A professional sailor from Cape Town has been appointed to lead a team of non-professionals in the world’s toughest endurance challenge: the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.
Dylan Kotze will be lining up with his team in Portsmouth, UK, this August to spend eleven months racing 40,000 miles around the world during the 2025-26 edition of the race. In total, more than 700 participants will embark on the challenge, making six ocean crossings and experiencing extreme conditions, from hurricane-force winds to the isolation of the North Pacific.
Inspired to apply for the role by fellow Capetonians and former Clipper Race Skippers Dale Smyth, who is now the Clipper Race Director, and David ‘Wavy’ Immelman, Dylan is looking forward to flying the flag for his hometown as he takes on the job of Clipper 2025-26 Race Skipper.
Speaking on his appointment, Dylan said: “I see the Clipper Race as the ultimate opportunity to challenge myself and accomplish something truly extraordinary. Ocean sailing is a gruelling sport – it’s mostly being tired, hungry and wet. But, the glimpses of oceanic wildlife, sunrises and sunsets, and of course the sense of camaraderie and fulfilment of reaching your goal is unbeatable.”
The Clipper Race, which is divided into eight legs, will call into Cape Town at the end of its second leg. For Dylan, it’s the homecoming race which means the most. He added: “Of course, I’m most looking forward to winning Leg 2 – the leg into my home port!”
Fellow Capetonian and Clipper Race Director, Dale Smyth, has already had the privilege of sailing into his home city twice as part of the Clipper Race, and this time around he will be eagerly awaiting the fleet’s arrival when it calls into port in November. This will be the first edition of Clipper Race where the fleet will be managed by a South African after he took on the role last year. Dale has previously held roles as Deputy in the Race Management Team and Skipper of the Dare To Lead yacht on the 2017-18 edition.
Talking about being a South African who has sailed home, he said: “It’s always good sailing home. For those that haven’t done it, sailing into Table Bay is incredible.
“With a long and unique history of being connected to some of the world’s greatest ocean sailing races like the Cape to Rio, the Ocean Race, the Whitbread and Around Alone, South Africans have always had an understanding and connection with the sea.
“It is common for South Africans to also deeply respect the sea, knowing that from the Wild Coast to the Skeleton Coast to the Cape of Good Hope, the long and dramatic coastline produces some of the most fearsome conditions. The Clipper Race provides an opportunity for crew to become part of this history and legacy, and to put their name among the list of greats that have approached and departed this iconic ocean destination.”
How the Clipper Race works:
Eleven competing teams, led by a professional Skipper and First Mate, battle storm-force winds, towering waves, and the relentlessness of racing 24 hours a day for up to 30 days at a time across some of the world’s most unforgiving oceans. The route is divided into eight legs – including six ocean crossings – with participants choosing to complete the full circumnavigation or selecting one or multiple legs.
Around 30% of Race Crew have no previous sailing experience before they begin their four weeks’ training.
Each team accrues race points for their leader board position at each stage of the global route and they can win bonus race points which are awarded for tactical challenges along the way.
Whilst the race track can be thousands of nautical miles long, racing remains tight. In the past, just seconds have separated teams at the finish line and the overall winner has only been decided at the finish line of the grand finale after 40,000nm of racing.
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, with more port announcements due next week.
Applications are still open for crew to sign up to participate in the Clipper 2025-26 Race. To find out more, visit clipperroundtheworld.com.
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