Please select your home edition
Edition
Rooster 2025

Clipper 70 fleet refit complete for Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

by Kathryn Foulkes / Clipper Ventures on 31 May 2017
Clipper 70 fleet refit complete for Clipper Round the World Yacht Race Clipper Ventures
Following nine months of intensive work, the last of the twelve Castro designed Clipper 70 foot yachts that make up the world’s largest matched fleet of ocean racers, has just completed her re-fit. She returns to join her sisters in training the 700 crew members who will participate in the Clipper 2017-18 Round the World Yacht Race which starts from Liverpool on 20 August 2017.

In preparation for the eleventh edition of the Clipper Race, and the fleets third circumnavigation across 40,000 nautical miles of the world’s oceans, a team of twenty-one have been working on refitting the yachts over the past nine months, totalling more than 35,000 man hours of work.

With the support of Official Supplier Sta-Lok all standing rigging has been overhauled, as well as engines, generators, water makers and the winches and deck gear have been thoroughly serviced and the electronics updated. During the refit process the Clipper Race has also worked with Official Supplier Coppercoat, and taken the opportunity to apply the specialist antifoul to the hulls.

The launch of the last Clipper 70 marks the end of the refit process but the Clipper Race maintenance team will continue to carry out a number of final modifications and improvements across the fleet. The last editions will be new suits of sails from long-standing Official Supplier Hyde Sails, complete sets of running rigging – which amount to over 30 individual halyards, sheets and other control lines per boat – from Official Supplier, Marlow Ropes, the latest editions of safety and survival equipment from Official Supplier Ocean Safety and the most up to date Navigation Software TIMEZERO by MaxSea will be installed.



Simon Johnston, Head of Maintenance for the Clipper Race said: “Thanks to the tireless efforts and wide ranging skills of the refit team and the support and engagement all of our suppliers and service providers, modifications and improvements have been made and we’re in great standing to have the fleet in the most evolved state it’s ever been in as we head into this race.”

This will be the Clipper 70’s third circumnavigation, which takes in the Southern Ocean as well as the equally challenging North Pacific, providing the chosen amateur crews with the experience of all the major oceans of the world.

Starting 20 August 2017 and finishing eleven months later on 28 July 2018, from the Historical Albert Dock in Liverpool, the fleet of twelve Clipper 70s will be raced by professional skippers and over 700 crew who are currently completing their four levels of training at the Clipper Race base in Gosport.

Crew can complete the full circumnavigation, or one or more of its eight legs, with its global route including stopovers in South America (port TBC), Cape Town, Fremantle, Sydney, Hobart, Airlie Beach, Sanya and Qingdao – China, Seattle – USA, Panama, New York, and Derry Londonderry – Northern Ireland.

Maritimo M50Rooster 2025Allen Sailing

Related Articles

Aussies take it on in Geneva
Flying Roos back on top of SailGP season leaderboard after tough racing in Geneva The BONDS Flying Roos have reclaimed their lead in the 2025 Season standings after securing a hard-fought podium finish in “street fight” conditions at the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix in Geneva.
Posted today at 12:14 am
And so, it begins…
Grand Final not run yet, but our Hobart coverage begins with something very cool Maybe a tad earlier than last year, which I think was after the Grand Final, but the 100th entrant seemed like a good place to set things off. Now with that said, Sail-World's Hobart coverage begins.
Posted on 21 Sep
ILCA Announcement
Protecting the one-design integrity of the class ILCA's mission is to protect the integrity of strict one-design sailing—the principle that ensures every sailor competes on equal terms. This principle, enshrined in the ILCA Fundamental Rule, has been the foundation of our class's success.
Posted on 21 Sep
The Ocean Race Europe 2025: The summer of racing
Biotherm delivered a masterclass - Paprec Arkéa a lesson in consistency This Saturday, after a fiercely contested final race, the second edition of The Ocean Race Europe came to a close. It was a seven-week adventure from Germany to Montenegro, full of twists and turns, resilience, and raw emotion.
Posted on 21 Sep
Tornado Open, Mixed and Youth Europeans overall
Czech team dominated the event No more races were possible on the final day of the championship due to lack of wind, leaving the overall tally at five races sailed.
Posted on 21 Sep
Germany Deutsche Bank claim first SailGP event win
Race Day 2 of the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix The Germany SailGP Team presented by Deutsche Bank has entered the winners circle, claiming their first event victory at the Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix in tricky, light conditions on the waters of Lake Geneva.
Posted on 21 Sep
SailGP: Germany score first Event win - Day 2
The German crew led by Erik Heil sailed consistently, on a day where inconsistency was punished. Perhaps it was not surprising that in a nation known for its horology, that the time-clock should have played such a dominant role for the Final day of SailGP Switzerland.
Posted on 21 Sep
2025 Dutch Water Week day 4
At the end of the city's main shopping street, spectators could watch the racing The penultimate day of the Dutch Water Week brought Olympic-class sailing and windsurfing right into the heart of Almere.
Posted on 21 Sep
America's Cup: Controversial agreement signed
According to Italian media, the secret AC Partnership agreement has been signed by CoR/D* International sailing journalist, Fabio Pozo, writing for the Milan based newspaper La Stampa, reports that the secret America's Cup Partnership (ACP) agreement is expected to be signed next week.
Posted on 21 Sep
Women's Match Racing Worlds in Chicago overall
History made: Match in Pink Team wins fifth consecutive title Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team from Le Havre in France have once again proven their dominance in the sport of match racing, capturing their fifth consecutive World Sailing Women's Match Racing World Championship title
Posted on 21 Sep