard the next nine to ten days!”

Pic by Charlie Warhurst

What followed was a ‘typically mixed bag’ of fortunes. As the wind picked up Dare To Lead was one of the first teams to change its headsails, from the biggest Yankee to the medium, which was slightly better upwind.

AQP Charlie observed: “It's always slightly nerve racking being the first in the fleet to make changes, as you drop back a little you give everyone the reference for how well they need to do their change, or if even at all, should you start to go slower than everyone…

“All the boats are still quite bunched up, making for some very tight racing. It never ceases to amaze me just how close all the racing is now, even after 600nm we’re still only a few miles apart.”

And then, they were gone. All of them! The whole fleet went into stealth mode. With a number of optional routes, and a scoring gate looming, this was an interesting 24 hours. Sailing conditions were good passing some nice Caribbean islands (It was suggested they should stop to get some Cuban Cigars and Havana Rum but Ryan decided against it!)

After clearing the Mandatory Gates and waypoints, apart from one left keeping clear of Cape Hatteras, all eyes turned to the finish line 670 nautical miles away. There was a good battle with Perseverance and Our Isles and Oceans trading places, until they both got ahead by about 5 miles as the fleet approached the Ocean Sprint.

Ryan noted that the crew were happy on board and had been sailing the boat exceptionally well: “Energy levels are high on board and we all look forward to the last few days of racing,” he added.

The weather continued to be unpredictable with the most ‘ridiculous wind and sailing conditions’ Charlie had ever come across: “The wind has shifted round more than 180 degrees on multiple occasions. We’ve been wind-holed for hours on end, and then been given 40kt gusts coming through from nowhere.

“We’ve had thick heavy rain, and very confused sea states. All this makes for some incredibly tricky sailing, with numerous sail changes, in every watch. It's safe to say it's been taking its toll on everyone, we're tired and aching from all the work. The crew, however, keep battling on.”

The racing continued very close, remaining neck and neck with Our Isles and Oceans or Perseverance, as the fleet made really good progress towards Washington. The team fought valiantly as they closed on the finish line, edging up the fleet a couple of places to cross the line in 4th place, 24 minutes ahead of Our Isles and Oceans, and 45 minutes in front of Ha Long Bay Viet Nam.

Pic by Charlie Warhurst

A marvellous Saturday evening sunset washed over the fleet as it started the long transit up the Potomac to the heart of Washington DC. In the early hours of Monday (17 June) as the stars started to fade, the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge lifted in salute to the fleet in full parade mode, the boats were decorated in their flags and banners with team Washington DC taking the lead. There was a fresh dawn air gently warmed by the rising sun, glinting off familiar landmarks including the distinctive domed Capitol building,  followed by an incredible welcome at The Wharf.

Pic Ryan Gibson

This means that Dare To Lead remains in 4th place on the overall leaderboard, just 5 and 6 points respectively behind 3rd placed Zhuhai and 2nd placed Perseverance – although they still have their Jokers to play. Ha Long Bay Viet Nam continues at the top, with a total of 116 points.

Parade up the Potomac

There is just one leg left in this global series, split into two races, so the challenge is on for the podium at the final race finish back in Portsmouth at the end of July! However, Dare To Lead has demonstrated great spirit and determination throughout this edition of the Clipper Race. Teamwork and leadership in equal measure: Dare! Lead! – Dare! Lead! – Dare! Lead! – Dare To Lead!

Washington DC at The Wharf

Fleet heading towards the Capitol Building

Race 11: US Coast-to-Coast Part 1

The fleet headed back out into the Pacific from Seattle. The challenge of this race is always the lighter, hot, conditions as the yachts head further south towards Panama. Race 11 got off to a tight start with all the teams still within 20 nautical miles of each other after covering around 240 nm in the first day.

 Ryan commented: “We have had some good reaching and now upwind conditions as a ridge passes over but hopefully during the night tonight the winds will go more from behind us giving us nice downwind conditions for the next few days and even all the way as far as the Ocean Sprint.”

 The crew found their feet again with a few new joiners feeling the green monster visiting and getting a bit seasick. There were some diversions (literally) when the US Navy requested the fleet to avoid a live firing range. This meant heading further offshore just after the Code 2 had been hoisted, which ‘stuffed our inshore route plans’ in the words of AQP Charlie.

 They made good progress but as the fleet reached Mexico conditions started to calm down heading into the Ocean Sprint. Five days of downwind sailing under the Code 1 was described as ‘awsome’.

 Ryan said: “As we progress further south, we will certainly see more squally weather and the guaranteed wind holes, so we are all enjoying the sailing at the moment, doing good mileage in the right direction and maintaining a good position in the fleet.

 “The whole crew has been helming, so everyone has gotten pretty good now. The only downside to the perfect sailing conditions is the lack of entertainment and excitement that sail changes and challenging conditions bring, but we found salvation a couple days ago though in the form of boobies.

 “Boobies are a rather odd looking and very curious bird with large round heads and eyes that stick out and always seem to stare at you in a slightly confused yet standoffish look. They've suddenly taken to providing crew entertainment with the slightly odd things they seem to get up to.

 “We had one land on the top of our mast right next to our precious windvane, seeming to want to stay the night, and it’s still there now despite our best attempts. We've clapped at it, shaken the backstays to wobble the mast shone our spotlight at it and yet he seems unphased.”

 From here on life got hotter and slower as the winds became extremely fickle. Even the birds left the boat but were replaced by dolphins and porpoises. The dolphins put on a show by jumping quite high out of the water and even doing backflips. “The porpoises stuck with us for a lot of the night, even while we were bobbing along at around 1kt of boat speed they still seemed interested in seeing what we were trying to do,” added Charlie.

 As the fleet ground to a virtual halt the Race Committee announced that racing would finish at the next mandatory gate (No 2), some thousand nautical Miles from Panama. Dare To Lead took sixth place in a very close finish fight with Unicef which beat us by just 272 metres.

 Ryan commented:  “We’re very happy with the team as it was a fantastic performance sailing wise, nice atmosphere and spirit onboard and as some of the circumnavigators would agree most likely one of the most enjoyable races so far.”

 The fleet made best speed to Panama with a pit-stop in Costa Rica to refuel. A few days later the crew enjoyed a well-deserved rest in Panama mainly exploring the old town’s history, touristy shops and enjoying the many great rooftop bars and restaurants. Then came the transiting of the ‘impressive’ canal. Although Ryan had done this three times before the rest of the crew were experiencing it for the first time and found it very exciting.

So Dare To Lead heads for Race 12 in 4th place with 91 points, just one point behind Zhuhai. Perseverance is in 2nd with 101 points. Ha Long Bay Viet Nam leads with an impressive 107 points.

“Welcome to the Pacific guys. Let’s go!”

Race 10, the second part of Leg 6, was the big one: The Mighty (North) Pacific! It was a slow start, after a colourful stopover in Qingdao, and a challenge of mixed blessings in the race across this vast ocean.  

The first blog came from AQP Charlie, he reported: “We had a very slow and spooky start to the race with thick fog and low winds, this quickly changed around though, and we got nice strong winds coming off our beam to give us a push along the way. The strong winds and thick fog meant it was quite an intense first night with our eyes fixed on the radar, dodging the hundreds of fishing vessels and nets that we’ve got so used to…

“Although it's a lot of work to keep changing sails and reefs, it's serving as a very good shake-down sail before we hit the Pacific proper. Making sure everything is working fine, and also allowing us to form routines in the new watches with everyone getting used to working with each other again.”

The first few days also coincided with the Easter Weekend. Two Easter Bunnies (organised by crew member Peter Lamond) hid gifts of chocolate eggs around the boat. A competitive hunt followed. Ryan speculated that the hidden treasure would keep turning up over the remainder of the race. Meanwhile, life on board was going really well as they rounded the bottom tip of Japan.

Ryan observed: “We are all getting into the well-known Kuroshio current which, mixed with some good breeze from behind and abeam, will make our progress quick as it has been since race start which is great.”

