Two Yorkshire-born sailors are among the 11 skippers chosen to lead the 2025–26 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. No strangers to ocean racing, professional skippers Guy Waites and Heather Thomas have been selected as member of the team of skippers for the international event’s 2025–26 edition.
They will each lead one of 11 teams of non-professional sailors, with the fleet making six ocean crossings and covering 40,000 nautical miles (nm) on the 11-month race around the globe. The Clipper Race is the only event of its kind that trains people from all walks of life to become ocean racers, taking on the endurance challenge of a lifetime.
The Clipper Race has created a pathway to becoming a sailing professional and on previous editions has supported race crew to progress through the ranks from participant to First Mate to Skipper. Newly appointed Clipper Race Skipper and Leeds local, Heather Thomas, has been through this sailing pathway.
Heather Thomas
In 2015, Heather was awarded a bursary place to race across the North Pacific Ocean on the Clipper Race as a crew member. After that experience, she decided she wanted to work in the sailing industry. Fast forward to 2024, Heather was the skipper of Maiden, the first ever all-women crew to win a round the world yacht race – the McIntyre Ocean Globe Race. This year she is returning to the Clipper Race as a skipper.
Heather said: “When I took part in the Clipper 2015–16 Race, I was lucky enough to have Wendy Tuck as my skipper. [Wendy went on to be the first woman to win a round the world yacht race in the Clipper 2017–18 Race.] She was a phenomenal inspiration and mentor to me not only on the race but going forward. She’s helped me a lot in my career and has encouraged me to do more racing. I didn’t necessarily think I’d get into racing, but Wendy instilled a competitive spirit in me and taught me a lot about sailing. I’m really excited to be following in her footsteps.”
Growing up in land-locked Leeds, UK, Heather’s first encounters with sailing were on a small lake; first on a Mirror dinghy that her grandfather built and later at Otley Sailing Club. By age 16 she was a dinghy instructor and during the same year, went on her first voyage on the North Sea where she fell in love with big boat sailing. She never looked back.
Speaking of Heather’s appointment, Australian record-breaking sailor, Wendy Tuck, says: “When Heather was part of the Danang team for her Clipper Race Leg across the North Pacific Ocean, she showed a maturity way beyond her years, especially in the tough conditions encountered on this relentless and unforgiving ocean.
“You knew that she would go on to do great things and it has been very exciting to watch her career develop and see the amazing things she has gone on to do.”
Guy Waites
Guy was born in Leeds but now calls Catwick home and is a familiar face on the Clipper Race, having led teams on both the 2017–18 and 2019–20 editions.
On his return to the Clipper Race, Guy says: “It’s great to be back again. I never tire of the ocean and the empty horizon; it’s a huge privilege to explore our greatest wilderness. I like racing for the focus, and the honing of sailing skills. Getting from here to there before everyone else. I plan to lead from the front, showing my crew how they can sail a boat efficiently through actions, demonstration and leadership.”
Guy first got into sailing 32 years ago when a friend invited him for a weekend of cruising on the Solent. Fast forward a week, and with the love of the water, waves and wind ingrained in him, he’d joined his local yacht club where he went on to spend his weekends yacht racing. Since then, he’s accrued over 150,000nm of sailing, and adds instructing experience inshore, offshore and on the oceans to his ledger. Guy has also competed in the solo Golden Globe Race 2022 and has sailed the Atlantic Ocean single-handed five times.
Clipper Race 2025–26 edition
The next edition will start from Portsmouth on 31 August and over the course of the almost year-long event, over 700 participants will face all that Mother Nature can throw at them. From hurricane force winds, to blistering heat, the isolation of the North Pacific Ocean to learning to live aboard a yacht with stripped back facilities with up to 23 others – this event is a true test of mental and physical fortitude.
Both skippers went through a rigorous selection process led by the Clipper Race Management Team. The team’s Race Director, Deputy Race Director and Race Manager have all competed as Race Skipper’s on previous editions and therefore understand the unique requirements of this role. Clipper Race Director, Dale Smyth, says: “Our selection process is tough and rightly so, as these individuals are taking on one of the toughest jobs in the global sailing industry. They need to not only be incredibly good sailors but able to lead, inspire and look after a big team of diverse individuals across the harshest oceans on the planet.”
More about the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race
The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race was founded by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston 30 years ago (in March 1995) and trains people from all walks of life to learn seamanship and become ocean racers. Each participant must complete four stages of intensive training before signing up for one or multiple legs, or participants can opt to complete the full 40,000nm circumnavigation. The 11 strong fleet of matched Clipper 70 ocean racing yachts make six ocean crossings – including the North Pacific. The Clipper Race is the only round the world yacht race to cross this ocean.
The race will make 14 ports of call on its global route, with Portsmouth (UK), Cape Town (South Africa), Qingdao (China) and Tongyeong City (Korea) announced so far, and more port announcements due shortly.
Applications are still open for crew to sign up to participate on the Clipper 2025–26 Race. To find out more visit clipperroundtheworld.com.
The full list of skippers leading the 2025–26 race is as follows:
- Alistair Dickson, Welsh (Menai Bridge, North Wales)
- Angela Brandsma,Dutch (Sneek, The Netherlands)
- David Sautret, French (Bordeaux, France)
- Dylan Kotze, South African (Cape Town, South Africa)
- Ella Hebron, British (Eastbourne, East Sussex, UK)
- Gavin Rees, Welsh (Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, UK)
- Guy Waites, British(Leeds and Catwick, Yorkshire, UK)
- Heather Thomas, British (Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK)
- Lowri “Lou” Boorman, Welsh (Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales)
- Philip Quinn, Northern Irish (County Down, Northern Ireland)
- Terry Kavanagh, Irish (Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK)
Based on a press release
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