Just two months into its 11 month global endurance sail challenge the Clipper 2015-16 Round the World Yacht Race has announced it has already raised £100,000 (>AU$216, 000) for its official race charity Unicef, the world’s leading children’s organisation.
Clipper Race cofounder and CEO William Ward said: “a huge thanks to all Clipper Race crew and supporters for their incredible efforts. We are really proud to reach this fundraising milestone, which equates to a third of our £300,000 target for Unicef so early on in the race.
“Not only are our crew achieving inspiring results whilst racing the world’s oceans but through their fantastic fundraising for Unicef, they are also helping make our planet a safer place for children as they go. We look forward to celebrating many more fundraising milestones as we continue to build a powerful future together which now also includes the Clipper 2017-18 Race.”
More than 700 crew members representing 44 different nationalities are taking part in the Clipper 2015-16 Round the World Yacht Race, competing against each other on board twelve teams. It is the only event of its kind that trains amateur sailors to circumnavigate the world, an achievement less people have completed than have climbed Mount Everest.
At the same time as Clipper Race crews are taking on one of the greatest challenges on earth, children around the world are experiencing the most dangerous challenges. They’re facing violence, disease, hunger and the chaos of war and disaster. Millions of children are suffering and dying needlessly. This is wrong and the Clipper Race is helping Unicef to change it. Catherine Cottrell, Unicef UK’s Deputy Executive Director, said: “Raising £100,000 is a fantastic achievement so soon into the race and it will make a huge difference to the lives of children around the world. We are extremely grateful to the Clipper Race crew and supporters for this incredible effort and look forward to seeing what else they achieve throughout the rest of the race.”
Clipper Race crew and supporters have been getting involved in all sorts of fundraising activities, including; personal sponsorship, crew departure parties, designing and making team supporter wristbands, and holding auctions.
As if competing in the race was not challenge enough, some crew are incorporating their sail racing with other endurance activities in support of Unicef. IchorCoal crew member Sean Lee is running a half-marathon in each of the 14 race ports around the world; LMAX Exchange crew member Karen Weston is running 20 kilometres miles every day for nine months to make up the 5,400km length of her American coast to coast leg which will go from Seattle to New York via the Panama Canal; and in December, Unicef crew member Marta Michalska will cycle the 1300km length of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race on a static exercise bike in Sydney, before then sailing in the race a few days later.
Clipper Race staff are also helping to raise vital funds, for example, Digital Manager Paul Hankey and Crew Recruitment Director David Cusworth cycled 260 miles from London to Plymouth after the 2015-16 Race Start, and Finance Administrator James Wood is aiming to run 1,000 miles during the eleven month race duration, with many others entering various cycle and running races in support.
The Clipper 2015-16 Round the World Yacht Race is 40,000 nautical miles long. It set sail from London on 30 August this year and will arrive back 11 months later on 30 July 2016. The longest ocean race in the world, the Clipper Race is also known as one of the planet's toughest endurance challenges. Crew can choose to compete either the whole race or one or more of its eight individual legs.
To get involved and donate to the Clipper 2015-16 Race please click here.
To find out more about Unicef visit: UNICEF