But light conditions frustrated progress. Ryan added: “Our progress onboard has been a bit slow the past 24 hours, transiting a high-pressure system with very light winds.” However, they soon found themselves in good breeze again, flying their downwind sails at a good speed.

The Dare To Lead energy returned and the crew hoped the weather would live up to the hype with some big low-pressure systems, not the high pressures which were dominating the Pacific a bit too much at this point in the race. Ryan said, “we are surprised how warm these past two days have been, likely caused by the wind direction and high-pressure system.”

Early April saw the first big low-pressure system pass over. Ryan described it: “Breeze increased steadily in the afternoon, so did the grey skies. As the sun set, we had extremely heavy rains, some lightning, and even loud bangs of thunder in the distance. I took over from Charlie at 0300 this morning (4 April) and got the worst of the low, seeing 59 knots of wind and big increases of swell to around 4 metres which made for some very nice downwind sailing to be honest.

“Once day broke, the low started passing, however the swell turned into a bit of a washing machine, confused and messy… We managed to set sail and only make one small change the entire low - dropping a headsail and re-hoisting, so a pretty good night with boat speeds. Certainly, had a good amount of mainsail up but it felt fine so why change it! We really got a feel for the Pacific last night. At watch change we surfed a wave up to 20.5 knots of boat speed and I just shouted to the new watch: “Welcome to the Pacific guys, let’s go!"

Things continued to well for the next few days as they clocked up 2,000NM! “The miles are truly flying by,” said Charlie, “as we navigate the highs and lows (both literally and figuratively) of the Pacific Ocean… We had our first (and hopefully last) big sail rip in a while, our Code 2 took a beating in an accidental round up… The crew did an excellent job in getting it down quickly and without damaging it anymore… it’s just one rip, just all the way down it.”
The team did their best to stick in the favourable currents and make their way up to the Scoring Gate, a challenge proving slightly harder than originally expected with a new high-pressure system that rolled over them. Charlie described the ‘shifty’ wind conditions:  “…often swinging by over 60 degrees making for tricky helming and sail trimming to say the least. It’s a challenge that, as always, the crew have taken in their stride as we prepare for the next big weather systems to come over soon.”

Wet and cold conditions descended as temperatures plummeted and crew spent more limited time on deck once the sails were set and the crew could warm up in the galley with noodle soups and hot drinks. Ryan described progress as ‘frustrating’ as they headed for the scoring gate: “I felt we chose the best routing…the biggest and most important part was falling off a high-pressure system and joining onto a low-pressure system, this hasn't happened and every time we get close to the transition between the two systems it changes, and we are forced to continue with the high north.

“It could likely turn out we fall to the back of the fleet and will need to chase everyone the second half of the race,” he conceded. But they pushed on, jostling with PSP Logistics to claim a point from the Scoring Gate. 

Life on board was good as downwind conditions returned, allowing the team to air the boat out in the drier conditions. But sail repair came to an abrupt halt when the sewing machine stopped working half-way through repairing the badly damaged Code 2, so they’d have to complete the race to Seattle without it.

The cold temperatures were definitely getting felt and the dry suits were being used regularly. Dare To Lead – Liyaba ambassador Adams ‘Dezi’ Desmond was getting to grips with most of the different roles on board, leaving just one and in mid-April he plucked up the courage to helm for the first time.

Ryan described the occasion: “He's always been extremely scared to try, so since he has now conquered all other areas, even the bow in bad weather, I managed to convince him to take the helm. He was nailing it, so I asked how he was enjoying it and he replied, ‘I'm so scared still that my right leg is shaking so badly.’ Think the nerves will disappear soon and he will be back for more helming that's for sure, what a champion!

The team continued to dual with their ‘friends’ on PSP Logistics, transiting between two high pressure systems in an extremely confused sea state in anticipation of catching up to a very big low-pressure system with the promise of some top speeds and exhilarating conditions, throwing them downwind almost to the Ocean Sprint. 

Some light relief came in the form of a ‘Hawaiian dance show’ - Retief posted a video that he will do a Hula dance for the Hawaiian low that is passing over the fleet if a target of £1000 was raised in time for the team’s UNICEF fundraising page. Less than 24 hours later the target was reached so Ryan then posted a video that he would join Retief if a new target of £2000 was raised.

Ryan explained: “We got confirmation this morning that we have reached the £2000 mark, so I joined Retief in a very cold and entertaining Hawaiian show with some props from the Hawaiian party in Newcastle, Australia, that we took home with us. Cockpit temperature was 11.4C with lower wind chill factors on the bow and a similar sea temperature spraying us. (See the video evidence on the Clipper Race Instagram channel).

Would this be a day to put on repeat after crossing the International Date Line? Maybe, but every crew member considered which one they’d like to live again. Interestingly, one round-the-worlder’ commented that it wasn’t a particular day of sailing but that over the last couple of races it has become more of a passion now that it has grown on him rather than just a big challenge that most set out to achieve in the beginning.

Crossing the IDL was celebrated with another performance from the crew: The Dare To Lead rap – captured for posterity on a boatfeed video.

The final days of racing across the North Pacific were frustrating with a number of stressful sail related issues. One was recounted by Charlie: “I was asleep and was woken by a shout from Ryan: ‘All hands on deck! Where’s Charlie?’ Quickly into my foulies, as I got to the companionway, I just saw our kite streaming from behind the main at the top of the mast...

“What followed was a long, cold and wet wrestle with the sail to get her back down, which involved sending someone to the top of the rig to attach a new line to the only corner we had control of, dropping it into the water behind the boat and then pulling it in from there.

“She was reluctant to get up, but once we got her there, she made sure we weren’t going to bring her down without a fight. The superstitious amongst us would be saying that the kite was telling them that it didn’t want to fly. I'd be inclined to lean into this sometimes, but a life lived in fear of what might happen is a life not lived at all. We messed around, we found out. At the end of the day, it is frustrating. We now don’t have our Code 2 or Code 3 but (without trying to sound too cliché) we always try and focus on how well we feel we’ve done given the hand we’ve been dealt.

“This race it hasn’t been amazing, but I can genuinely say the crew have done everything they possibly could to keep the boat going as fast as it can, all while keeping spirits high. So now to go through the night and for the next few days with our Yankee 1, keeping us running steady and still getting some pretty good rides down the back of the waves.”

It was a real fight to the finish with Bekezela chasing from behind too. Tactics were shrouded in secrecy as the boat was cloaked in stealth mode for 48 hours. Ryan said: “With just over 1,000nm to go it will be over 6,000 Miles total for this race, unbelievable!”

Incredibly as the boats converged on the finish line the teams came into close contention with some photo finishes – eight boats finishing within an hour of each other. Dare To Lead’s position in tenth was just 42 minutes behind third placed Zhuhai. How the teams must have reflected on how they might have gained those vital minutes during the previous 4-weeks of racing.

However, Dare To Lead is still in a healthy joint third overall with Zhuhai and 87 points, just 6 points behind Ha Long Bay Viet Nam chasing Perseverance at the top of the leader board with 98 points. Here’s a highlights video from some of the Boatfeeds sent back from this race:

The Mighty Pacific Beckons

The fleet has departed Qingdao in China to head across the biggest and most challenging ocean on the planet. The second part of Leg 6 is Race 10 - over 5,000 nautical miles - across the North Pacific to Seattle, The Emerald City, in Washington State. A month at sea to test body and soul. Here, Dare To Lead - Liyaba ambassador Adams Desmond anticipates the conditions he the team will face next week, as the fleet leaves the coastal waters of Japan and heads out into the open ocean. Godspeed the crew of Dare To Lead.

Challenging Race to Qingdao

Although a little longer than a sprint, this relatively short race to China’s Olympic sailing city of Qingdao had many challenges, from negotiating busy shipping lanes and fishing fleets, to variable weather and strong currents. There was a handover of Dare To Lead – Liyaba ambassadors with Adams Desmond joining, a young man who lives in a small town just outside Durban in South Africa. He said: “If you pitch up and give everything you have, no matter what happens, we are all hear to learn, not only sailing, but to overcome the challenge together.”

