Joining this year’s GREAT Britain entry in the Clipper 2017-18 Round the World Yacht Race are two athletes who have already spent their lives representing their country at the highest level.
Five-time British Olympic skier and television personality, Graham Bell, 51; and Hannah MacLeod MBE, 32, who was part of the team that won Great Britain’s first hockey gold medal at the Rio Olympics last summer, are preparing to represent their country once again, but this time in an entirely different challenge.
There will be no unfair advantage gained here however as, like 40 per cent of Clipper Race crew, neither had any previous sailing experience before starting their ocean racing training.
Graham Bell will race over 6,400 nautical miles during the first leg of the Clipper Race, from Liverpool, UK, to Punta del Este, Uruguay when it starts on Sunday. This first part of the 13-stage race is expected to take approximately 32 days to complete and is the longest ever leg of the Clipper Race.
He said: “It has been a very long time since I represented my country, and I feel very proud to have the opportunity again.
Hannah will take part in Leg 4 of the Clipper Race, the All Australian Leg, from Fremantle to the Whitsundays, once the race reaches Australia in November 2017. Hannah’s ocean adventure spans over 4,700 nautical miles across three races; Fremantle to Sydney, the iconic Rolex Sydney Hobart Race, and Hobart to the Whitsundays.
Hannah said: “This is way harder than winning a gold medal. Way harder.
Whilst Hannah has spent her entire career establishing and performing within a team sport, competing alongside 20 other team mates is something that is very new for Graham, who is embracing the opportunity.
He said: “As an individual athlete for many years, team dynamics was not something that I was used to! Since I quit ski racing I’ve done a lot of individual challenges but nothing ever as a team. Having to get the right dynamics to work together on the boat is so important to develop a fast-moving team.
Hannah said: “I was a bit nervous at first, coming from a sport where I know everything inside out without even thinking about it, to knowing nothing and having to learn absolutely everything. Not being able to be pro-active has been really difficult. There were times when I thought ‘I don’t know if I can do this’.
Graham and Hannah are the latest of a number of British athletes who have swapped their sport to try ocean racing on board the Clipper Race’s GREAT Britain team over the past few years. Others include; Ollie Phillips –former England Rugby Sevens Captain, Dan Hardy – former UFC fighter turned ambassador, Charlotte Evans – Paralympic Gold Medal Downhill Ski Guide, Abi Oyepitan – 100m /200m Olympic and Commonwealth sprinter, Nathan Robertson – Olympic badminton player and Bill Lucas – Olympic rower.
Both athletes will sail on board the GREAT Britain team entry with 20 other non-professional crew members, with the team led by professional Skipper Andy Burns, as they help to carry the messages of the GREAT Britain Campaign around the globe.
Starting this Sunday, 20 August from Liverpool, UK, the Clipper 2017-18 Round the World Yacht Race will include 13 races across six continents, returning to Liverpool on July 28, 2018.
You can watch the start of the Clipper 2017-18 Race live on the Clipper Race website and the Clipper Race YouTube Channel.