MARLOW ROPES ANNOUNCES NEW BRAND AMBASSADOR FOR THE CLIPPER 2023-24 RACE
Marlow Ropes today announces Dr Dianne McGrath as their new Clipper Race Brand Ambassador onboard the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. This will be the third Race edition which sees the British rope manufacturer partnering with a ‘Round the world’ sailor to get a boat-side view of life on board one of the world’s greatest adventures.
Leg 3 Race 4: Cape Town to Fremantle
The trip to Australia from South Africa was a homecoming for me. While I’m not from Fremantle (I live closer to Airlie Beach, a host port in the next Leg), I have family and friends there. And the thought of stepping on Australian soil again after 8 months away
LEG 4 RACE 5: FREMANTLE TO NEWCASTLE
We had half our crew change over in Fremantle, creating a new team dynamic whilst maintaining our same values. I felt for the new joiners over the first few days as we beat head on into the wind for three days straight. We were healed over to the max in the rough seas, and it took its toll on many of the crew.
Leg 4 Race 5: Fremantle to Newcastle
We had half our crew change over in Fremantle, creating a new team dynamic whilst maintaining our same values. I felt for the new joiners over the first few days as we beat head on into the wind for three days straight.
Race 3: Punta del Este to Cape Town
Battered, bruised but not beaten.
We did not do as well as we had hoped coming 9th after pla…
Race 2: Puerto Sherry to Punta del Este
Race 2 was predominantly downwind after the short sprint west from Puerto Sherry to the Atlantic, and the final stretch beating into headwinds to the finish. That meant spinnakers flying night and day.
RACE 1: PORTSMOUTH TO PUERTO SHERRY, SPAIN
Race one was all about settling in. Into the watch system, the roles on board, the rhythm of the boat. Including how we eat. Ocean racing can burn up to 5000 calories per day. So we eat to support the potential for endurance-style exercise. I was on galley duty with my friend Justin on the third day. We still had some fresh meat, vegetables and fruit, so we made sliced meat and salad brioche rolls and fruit for lunch, Mexican chicken and bacon fajitas with refried beans, salsa and guacamole for dinner, and fresh baked bread and granola for breakfast.
RACE WEEK: LIFE ON BOARD
All of the months and years of training and preparation for the Clipper 2023-24 Round the World Yacht Race led me to Race Week. At the start of the week I caught the ferry to Gosport along with dozens of crew from the fleet to register for the race. The energy was like the calm before the storm breaking. After registration and safety briefings, we prepared to slip lines for man overboard drills and a fleet photo shoot. Like every time I hold the mooring lines, I thought of how Marlow Ropes make them from recycled materials and that they are fully recyclable. I smiled. #purpose
Dr Dianne McGrath will be circumnavigating onboard the PSP Logistics Clipper 70 yacht and will be sharing a monthly Marlow blog on her personal journey and experiences as well as reporting on the Clipper Race and Marlow Ropes sustainability initiatives. As Marlow Ropes’ Brand Ambassador, Dianne will have first-hand experience in monitoring the performance and endurance of the sustainably manufactured rope that rigs the entire fleet for this race edition.
Bringing a wealth of adventure experience to this role for Marlow, Dianne’s background in sustainability, policy, management, marketing and endurance gives her a great foundation for both the Clipper Race and Marlow Ropes. Well-respected and known throughout Australia for her work in the sustainability industry, she is an alumnus of the Mars One Astronaut Experience, having reached the final 100 out of the original 200,000 participants.
Of her role as the Marlow Ropes Brand Ambassador, Dianne says:
“I’m incredibly honoured to be the Marlow Ropes Brand Ambassador for the Clipper 2023-24 Race. Marlow Ropes have been producing high-quality ropes for over 200 years. I love their approach in seeking constant improvement in the sustainability space. Our oceans are our future, and Marlow helps support that through leading edge sustainable energy and materials use.”
On the announcement, Marlow’s Leisure Marine Director Paul Honess comments:
“Marlow’s partnership as the Official Supplier of lines for the last 20 years has given the company a great understanding of the performance and longevity characteristics required from the rigging made specifically for the Clipper Race. With a 40,000+nm journey over 11 months, across 4 oceans and 10 countries, it will see both the 700+ crew, Dr Dianne and the Marlow rigging pushed to their limits. We look forward to cheering Dianne and her crewmates at the Race Start event on the 3rd September and for the forthcoming year as she sets sail for a journey of a lifetime.”
About the Clipper Race
The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is one of the toughest endurance challenges on the planet. This unique, epic event sees teams battle extreme conditions as they race more than 40,000 nautical miles around the globe in a true test of fortitude and determination.
The Clipper Race is the only event of its kind which trains people from all walks of life to become ocean racers, and many have no previous sailing experience before signing up for the intensive four levels of training prior to racing. Led by a professional Skipper and First Mate, Race Crew can complete the full eleven month circumnavigation or choose to test themselves on one or multiple legs.
The Clipper Race was founded in 1996 by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo and non-stop around the world.