Despite a good start to the race AQP Charlie Warhurst described the ‘chaos of darkness’ which engulfed them all:  “It was fishing boats galore, with the surprise appearance of a drilling platform being towed too, that we had to tack behind! It's safe to say it's not been a gentle easing into it. We are beating into wind that's growing ever stronger and the green monster is understandably rearing its nasty head, but everyone is pushing through it, and hoping he disappears sooner rather than later.”

The next few days proved to be a game of tacking up inshore to try and avoid some of the swell and gain more favourable winds before heading down through the Ocean Sprint and nipping in tight past Taiwan.

Skipper Ryan Gibson picked up the story a few days into Race 9: “It's been very challenging… doing 150 tacks into the wind and a nasty choppy swell. Wind has followed us not as predicted in the forecast, to an extent that it's literally coming from where we want to go all the time, regardless of our positioning. Once we round the bottom of Taiwan, it will certainly be a relief.”

Despite this, the team worked hard to make ground and get ‘back in the mix.’ They caught up nicely, choosing an inside route to transit the east coast of Taiwan. But unfortunately, this didn't pay off, so the front boats got stronger winds and took off, creating a big 100 nautical mile gap. Ryan reflected: “Sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn't. It's frustrating and you do feel the pressure of choosing the best routing as the Skipper, however that's sailing, and it's never over until you cross the Finish Line.”

A week into the race and Charlie reported on a couple of difficult days following some nightmare sail damage. He explained: “Our Yankee 3 broke free from its sheets, while going upwind in 30 knots. You never really realise the power these sails have until one gets loose. It was only whipping round for maybe 20 seconds, but in that time, it had enough energy to whip into our stall and rip a 1.5-metre hole into it.

“Although nobody was hurt, you always feel it in your hearts when you have to take sails down because you damaged them. This meant that as the wind was dying, we were missing one of our most important sails and had to downsize and use our storm jib as a staysail. Later to add insult to injury, when preparing our Yankee to come out we found a smaller rip in that also! Likely getting caught on sharp hanks through tacks and gybes.

“This meant that while everyone else was likely sailing at eight to ten knots with good angles, we were restricted to flying our two smallest headsails making less way upwind, as we were pushed sideways by our unbalanced sail plan… Not all is lost though, we were shocked to see in the position reports we got through, that we weren’t losing nearly as much ground as we were expecting, and thanks to our amazing sail repair team headed by Retief, with a huge help from Peter Lamond too, they’ve been working round the clock to get our staysail back in shape, and after only 23 hours we had her back up and flying!

“Moods have lifted with our pace, and for an extra treat, we’ve even had some blue skies and sun this morning. Despite our bad luck, we’re still defiantly not down and out and we won't be giving up anytime soon.”

Conditions improved for the closing stages of the race and spirits were high despite being further back in the fleet. Ryan described the scene: “the Sun is shining, music is playing, the spinnaker is flying, and yes, we are going downwind until the finish which is a fresh change to all the upwind sailing and banging! It's been a tough race for us, but I'm extremely happy with how the team has dealt with it and kept motivated and driving until this point… as I tell my crew we will be finished when we cross the finish line, anything can happen.

“We are all looking forward to experiencing the huge welcome Qingdao is renowned for, exploring the city a bit and most importantly getting some quality rest before the biggest, and most important race of this circumnavigation across to Seattle.”

However, the team bagged enough points to retain second place overall, now 8 points behind Perseverance and 6 points ahead of Zhuhai. Dare To Lead is geared up for the return to big ocean racing and the North Pacific presents an exciting new chapter in this challenging marathon around our planet. Bring on Race 10!

Successful Sprint to Zhuhai, China

The final race of Leg 5 was a very short sprint from Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam to Zhuhai in China’s ‘Bay Area’ – located next to Macau and relatively near to Hong Kong.

It was a Le Mans start, which means all boats line up out at sea and start with the same sails and course for ten minutes before changing and sailing the rest of the race as you choose. The reason is that sailing through hundreds of islands, commercial ships and fishing boats wouldn't be the safest option.

Unfortunately Dare To Lead didn’t have a very good start to the race. Skipper Ryan Gibson reported: “We fell back quickly, trying to get our Code 2 spinnaker set up and a few other small issues, which was in hindsight the wrong sail. Charlie and I perhaps favour it too much on certain wind angles so during the night we decided to change eventually to the Code 1.

“We had it flying when we noticed the sheet had a knot in it which I ignored due to light winds. The wind picked up suddenly of course, and the working sheet snapped taking the non-working sheet completely out like a rocket, so we had no sheets left and a flogging Code 1. We retrieved the kite by attaching a spare sheet to the tack and a few drowsy crew had a pile of both spinnakers around them in the galley, wondering what was going on.”

Wind holes presented a wide range of challenges too, generating a lot of close racing as the fleet closed up. AQP Charlie explained the situation on day 4: “We’re currently in the thick of it, racing closely against Washington, DC, Our Isles and Oceans, UNICEF, Zhuhai, Yacht Club Punta del Este, and Perseverance… Any gains or losses are much harder to claw back in a shorter space of time. 

“We turned the corner last night onto what is effectively the home stretch and have been racing in close proximity to most of the fleet ever since. Now the debate is whether we change back to the Code 2 or stick with the 1 for a little longer to see if we can ride things through before the signature Clipper Race end-of-race wind-hole.”

The fleet remained tightly packed and Dare To Lead worked its way towards the front to get itself in contention for a podium place. In the last day of racing a massive windless zone loomed and with the boats separated by less than 30 nautical miles the order over the line was anyone’s guess.

But the prospect of a very slow boat to China finish, Clipper Race officials decided to cut the race short and declared racing would finish at midnight so the fleet could then make best speed, under motor, to make the tight transition window into Zhuhai marina on 6 March. The outcome was that Dare To Lead clinched third place on the podium with a healthy 9 points added to the leader board.

This was the last race for Ntokozo Msiya before handing over to the next DTL-Liyaba ambassador for Leg 6. On the last day she wrote: “Time really flies when you’re having fun. We just started the race not so long ago and now we have less then 24 hours before the race ends. Life on board is still amazing, loving the team spirit and positivity around me. We are making good progress in the race thanks to our new rudder and good tactics but mostly staying motivated and keeping up the good team spirit.

“The first few days were a bit tough as most of us suffered from flu, resulting in low energy but regardless of that we still kept going and good news is that we are recovering very well. The hospitality on board is amazing, David made me a special delicious dinner today boiled potatoes and corn beef, with no onions, all thanks to Lisa who kept reminding everyone on galley watch ‘NO ONIONS FOR TK!’

“All in all I think that everyone on board makes good chefs because I’ve never came across any bad food. OHHH how can I forget Gary, he also makes delicious baked potatoes for me. So far, it’s been Champagne sailing for us, we started off in 9th position and now we are fighting for 3rd position with Yacht Club Punta Del Este. Catch you all in Zhuhai.”

Leg 5 - Race 7: Snakes and Ladders

Race 7 route

Dare To Lead departed Airlie Beach six points clear at the top of the leader board, but Race 7 – the first of two stages in the fifth leg of the 2023-24 edition of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race – would prove to be quite a challenge for the ambitious crew who have become intensely competitive ocean sailors. It became more of a ‘game’ of snakes and ladders, but not necessarily in that order!

The fleet had its first Le Mans Start of the circumnavigation, outside the Great Barrier Reef, in a steady 15 knots of NNW breeze. Being the Lead Skipper, Ryan said it was a little stressful ‘making sure everything goes well’ but it seemed to go very well: “Well done everyone and see you all in Vietnam,” he posted.

By the end of January Dare To Lead crossed 8 degrees of latitude, leaving them 36 hours to get through the top half of the Doldrums Corridor. The skipper wrote in his blog: “It has been an extremely close and exciting race to this point with places being traded all the time between the fleet, it seems the level has gotten higher between all boats and even though this is a long race it’s the constant trimming and seeing boats around you which is fantastic.

