Another Irish Sailor Makes Bid for Clipper Race

9th March 2013

#Clipper - A Fastnet Race veteran hopes to secure enough votes from the public to earn a place in a leg of the next Clipper Round The World Yacht Race.

Patrick Madden is applying for the Asia Pacific Challenge, the fifth leg of the global race from December 2013 to February 2014, via Gore-Tex Experiencer Tour's Clipper Ventures.

"This is quite simply the best opportunity to achieve my wildest dreams," he says. "I did the Fastnet Race in 2011 - a long held dream of mine ever since I sat in a caravan near Crookhaven being blown about in a storm force gale back in August 1979. My brother was doing the that race. I have never seen my father look so frightened in his whole life.

"Now I have nothing but the greatest respect for the sea," he adds. "And I can think of no greater honour than doing a race like this one. It is the true test of a person, no one can do a race like this and not be changed by it. This is my wildest dream and I would truly love to win a place onboard."

You can show your support for Patrick by visiting his profile page and clicking the 'Vote Now!' button.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, a serving member of An Garda Siochána has also launched a bit to compete in the next Clipper race.

Conor O'Byrne, who describes himself as "a keen sailor" with a "burning desire of sailing around the world", has started a blog to record his preparations for and participation in the race.

Published in Clipper Race

Tagged under

About The Author

MacDara Conroy

Email The Author

MacDara Conroy is a contributor covering all things on the water, from boating and wildlife to science and business

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven’t put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full–time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

You might also want to read...

About the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is undoubtedly one of the greatest ocean adventures on the planet, also regarded as one of its toughest endurance challenges. Taking almost a year to complete, it consists of eleven teams competing against each other on the world’s largest matched fleet of 70-foot ocean racing yachts.

The Clipper Race was established in 1996 by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo, non-stop, around the world in 1968-69. His aim was to allow anyone, regardless of previous sailing experience, the chance to embrace the thrill of ocean racing; it is the only event of its kind for amateur sailors. Around 40 per cent of crew are novices and have never sailed before starting a comprehensive training programme ahead of their adventure.

This unique challenge brings together everyone from chief executives to train drivers, nurses and firefighters, farmers, airline pilots and students, from age 18 upwards, to take on Mother Nature’s toughest and most remote conditions. There is no upper age limit, the oldest competitor to date is 76.

Now in its twelfth edition, the Clipper 2019-20 Race started from London, UK, on 02 September 2019.