Youth Pair Wins 2025-26 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

The 14th edition of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race concluded in Portsmouth, United Kingdom, with ten identical 70‑foot Clipper 70 yachts completing a global circuit. A 26‑year‑old skipper, Oli Irvine, and his 22‑year‑old first mate, Otto Kurlow, became the youngest professional pairing to win the event, securing seven of the thirteen individual legs and clinching overall victory after arriving in Washington, DC.

The race, founded by Sir Robin Knox‑Johnsonston, aims to give amateur sailors the chance to race around the world. This edition featured several milestones: half of the professional podium pairings were women, and the first all‑female skipper and first‑mate duo, Heather Thomas and Millie Apperley of Team Scotland, finished third.

The competition covered over 40,000 nautical miles across eight legs, with crews composed of amateurs guided by professional skippers and first mates, reinforcing the event’s emphasis on accessibility and high‑performance ocean racing.