“For example, we just crossed the 8 degrees of latitude with Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam roughly 200 metres behind us, and five other boats in sight after three days of competitive sailing, which just shows how closely matched the fleet is and really drives each other to sail the boats as best as we can.”

Despite coming through the Doldrums Corridor relatively smoothly the path ahead was full of wind holes and light airs. Ryan reported: “All boats have been heading in a northerly direction, as the wind hole is blocking us going directly towards the Philippines, plus we would like to all reach the NE trade winds which are further north.”

The boat had its second equator crossing of this global circumnavigation, returning to the northern hemisphere after seeing eight crew become Shellbacks. The Pollywogs had to drink a mix of cereal, every sauce on the boat, juice and a few other things from around the galley.

Philip Carden described the experience: “I was subjected to a most horrific sacrificial ceremony to the good King Neptune. This involved pledging my allegiance to the great god and then giving some precious lemonade as a sign of my true respect. AND THEN...drinking a cup of disgusting slop.”

Ryan added: “By the reaction on the crew's faces, I believe it was worse than the one I made for the first Atlantic Equator crossing, sorry guys! Otherwise, we all look forward to the sailing ahead and are all feeling fresh to push the boat and try to get a good result this race!”

But the way ahead was frustrating with a huge bank of clouds covering the fleet producing consistent rain and wind shifts, wind holes and wind gusts. Ryan paid tribute to the crew: “We have had some seriously busy watches…everyone onboard is already exhausted due to lack of sleep from the heat, so the combination is testing us, but everyone has been fantastic.”

The team took a northern route missing the Scoring Gate which paid off, putting Dare To Lead at the front of the fleet. “Yay! We’re in a nice position…(but) the boats behind are very close and in these conditions anything can happen,” observed Ryan, and it did!

Pushing into the lead by missing the scoring gate.

Over the next 48 hours the Clipper 70 was caught in ‘every wind hole possible’ and four boats overtook them. The team continued this slow progress until they dropped off the front pack and slid down to eighth place. To add insult to injury, the galley ran out of tea!

AQP Charlie commented: “When slipping back like that, it can be easy to lose motivation and accept fate, but the crew have all been doggedly persistent in their hunt for speed, constantly checking trim, removing any water from the boat when possible, and swapping round helms quickly so nobody starts to lose concentration.”

The Ocean Sprint was undertaken mostly in Stealth Mode! But the results will not be revealed until prizegiving in Ha Long Bay. Unfortunately crew member Antoine Arveiller suffered a sheet flogging injury to his left wrist which needed medical assessment. This resulted in a short diversion to drop him off at Port Irene, St. Ana [Philippines] where an ambulance transferred him to the local hospital as a precaution.

Antoine Arveiller

Fellow crew member Lisa Schaefer reported: “It was clearly quite a spectacle for this small island and word had spread amongst locals. We were greeted by more than 50 onlookers on the dock wondering what all the fuss was about, despite the early arrival time [7am]…After a couple of hours of administration, form filling, phone calls and photos, Antoine was finally on his way, but not before giving one final clarion call of ‘Who are we?’ To which we responded in our customary way and gave one final blast on the vuvuzela. God only knows what the locals made of this!

“We wish him a fast and smooth recovery and gutted that his adventure has had to end prematurely. It’s been a pleasure to sail with him and he will be sorely missed. Get well soon, Antoine! Thanks to everyone who was involved in the organization of what turned out to be a very smooth evacuation.”

The last 1000nm to Ha Long Bay provided more idyllic downwind kite running before turning north onto the final stretch into Ha Long Bay. They had some pretty ideal sailing conditions, the wind was steady, with very little swell. “We’ve been eating up the miles,” reported Charlie.

“The crew have been running the boat smoothly…The galley has been slaving away from the early hours of the morning, making cakes and putting on an extra special breakfast of bacon, eggs and potatoes with the usual bread and jam.” All this in honour of Skipper Ryan’s birthday.

Celebrating crossing the finish line

Ultimately Dare To Lead crossed the finish line of Race 7 at 0400 UTC on 19th February in tenth place. On arrival at the pontoon in Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam, skipper Ryan said that despite it being a challenging leg everyone is still motivated at the half-way point of this marathon round-the-world adventure.

Crew member Amanda Shehab (circumnavigating with her daughter Megan Allpress) agreed and added that every race had been different, and the last one had been tough on everyone, with variable weather and injury. But added, "We care for each other."

This was the first race of Leg 5 for Dare to Lead - Liyaba ambassador Ntokozo Msiya. She said on arrival that it was great to have crossed the equator and experienced the ceremony. She added that she'd learned a lot on the race, especially discovering how supportive the crew are. "You're never alone. If you are down everyone is there for you...it means a lot... they are nice people."

AQP Charlie Warhurst

AQP Charlie observed that despite the frustrations of coming tenth there had been highlights, like 2000 miles of power reaching. "We were fighting to the very end," he added. It's been a faster race than anticipated, taking 22 days, so plenty of time to prepare for the next race which is scheduled to start on 2 march, which will be an intense 4-5 day sprint to Zhuhai in southern China’s ‘Bay area’ close to Macau and across the estuary entrance to Hong Kong.

Skipper and ‘Birthday Boy’ Ryan Gibson paid tribute to the crew who are ‘still motivated’!

Latest Ambassador on Leg 5

Ntokozo Msiya, from Durban, SA., is the latest Dare To Lead - Liyaba ‘ambassador’ and joined the crew in Airlie Beach for Leg 5 to Zhuhai in China via Ha Long Bay in Viet Nam.

Race 6: Short, sharp and Starry eyed.

Despite this being a relatively short sprint, everyone knew it would be a testing week of close racing where risk taking would be challenging with little room for mistakes and opportunities to recover. Race 6 certainly had a sting in the tail.

 Conditions proved testing for the teams, with torrential rain and little to no wind, coupled with the notorious East Australian Current (EAC) running against the fleet all the way up the coast. After an initial upwind section of the race, following a thrilling start out of Newcastle Harbour, the fleet enjoyed downwind conditions up to the tropics ahead of the final of three Aussie stopovers.

 The 950nm contest to Airlie Beach was completed in just seven days of sailing. It was very much a game of tactics. Some boats going west to benefit from the protection of the coastline, potentially avoiding strong currents. On the other hand, those going east face more challenges, including navigating through tougher weather conditions and a longer path to the finish line.

 “It was a classic low wind, upwind Clipper Race Start,” explained AQP Charlie Warhurst. “The start for us went about as well as we were expecting.” The first night was intense, tacking though the fleet, swapping positions with boats as different routes upwind were selected. The challenge was navigating the first section of the EAC, and due to the fluky winds, Dare To Lead was pushed further north than they were hoping. This meant they had to punch through about 90 miles of adverse currents to get into the ‘backwards’ flow that that would push them up to Airlie Beach.

Charlie’s Birthday was mixed with celebration and frustration, in blistering heat. Skipper Ryan Gibson reported: “It almost feels like the doldrums again already, but we could expect it to get worse which is a scary thought. On the sailing and progress side we are… towards the back of the fleet, however we do like the route we chose staying in the currents offshore. There is a low-pressure system arriving shortly which will bring very light conditions. This period will decide a lot in this race,” and it did.

 Unfortunately the eastern routing through the current didn't pay off. Ryan explained: “A few small tactical errors from my end combined with being unlucky with the low-pressure system which puts us at the back of the fleet. However, we are having a great match race with Ha Long Bay Viet Nam.” The skies compensated in some small measure. Ryan added: “I've sailed and visited many places in the world, but these skies are the best I've ever seen. Yesterday morning was a great example… the sun looked like volcano lava burning away behind Bekezela… Not to mention how starry and beautiful the nights have been…including a few shooting stars.”

