Despite the Bay Area’s reputation as one of the greatest sailing venues on earth, the 10th edition of the Clipper Round the World Race will not stop here — or anywhere else in California — during the event’s 2015-2016 circumnavigation. For many Bay Area sailors who enjoyed hosting the Clipper Race’s international fleet in previous years, that’s sad news. Seattle, however, will not only host a port stop, but has paid the substantial extra fees to sponsor its own team: Visit Seattle. Only five of the 12 nearly identical Clipper 70 yachts will carry the name of a city or country. 

Beginning August 30 from London’s St. Katharine Docks, the 11-month race’s east-about route will first take the fleet to Rio; then to Cape Town, South Africa; then four stops in Australia; up to Viet Nam; on to Qingdao, China; then across 5,000 miles of lonely North Pacific waters to Seattle, arriving between April 15 and 20. The fleet will depart from the home of the Space Needle April 28, bound for Panama, arriving in New York June 12-16. The 12 boats will begin their Atlantic crossing to Northern Ireland June 20, with a final stop in The Netherlands before completing their 40,000-mile lap at London. 

Among around-the-world races, what distinguishes the Clipper most, of course, is that its recruiters advertise "no sailing experience necessary." As crazy as that may seem to seasoned offshore sailors, many novice and new-to-offshore sailors have acclaimed this ambitious adventure as one of the greatest experiences of their lives — albeit also one of the most difficult. Crew have the option of doing one or more legs, or the entire circumnavigation. 

If you’re a West Coast sailor who’ll be aboard a Clipper 70 this time ’round (or you have a friend who will be), we’d love to hear from you.