Clipper Round the World Race Arrives in Fremantle After Epic Roaring Forties Leg
12 Dec 2025
The Clipper Round the World Race has sailed into Fremantle once again, completing one of the toughest passages on the entire circumnavigation. The fleet of 70-foot racing yachts has just wrapped up Leg 3: the Roaring Forties passage from Cape Town to Western Australia—a brutal 4,800-mile (8,900 km) crossing through some of the wildest conditions on Earth.
This is the kind of leg that defines the Clipper Race. Huge Southern Ocean swell, relentless wind, freezing spray, and long days pushing downwind at incredible speeds.
Leaving Cape Town for the Southern Ocean
The fleet departed Cape Town on Sunday, 16 November 2025, sliding down into the Roaring Forties almost immediately. Once committed, there’s no easy escape—just endless rollers, grey skies, and the kind of weather systems that move like freight trains.
Despite the harshness of the passage, it’s also one of the most exhilarating. Crews talk about the sense of isolation, the teamwork forged through cold night watches, and the thrill of surfing a 70-foot yacht down waves bigger than houses.
An Extraordinary Fleet: Amateur Sailors Taking on a Professional-Scale Challenge
One of the most unique aspects of the Clipper Round the World Race is that, apart from the skipper and first mate, every crew member is an amateur. They come from all walks of life—teachers, nurses, engineers, students, retirees—people who signed up for the adventure of a lifetime.
They train hard before the event, but nothing can fully prepare you for life in the Southern Ocean. The fact that these crews cross one of the most hostile sailing areas on the planet is part of what makes the Clipper Race so special.
Fremantle Welcomes the Fleet
Fremantle has a long connection with ocean racing, and the arrival of the Clipper yachts always draws interest from locals, sailors, and visitors. After weeks at sea, the crews are stepping onto dry land to a warm WA welcome—and probably heading straight for a shower and a cold drink.
The yachts will be in Fremantle until Sunday, 21 December, which gives the sailors time to rest, repair gear, and enjoy Perth’s summer weather before the next adventure begins.
Stage 4: Australia Coast-to-Coast
On 21 December, the fleet departs again for Stage 4, the Australia coast-to-coast leg. This stage usually brings a mix of tactical sailing, changing weather systems, and the challenge of navigating some of the most iconic sections of the Aussie coastline.
For many crew members, this is a very different kind of challenge compared to the Roaring Forties—less survival, more strategy.
Why This Race Matters
The Clipper Round the World Race inspires people because it's proof that ordinary sailors can achieve extraordinary things. These aren’t elite professionals—they’re people who chose to stretch themselves beyond anything they’d done before.
Seeing them arrive in Fremantle after nearly 9,000 km of Southern Ocean sailing is a reminder of what the human spirit can do when the destination is big enough.
A Great Moment for WA Sailing Enthusiasts
For anyone in WA interested in offshore sailing and adventure, having an event like the Clipper Race so close to home is a treat. If you’re in the Fremantle area over the next couple of weeks, it’s absolutely worth heading down to Fremantle Sailing Club to see the yachts up close.