Not much changed in the last 250nm to Airlie Beach, with the team ultimately finishing in ninth but retaining a strong 6-point lead on the overall leader board.

 LESSONS LEARNED

 Among the crew for Leg 4, comprising races 5 and 6, was Dare To Lead – Liyaba ambassador Olwami Zungu. He filed an interesting blog prior to crossing the finish line in the Whitsundays, reflecting on the lessons he had learned. He wrote: “A lot seems to be on my mind, like what am I to be after this race, how different will I be when I get home and what difference can I actually make? The change in our ranking from the previous to the current race has made me realise a lot about the boat I am in, the skipper (Ryan) and AQP (Charlie), and the crew.

Olwami on arrival into Newcastle, Australia

 “Ryan’s leadership on the boat inspires me to take lead of my own life. Charlie’s composure teaches me not to rush everything I do in my life. The combination of both shows me that there is always a way of making things work when they are not in your favour. The crew allowed me to embrace myself from different perspectives. Despite our failed techniques, the team energy stayed consistent, and everybody still smiling and laughing. We celebrate the wins of our fellow competitors as we understand the hardships of the ocean, we all sail in.”

 Equally important is the fact that in port they party together with the other teams. That combination is “what makes the boat go faster,” says Olwami: “But the faster it goes the fewer days I have to spend with these wonderful people, which saddens me. The view of stars will not be the same when seen alone and understood by no one because not many I know have crossed the ocean.

 “Abundant lessons learned from the two races most of which will shape me into the person I desire to be and some of which I can tell the younger children growing up with ambitious dreams surrounded by barbed wire telling them they cannot achieve the achievable. As we journey to the mandatory gates my appreciation for life and family, as a whole, increases; concepts of unity and growth become more vivid. A lot of words to be spread across my country, small steps to be taken and big changes to be forever made.”

Festive Fun and Games in Push to the Podium

Race 5 is the Sta-Lok Endurance Test. The team headed due south over the first three days and the upwind ride began testing all crew on board with the ‘green monster’ – conditions eased and the boat ended up in a wind hole with 1.6knots of wind.

Ryan reported that everyone on board is looking forward to Christmas and New Year, although it's a difficult time being away from family and friends however Team Coordinator Sean and Victualler Gary were arranging a few things to make it extra special including Secret Santa and a 3 course Christmas lunch.

Luci handed over to the next DTL-Liyaba ‘ambassador’ Olwami Zungu. He wrote: “Day 3 at sea and I find myself still a bit seasick… The crew has played a big role in my recovery as they keep my morale up with their smiles and jokes. They make everything a bit easier and enjoyable.

“For instance, learning more about sailing, getting to understand how the wind has influence on the yacht, and how we can take advantage of the wind systems surrounding us. The knowledge I am gaining makes me look forward to the days to come as I believe I will be able to fully immerse myself as a sailor by the end of my race.

“Spend most of my time (when not on deck) thinking about my family and how to make the world a better place. Actually, I’m looking forward to spending Christmas with my lovely crew.”

Decorations were hung including a small Christmas tree and Santa made an appearance on Christmas Day with some individual stockings appearing next to each bunk. The most hoped for gift was the return of a good breeze to help make quick progress towards the bottom of Tasmania.

AQP Charlie reported a few days later: “We’ve had some pretty idyllic wind conditions to push ‘CV20’ to her limit with the Code 3 up and our efforts have been rewarded, with our position relative to the fleet.

“Now, we are sailing with our white sails, we finally have a little time to recuperate and get ready for our rounding of Tasmania, its looking like we'll get some pretty strong winds and big waves as we head round, which should make for some interesting sailing but our crew always seems to step it up a notch in those conditions.

“After that we’re going up past Hobart, likely into another wind hole for a spot of bobbing and then it’s the home stretch! We’re all looking forward to the Newcastle stopover but conscious we’ve still got a little while to go before then.”

Crew member Philip Carden added: “After a superb three-day long Xmas feast it’s been back to hard and fast sailing. Three days or so flying the kite has put us right into contention again and there’s a real buzz amongst the crew as we’ve just seen land again for the first time since Freo! Every sched update now is waited on with extra anticipation.

“Personally, helming today has just been an absolute joy - surfing down 3m swells at 22kts with drum and bass playing loudly from whichever Bluetooth speaker we could find that was charged has got to be a high point for me… Simply awesome to see what the power of nature can do and the speed we can generate when we harness it correctly.”

The final upwind push to Newcastle was challenging and rewarding in equal measure. Rounding Tasmania was relatively hassle-free, with some amazing wind and swells to producing some good speeds. More nerve-racking was everyone up at the front going into stealth mode and taking quite varied routes.

As the finish line loomed 105nm ahead, AQP Charlie observed: “It’s been another amazing race, with so much happening…the crew have been incredible once again, not just putting up with our relentless calls for sail changes/bilge empties/steering checks and deck walks, but they’ve been loving it. We really do feel extremely lucky to have such a dedicated group of people around our team and it is a very large factor in how well we’re doing…Everyone is truly playing their part and it’s felt onboard, thanks all.”

A few more tacks and the team were on target to cross the finish line in the afternoon of the second day of 2024. Speaking from the dock, on arrival into Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club, Skipper Ryan Gibson said: “It was a tricky start. We knew it was going to be quite long because of the big high pressure so we had to go quite far south like we had on the previous race. We managed to get around and as soon as we got into the wind near the southern ice limit we had really good speed until the finish.

“We got quite lucky being in the front of the pack. Once we got round Tasmania, there was a lot of different weathers and then the current plays a big part. I’m glad to be here and an amazing result.”

Ambassador Olwami Zungu reflected on the experience: “It was really life-changing. Spending two weeks with these guys has been really amazing and I also got to learn a lot about myself. I honestly could not have asked for a better Christmas and New Year! I am really grateful.”

Megan Allpress, from the UK, who is racing around the world with her mum, Amanda Shehab, said: “I feel pretty amazing, it’s been a long and a short two weeks, but it’s been really enjoyable. It’s great to be on land again.

Amanda added: “We are really glad to be here. It was a nice one actually, because it varied with different weather.”

Second place has strengthened the team’s position at the top of the leaderboard; the best Christmas present of all!

Amazing Moments ‘Roaring’ to the Top of the Leaderboard

Heading south into the Roaring Forties

Race 4, Leg 3, takes the Clipper Race into the southern Indian Ocean and down into the ‘Roaring Forties’ from Cape Town - South Africa, to Fremantle - Western Australia. Early in the race skipper Ryan Gibson reported:

“I'm extremely proud of how well the crew are managing, progressing and keeping such a good atmosphere on board. It is cold, wet and hard conditions but the motivation is there and everyone is learning more and more every day.

“Some people viewing the Race Viewer must be wondering why we are trying to detour past the South Pole, but the weather routing puts us in favourable winds doing this course and trying to keep up with the low system as long as possible. It seems to be paying off in the long run now.”

By late November it really felt like the Roaring Forties with high gusty winds, heavy rain and a confused swell. Luckily, there was no lightning or thunder. Temperatures dropped significantly plus the wind chill coming from a more southerly direction brought cold air, and extremely wet.

Ryan added: “The birds that loved following us are gone, and it feels like a really unique remoteness of where we are sailing right now. Also, knowing that not many people get the chance to sail here, all of us are embracing this opportunity and suppose we all have respect for each other that we are all here taking on this huge adventure that the Clipper Race offers!”

Crew member Jeroen Koster adds: “Our days are filled with so many amazing moments and as Race Crew, we often talk about how to share our experience…words cannot describe it really. Picture a sunset that dresses the sky in bright orange. The sun itself is partly covered by a misty cloud of spray caused by the strong winds sweeping the waves which have swelled to a respectable 6 meters.

“These winds, these waves are what make sailing both magnificent and challenging. The challenges we face make us question our sanity, amplify our longing for the warmth of our homes and our loved ones and at the same time build our pride, resolve, and resilience to be part of this extraordinary journey.

