Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Displaying items by tag: Stuart Walker

14th November 2018

Stuart Walker, 1923-2018

American dinghy racing legend Stuart Walker has passed away at the age of 95.

Dr Walker was a paediatric specialist by day, but outside the hospital was a key figure in Annapolis, Maryland’s sailing scene — co-founding in the mid 1950s the Severn Sailing Association which still produces many of America’s top dinghy sailors.

An Olympian who represented the US in the International 14 class throughout the 1960s, Dr Walker was also an accomplished sailing writer, with a longstanding column for what’s now Sailing World magazine and numerous books on sailboat racing to his credit.

“Certainly my name has spread through my writing, but my articles would not have credibility if there wasn’t success behind it,” he told Annapolis’ Capital Gazette at a party for his 90th birthday.

Scuttlebutt Sailing News has more HERE.

Published in Racing
Tagged under

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.