Ocean health to take centre stage for Clipper Ventures at boot Düsseldorf

The crew of Clipper Race vessel CV26, Ha Long Bay Viet Nam, deploys the data-transmitting drifter buoy © Clipper Ventures

Clipper Ventures is set to return to boot Düsseldorf from 18-26 January 2020 for the second consecutive year and, alongside showcasing the best of the action and stories from the Clipper 2019-20 Race and sister company Hamble School of Yachting, will be focusing attention on its important and innovative collaborations with UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) ocean data research initiatives.

This citizen-science driven project, which empowers Clipper Race Crew from all walks of life to contribute to important global scientific research, has seen four Clipper Race teams deploy data-transmitting buoys along some of the most remote latitudes of the global race route during the third, fourth and upcoming fifth leg of the competition. Gathered data will be used in two ways; to instantly generate significantly improved accuracy in weather modelling at Earth's most remote latitudes and to generate data for long-term climate studies.

Clipper Race Commercial Director Alex Smith and Toste Tanhua, Chief Scientist and Chair of UNESCO-IOC/WMO will be discussing the project in detail on Monday 20 January - 11:30- 11:45 on the Sailing Stage in Hall 15 in a talk called Citizen Science: The Clipper Race and ocean health.

Clipper Race Recruitment Director and twice-circumnavigator Della Parsons and a team of former Clipper Race Crew will be sharing their stories and experiences on the Clipper Ventures stand (Hall 15/B24) and will be joined by Chris Rushton and Luke Aspden, two experts from Hamble School of Yachting - a leading UK sailing school which has over 35 years of experience in delivering the highest quality RYA tuition.

Clipper Ventures 2020 boot Düsseldorf highlights include:

Sunday 19 Jan 15.00 - 15.30 The Unstoppable Journey - Film (German, English subtitles)
Exactly a year ago, Ina Baum, a business consultant from Köln, came to boot and signed up to become an ocean racer in the Clipper Round the World Yacht race. She is currently more than half way to becoming one of a handful of women to circumnavigate the world. Having only sailed recreationally Ina soon realized the challenge would be a complete contrast to her previous trips. In this short film, we find Ina crossing the South Atlantic and the Southern Ocean facing unimaginable conditions including 80km winds, 20m waves and freezing temperatures.

Monday 20 January - 11:30 - Citizen Science: The Clipper Race and ocean health
Details as above - Clipper Race Commercial Director Alex Smith and Toste Tanhua, Chief Scientist and Chair of UNESCO-IOC/WMO will be discussing the project in detail - and the enormous impact it will have in monitoring the health of our oceans.

Wednesday 22 Jan - 11:45-12:15
Clipper 70: The world's largest matched fleet of Ocean Racing Yachts
Renowned naval architect Tony Castro talks about the challenges of designing a fleet for the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race; a design that provides both an exhilarating race experience and capable of taking trained but corinthian crew to battle Mother Nature's extremes on a 40,000 nm circumnavigation. Built for a minimum of five circumnavigations [200,000nm] the panel talk about the design, the race experience and what could come next for the Clipper Race fleet.

Tony Castro (Portugese and English), Della Parsons, Nigel Parry (German speaker): 30 mins

Thursday 23. January - 12.15 - 12.30 (15 mins)
RACE TO GREATNESS, RACE TO WIN - What does it take to be a professional skipper with a corinthian crew embarking on the race of their lives?
In the last edition of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race Race, Chris Kobush became the German skipper to achieve a Podium, with his team onboard Qingdao.

In a Q&A, the panel will talk about the extremes of off-shore racing, the training needed and becoming a leader capable of taking crew from all walks of life and from more than 40 nations - many with no previous sailing experience - to victory, and what comes with one of the most rewarding jobs in sailing.

Luke Aspden (Hamble School of Yachting) and Clipper Race Crew Director Della Parsons

Friday 24 Jan - 16:30 - 17:30
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston The Legend Documentary
22 April, 2019, marked an astounding 50 years since Clipper Ventures founder and chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, and his yacht, Suhaili, returned to Falmouth after an epic 312 days at sea in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, securing him in global history as the first person to sail solo, non-stop around the world.

This documentary explores Sir Robin's remarkable feat some 50 years on, with fascinating insights into the man behind the helm from those that know him best.