“The magnificence of ocean sailing was never clearer than today as we navigate our precious Dare To Lead from Africa towards Australia across the endless and relentless Roaring Forties… For me, at the helm today racing at speeds of up to 26 knots, I felt so incredibly alive.”

As Fremantle approached, hard work on deck was rewarded with tasty food in the galley as victualler Gary used up supplies that would otherwise have to be confiscated and disposed of in WA to conform with biosecurity precautions. The reward was individual mouth-watering chorizo, cheese, pepper and onion omelettes.

Skipper Ryan said that the end of the race is when the crew get a bit anxious about maintaining their position and choosing the correct routing to clinch another podium position!

This was the first leg with a Dare To Lead – Liyaba ‘ambassador’ aboard: 19 year old Luci Mensah. She wrote in her crew blog: “Why? Why have I done this? I think I joined because I thought it would be an experience that would be different and would be inspiring to young females and people from disadvantaged backgrounds. I think it’s a way for breaking through from all of those stereotypes that females can’t really do these intense sports, to show strength.

“I was told that the weather would be cold, but I didn’t realise quite how cold it would be. It’s freezing! If you don’t have dry clothes, you're just going to be cold and miserable on deck, it is getting warmer but for a lot of this leg it has just been cold and wet.

“The sailing is intense, but nice. We started off with calmer weather, you could easily walk around the boat. As the weeks went by the ocean got really unsettled, handling the winches, grinding and just getting round has become hard. The kites are hard to handle but I prefer it because it makes us faster.

“The hardest part of the trip has been sleep, I value it and in some sort of way that has been taken away but it's part of the whole experience… You have to live with what you have and not what you want…

“The hardest part has been the seasickness, all you can do is be in bed because it takes away your energy and your appetite, while you'd think the extra sleep you get would help but it doesn’t. Its takes different times for everyone to just get better, keep your bags in our pockets!

“I’m looking forward to the finish, this is the ride of my life..I think the experience will make me a stronger person in the future, I feel I will be able to put myself into harder situations more confidently.”

Fremantle finish line

The team Crossed the Finish Line at 13:32:52UTC on 10 December, when Dare To Lead claimed its second consecutive podium of the Clipper 2023-24 Race, placing third on the Race 4: Marlow Roaring Forties Challenge – a 4,700nm race across the Roaring Forties with 27.8 knots its top boat speed.

Ryan said as the team arrived in Fremantle: “To get into Australia in third place is amazing! It was a good race, testing of course, but everyone enjoyed it. The Scoring Gate and Ocean Sprint really kept us going. Everyone was motivated from the start and we kept it going until the end. I’m extremely proud of the team, especially on this leg with everyone out of their comfort zone. Let’s just keep the momentum going forward!”

AQP Charlie added: “I’m very happy with the result. It’s exactly what we were looking for, just getting some consistency in our results. It’s a pleasure to be here, it’s nice and warm which is a change from the past race!”

Ambassador Luci Mensah said: “I feel wonderful! I am really excited and overwhelmed it’s a great feeling. I wish I could do it again. The most incredible thing was the team bonding, and I would do this race again over and over again! This is a very humbling experience. I’m so glad I did it and I would never change it for anything in the world.”

On behalf of the Team Partners Dirk Van Daele said "Congratulations team Dare To Lead.

"You have aimed for the podium and worked extremely hard to consistently lead by example.

"In addition to securing third place into Fremantle, by my calculation, you will become top of the leader board overall when race and Scoring Gate points are added after this leg. An incredible achievement!

"I must also mention our first Ambassador - Luci. You have taken on one of the toughest legs in the race. I know you have suffered sea sickness at times but that you recognise the impact this experience is and will have on you.”

To sum up Leg 3 the crew wrote fresh lyrics for this classic festive favourite:

On the twelfth day of sailing our skipper gave to us:

Twelve sailors sleeping

Eleven winches turning

Ten kilos of biltong (maybe more)

Nine leaking hatches

Eight-metre waves

Seven dolphins leaping

Six sailors sicking

Five “yank a hanks”

Four grinders grinding

Three snapped halyards

Two helmers helming

And one large rip in the Code 3

Merry Christmas, With love

The Dare To Lead Team

Megan Allpress (+ Steven Taylor)

Announcing 4 Africans 'breaking stereotypes'

Above - introducing our 4 new Dare To Lead - Liyaba ‘ambassadors’ for the Clipper Race 2023-24.

Four young black Africans have been officially revealed as the latest cohort to be selected for our ground-breaking social responsibility initiative during the Dare To Lead crew event in Cape Town today (Sunday 12 November).

Left to right: Adams Desmond, Luci Mensah, Ntokozo Msiya and Olwami Zungu

The ‘Dare To Lead – Liyaba’ programme takes young people from challenging backgrounds and develops their confidence, resilience and leadership skills through participating in the Clipper Race

The successful candidates are from South Africa and Mozambique, and will take on some of the toughest ocean crossings on the planet aboard Dare To Lead, under South African skipper Ryan Gibson.

Luci Mensah (18) who is from Maputo, Mozambique, will join the crew of Dare To Lead this week for the next leg of the global circumnavigation. She will take on the notorious Southern Ocean destined for Fremantle in Western Australia.

Luci says she applied for the Dare To Lead – Liyaba initiative to test herself: “I felt that I would be putting myself out there in terms of challenging myself, testing my limits.

“In this day and age as a young black female there are already so many stereotypes placed upon us, I Intend to use this opportunity to break out of those stereotypes.”

Luci Mensah inspiring other strong black African females

Luci will join the Dare To Lead team in the next few days. She adds: “I’m unemployed and strive to become a civil engineer beginning my studies next year. It would mean so much to see other young strong black females being encouraged to do the same (break stereotypes) to follow their dreams and become someone in the future.”

Three South Africans will also join the Dare To Lead team on subsequent Legs:

Olwami Zungu (19) is from Pietermaritzburg and will take on Leg 4 of the Clipper Race from the west to east coasts of Australia. He describes himself as not only a student but also an entrepreneur. He says the project will give him the opportunity to do something different and get to grow his network with people from around the world.

He said: “It means a lot to me as it gives me an opportunity to break barriers installed in my community, giving the new generation a broader mindset about things they can do and achieve, also giving them the confidence and courage to do things out of the norm, hopefully making a long lasting impact on my country for the better.”

Ntokozo Msiya

Ntokozo Msiya (20) is from Durban and will be on Leg 5 from Eastern Australia to Viet Nam and China. She is currently a volunteer at Sail Africa Youth Development. She said: “One day I see myself as a professional ocean race skipper.

“I applied for this because I wanted to challenge myself and also lead by example, that regardless of your background or gender you have the ability to change your life, just put your mind to it and, as much as you dream about it, work towards it.”

Adams Desmond (22) is also from Durban and will tackle Leg 6 from China to Seattle on the US west coast across the mighty Pacific Ocean. He’s an intern at LIV Durban/LIV Invest. He says he applied for this project because the Clipper Race represents the ultimate test of sailing skills, determination, and spirit of adventure.

Adams said: “To me, it’s not just a race, but a transformative journey that pushes the boundaries of what I thought possible. The race means a chance to explore the world’s oceans, learn from the unpredictable nature of the sea, and form lasting connections with fellow sailors who share the same passion. It’s an opportunity to embrace challenges and achieve personal growth while experiencing the profound beauty of our planet from a unique perspective.”

Speaking at the event Dare To Lead race partner and creator of the DTL-Liyaba project, Dirk van Daele, said: “Young people in this programme return with a new self-belief and determination to succeed personally and for their communities. Many have become positive role-models for their peers.

“We will mentor them through their continued development after their participation in the Clipper Race, as we have previous candidates.”

Clipper Race officials welcomed the announcement. They said that the initiative has powerful and purposeful social values, and added that the skills and experience the Dare To Lead - Liyaba ‘ambassadors’ will gain, through taking part in the race, will set them up to succeed in all walks of life.

See the extended interview reel with Luci below.

Leg 2 Race 3: 'Cape Town, we coming!"

The TIMEZERO South Atlantic Showdown has been a hard-fought close battle from start to finish. The Race Start was announced by a Uruguayan Navy vessel blasting a canon and, suddenly, the fleet was underway again, this time bound for Cape Town – home port of Dare To Lead skipper Ryan Gibson, and a number of crew.

 Ryan’s first blog reported: “It’s been a really nice start with light conditions and calm seas, which is welcoming for the new crew joining to settle in better. We started off with what felt like a Level 4 training race when all boats are in a short proximity, tacking across each other all the time.

 The team play their Joker, allowed only once in the circumnavigation, to double their points, not including scoring gate and ocean sprint. It’s a big gamble, but will it pay off? (Hell yeah!).

 “The spirits are high onboard, and we have almost half the crew sailing back to their home country. But we do have lots of work to do for a good result considering the competition and tricky forecasts ahead. CAPE TOWN, WE COMING!”

 After light winds it eventually filled in and the race was on. But it had its consequences: Ryan reported “the green monster has revealed its ugly head once again for a few of the crew, but the stronger wind has also been more stable so there's also been a little more rest going on. We’re looking forward to seeing what Neptune has to show us.”

 Ten days in Ryan writes that “the crew’s motivation is endless, even in the worst conditions they’re still eager to get on deck and keep the boat driving as fast as they can.

 “The Scoring Gate was a lovely little win for us, feeling like justice had been served after our close loss on the one from race two. The key now is to keep the momentum we have going for the other two thirds of the trip. “There’s still a lot of miles to be covered and a lot of tricky weather systems to navigate round. It's still very much all to play for.”

 By day 16, with the smell of Cape Town almost in the air, Dare To Lead was jostling for a podium place. Spirits were high as Ryan reported: “We just had a very productive four-hour watch averaging some high speeds so hoping the positions that will be coming through shortly are in our favour.

 “This is a crucial part of the race as it is very tactical now. The last few days into Cape Town with a high pressure are looking to create some lighter winds nearer Cape Town so we are hoping to maintain our position and get through the high pressure without getting windholed...”

 Then a master move: Stealth Mode. 24 hours of invisible destiny. The skipper report on the other side says it all: “As some of you have probably noticed we have come out of Stealth Mode and …are leading the race now, just ahead of Perseverance. It is very close and will be an amazing finish as we could easily keep trading places until the finish line!

 “The last 150nm will keep everyone on their toes and I know how much a win would mean for this team and certainly myself into my hometown, with all our friends and family waiting for our arrival. Regardless of the result, I am extremely proud of our team and Charlie, who have all given 120% the entire race.

 “Through all difficult situations and at the lowest times everyone really stepped up and motivated each other which was inspiring to witness. We are certainly ready for our stopover now in Cape Town, see you soon!

 As we now know, they held onto that lead despite Perseverance driving hard to close the 9 nautical mile gap.

 Congratulations to the crew of Dare To Lead. You did us proud.

Celebrations coming in first into Cape Town - playing the joker doubles the points!

The Heat is On!

The second half of Race 2 in Leg 1 was hard fought but was hampered by light airs and wind-holes.

Heat was a big factor in the second half of the race to Punta del Este, both literally and in terms of the pressure the crew worked under to be in the leading ‘pack’ throughout, having tasted success out front, ahead of the rest of the fleet.

 Once out of the Doldrums Corridor skipper Ryan Gibson announced, “We’re sailing again!”

The next stage also brought with it the milestone of crossing the equator. He had an elaborate Neptune's costume - complete with beard, crown and a trident.

 The focus then turned to the Ocean Sprint, but despite pushing at 100% the team missed out on extra points, although they had to wait for Punta del Este to discover the results.

 In the final stretch down the South American coast the team experienced a wide variety of conditions together with some frustrating wind holes. Here’s an example from the Skipper’s report of 8 October: “In the past 24 hours we've been through some of the most varied weather I've come across while sailing.

 “We've ended up having to sail north, south, east and west at times, flown all our available codes, the Yankee 1 and the 3, all the reefs have come in and out at some point and had the wind-blown through from 5 knots regularly up to 35 and then back down again within the space of an hour. The most we saw at one point was 45 knots while we were mid-way through reefing.

 “While all that might sound quite daunting, the crew have been incredible through all of it. Aa we sail into the home straight of this race and the first leg, in the lighter spots of wind there has been more time for reflection on just how far everyone has progressed individually, and how we've evolved as a team.”

 It’s also worth remembering that ‘an army marches on its stomach’ – a saying reputedly made by Napoleon – emphasising the need for good, tasty, wholesome, food. So Mother Watch and especially work in the galley is just as vital as competent sailing. 

 Ryan observed: “Within the galley, meals have evolved as we've gone on, and people have gotten more comfortable experimenting and meals that we thought would be low points have become favourites. What was originally sausage and mash, changed into canned beef with potato and then eventually into cottage pie with milk and cheese in the mash on top, a highlight of that week.

 “We've changed from thinking we don't have time to bake bread at the start, to baking three to sometimes five loafs a night, and now even people are baking their local variants on things - a particular shout out goes to Bobby who made an incredible, soft local bread, with feta cheese in it.  

 “On deck… it's been incredibly heartwarming to watch it all develop, and rewarding to see our efforts pay off with our placing within the fleet, every mile has been fought for by everyone.” 

 Crew blogs endorsed these challenges. Sean McPartland talked about the relentless rhythm of racing across an ocean and the unbearable heat. Approaching Brazil he wrote: “The last land we saw was Fuerteventura. Since then we have passed the Scoring Gate and endured some intense heat both above deck and below. Sleeping has been difficult at the best.

 “The crew are in good fettle, although a bit battered and bruised, spirits are high, and the camaraderie is good.”

 Before signing off Sean passed on a short note from Bertie the Birstwith School Bear: "What an adventure I am having kids, the ocean life is the life for me. I met with King Neptune a few days ago as we crossed the equator. So finally, my lifelong ambition of becoming a shellback has come true. Keep supporting us."

 The heat dominated conversation. “It ain’t half hot mum,” stated David Holmes (The title of a vintage comedy series set in the tropics). “It’s so warm I’m starting to sweat through my teeth. Our living quarters resemble the fever-smitten back streets of nineteenth-century urban Britain with all the associated smells…

 The description of crew attire, or lack of it, is not for the squeamish: “The crew are letting themselves go, especially Griet, and the crew dress code falls well below Clipper standards, and those set by our scantily clad skipper. There is a broad array of underwear colours and styles openly on display, some so buttock-clenching obscene laws should be passed to prevent the wearing of such garments... Indeed, I have just seen Belgium Bob walking around in a tight pair of mustard-coloured briefs, a pair of knee pads, and back support – an image that’s sure to scar me for the remainder of my days…In all seriousness, we have weathered the discomfort of the doldrums well.”

 Gary Venturi added to the commentary: “As a Scotsman, prolonged periods of relentless and inescapable high temperatures are my kryptonite. I’ve lost count of the days now that I’ve spent permanently sheened in sweat and sun cream. The only options are frying and scorching in the direct sun on deck or sweltering and boiling below in the slightly higher heat and 80% humidity.”

 So you can imagine the huge relief brought by a squall and fresh ‘shower’ water. Gary said: “The heat leads me to describe the joy of my first boat shower. Trunks, towel, and shower gel to the stern. Limitless buckets of cool seawater emptied over my burning head and back before a good soapy scrub. A bucket of fresh was my rinsing ration and I felt like a new man for a few hours before the heat won out again.

 “The clean clothes seemed like a mistake later though as we entered the Doldrums Corridor to be greeted by a lengthy squall. Rain so dense it seemed to alter the light and flatten the sea drenched us, but the relief and extra cleanliness were welcome, and the mainsail and boom created a very effective deluge shower for 15 or so minutes.”

 We’ll leave the last word from the closing stage of Leg 1 to the Skipper: “Think it's fair to say we all look forward to the stopover in Punta now, and I certainly look forward to a surf with the local hero Nano and a big local BBQ he has been promising for a while now, Vamos Punta!”

Reach for the stars…

The Atlantic Tradewinds Leg, so far:

This leg has provided some nail-biting match racing for Dare To Lead, particularly in Race 2 for the Hundred Years Cup from Puerto Sherry, Spain to Punta del Este, Uruguay. At the time of writing the fleet is in the doldrums corridor with the front runners soon to emerge and head for their first equator crossing where the crew will go before the court of King Neptune in the centuries-old ceremony.

Skipper Ryan Gibson reported that Race 1 had been a ‘tricky’ one for the team. He said: “We were hoping for a better result…We are very proud in all the crew on their development so far in this first short race. We had a few big challenges with heavy weather, things not going our way, getting stuck in wind holes and some damage on board to equipment, plus the living conditions with 21 of us in a very confined space isn't easy, so well-done team!

“We have really developed a strong team and friendships are building already. People from all walks of life are here doing this extreme challenge for various reasons, however, all have a common interest at the end of the day so they all gel together.”

Skipper Ryan Gibson

With Race 2 came the challenge of working out the best route south, negotiating around or through the Canary and Cape Verdi islands, a scoring gate, doldrums corridor and a final ocean sprint.

The crew came out fighting, being first across the line. Dare To Lead went into stealth mode to hide its route through the Canary Islands and has remained among the front-runners after leading the fleet in good form, but just missed out on the scoring gate before entering the Doldrums Corridor.

Ryan commented: “After having been in the top 3 almost since the Start Line we were slightly disappointed we just missed out on the points this time but feel proud to be in the front four pack. We are happy to say we all survived the flying fish encounters as they hit the boat and crew at record speeds.

Race Viewer becomes compulsive

“It’s very hot and humid onboard Dare To Lead at the moment… we finally made the call, as the winds were getting lighter and lighter, to start using our six degrees of motoring. The requests went through all fine, the wind died off even more until we were at a crawl. As was to be expected, the second we turned the engine on the wind immediately picked up again and we were able to sail at around 8 knots for about half an hour. Fortunately, the small burst of speed was just some localised effects from a nearby squall and the wind has been a steady three knots coming directly in front of us ever since.

“Now we look forward to some slightly slower paced days as we motor before getting back to it at the end of the corridor!”

In a crew blog Griet Vandenheede reported recently on the rising temperatures: “If we had not noticed the temperature outside, the temperature inside the boat would certainly have given it away: 30 degrees Celsius and getting hotter. Pretty much like living and sleeping in a sauna without the refreshing shower afterward.

 “Together with the miles…the confidence and smoothness of the different evolutions and roles on board grows: the wobbling of the boat goes on almost unnoticed now; the flying fish are swept overboard with less and less slipperiness and bread and cake making is becoming more and more, an art.

“I, for sure, have found my happy place on board, right there behind the helm. With a lot of practice, forgiveness, and expert advice from teammates, Charlie and Ryan, the overwhelming responsibility and power of the wind and the waves that I felt at the beginning, day after day, started looking increasingly like a smooth surf. And before you realise it, you are aiming at the stars at night…Reach for the stars and sail. Still loving this adventure!”

And they’re off…

The Clipper 70 yacht Dare To Lead which is owned and operated by the race organiser Clipper Ventures - one of 11 identical yachts in the matched fleet of stripped down ocean racers - so it’s all down to crew performance rather than design differences.

It’s been a hectic week of preparations counting down to the start of the 2023-24 edition of the 40,000+ nautical mile Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, where people from all walks of life take on this unique global challenge racing across some of the most testing oceans on the planet.

The fleet crossed the Portsmouth start line on Sunday afternoon, 3 September 2023, and has made its way through the English Channel on the first race towards Puerto Sherry, Cadiz, Spain, before heading across the Atlantic to Punta del Este in Uruguay. At the time of writing this teams are deciding whether to head for an optional scoring gate for bonus points as winds lighten in the Bay of Biscay.

Before the Dare To Lead team slipped lines the boat was officially named. Here is a sequence of videos, images and interviews with the crew, Clipper Race founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Dare To Lead founder Dirk van Daele

Amanda Shehab signed up for the whole circumnavigation following the sad death of her husband two years ago. Daughter Megan Allpress decided to join her on this challenging global adventure aboard Dare To Lead.

Introducing some more of the crew taking on the whole circumnavigation. In order of appearance Sean McPartland, Jeroen Koster, Retief Jordaan, Thomas Whalen and David Ball.

On Friday 1 September the yacht was officially named Dare To Lead.

Dare To Lead Team Partner founder Dirk van Daele was unable to attend due to business travel but recoded this video which was shown to the crew before the ceremony

After the ceremony we spoke with Clipper Race co-founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston

Daring to Lead is the team’s Skipper Ryan Gibson, supported by AQP (Additional Qualified Person) Charlie Warhurst

Following the naming we caught up with more of the crew departing on Leg 1. In order of appearance: Circumnavigators Gary Venturi and Savio Henriques, plus ‘leggers’ Griet Vandenheede, Joan Kelly, Bozhidar Vasilev, Dana Taylor, Ander Uniate, John Gilmore and David Holmes

Other crew participating in Leg 1 include Robert Meurice, Piet Eichholtz, Steven Taylor and Friedrich Schaefer

The team is now racing towards Puerto Sherry in the first of two races in Leg 1 to Punta del Este in Uruguay

Follow the latest news on Instagram

Instagram @DareToLeadOfficial

The Atlantic Tradewinds Leg - Meet the Crew

73 people representing 15 nationalities, a wide range of ages and backgrounds, comprise the Dare To Lead team in the 2023-24 edition of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. Together with Skipper Ryan Gibson, assisted by AQP (Additional Qualified Person) Charlie Warhurst, this team will take on some of the most challenging oceans on the planet.

While each leg will depend equally on every crew member pulling together as a team, these nine intrepid characters (pictured below) have signed up for the whole Clipper Race experience. As the adventure progresses, these increasingly experienced circumnavigators will become key mentors and motivators for the ‘leggers’ - participating in one or more stages of this grueling global challenge.

Seen in this illustration, left to right, line by line from the top: Amanda Shehab, David Ball, Gary Venturi, Jeroen Koster, Megan Allpress, Retief Jordaan, Savio Henriques, Sean McPartland and Thomas Whalen

LEGGERS

Joining the circumnavigators aboard Dare To Lead on the Clipper Race Atlantic Tradewinds Leg are ten brave individuals (pictured below) who will play vital roles in the team, from the initial 1-week ‘sprint’ to Spain and the beautiful stopover of Puerto Sherry, to the challenging month-long Atlantic crossing to Punta del Este in Uruguay, through the infamous hot, windless and fickle doldrums of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) interspersed with sudden squalls.

Plus, there’s the customary ceremony for crossing the equator. Those doing so for the first time will go before King Neptune for their transition from Pollywogs to Shellbacks (sons and daughters of Neptune) in time-honoured tradition dating back over five centuries.

Seen in this illustration above, left to right, line by line from the top: Bozhidar Vasilev, Dana Taylor, David Holmes, Friedrich Schaefer, Griet Vandenheede, Joan Kelly, John Gilmore, Piet Eichholtz, Steven Taylor and Robert Meurice.

At over 7000 nautical miles all crew will become seasoned ocean racers. More posts on the team to follow as their incredible journey of self-discovery, courage and resilience, progresses.

We salute you all!

The Final Countdown

Bustling action at Gunwharf Quays Marina as the fleet berths for final preparations - picture Clipper Race

The fleet has sailed into Gunwharf Quays and the final countdown to Sunday’s race start has begun. It’s getting real now. We’re looking forward to meeting the crew and the official boat naming ceremony on Friday. Team Partners will meet the team on Saturday afternoon ahead of the departure ceremony on Sunday.

Dare To Lead berthed for final preparations - picture Clipper Race