Story
Circumnavigating the Globe ...
Starting 31 August 2025 I’ll be embarking on the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race 2025/26 ... with the intention to circumnavigate the globe, covering 40,000+ NM, on one of 10 matched, 70 foot, ocean-racing yachts over the next 11 months …
Apparently more people have climbed Everest than have circumnavigated ...
It’s no small undertaking ... so I’d like to see if I can draw attention to, and raise some money for, some deserving causes at the same time:
• UNICEF - https://www.justgiving.com/team/teamdylanunicef
• CALM - https://www.justgiving.com/calm
• Childhood Cancer - https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/everystepforeleanor
The Race ...
I'll be one of 8 hopeful circumnavigators and part of a c. 50 strong total race crew sailing with Team Warrant (Skipper - Dylan Kotze, First Mate - Jade Golder).
The crew has spent months completing their training and we are now in the final stages of preparation for our departure from Portsmouth at the end of August, heading first to Spain and then Uruguay.
The race will comprise 8 legs, crossing some of the most formidable oceans including the Southern Ocean and the mighty Pacific:
• Leg 1: The Atlantic Trade Winds (UK to South America)
• Leg 2: The South Atlantic Challenge (South America to South Africa)
• Leg 3: The Roaring Forties (South Africa to West Coast Australia)
• Leg 4: Australian Coast-to-Coast (West Coast Australia to East Coast Australia)
• Leg 5: The Asia-Pacific Challenge (East Coast Australia to South China)
• Leg 6: The Might North Pacific (South China to West Coast USA)
• Leg 7: Americas Coast-to-Coast (West Coast USA to East Coast USA)
• Leg 8: The Atlantic Homecoming (East USA to UK)
Charity Fundraising ...
Because of the way JustGiving works, I can't actually have one page donating direct to 3 charities ... so any donations made via this page I will then split equally across the 3 causes including any potential tax benefits.
You can also donate directly to any of the three via the links to their pages above or below if you prefer.
The causes I will be supporting are:
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• UNICEF
UNICEF has been both a Charity and Team Partner for the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race since the 2015-16 edition and during this time has raised £1.6 million for children around the world.
UNICEF has 15,000 people working for children in more than 190 countries, responding to emergencies and building long-term resilience. We save children's lives with vaccines, clean water, and therapeutic food. We protect children from violence, exploitation, and abuse. We empower children through quality education. And we seek to create a safe and sustainable world where children can live, learn and grow.
Every pound you raise will make a difference to every child, every day, everywhere.
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• CALM
125 people a week die by suicide, CALM exists to change that.
CALM’s been shouting about suicide prevention since 1997, when our life-saving helpline launched.
Originally set up as an NHS pilot, the helpline started out in Merseyside. CALM became a national charity in 2005, meaning we could support people who needed us across the country
One in five of us will have suicidal thoughts in our life.
CALM’s vision is that no one feels like suicide is their only option. But right now, too many people are struggling to see a way forward.
Every day in the UK we lose 18 people to suicide.
This isn’t just a stat on a page.
These are our mums and dads, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, partners and friends.
That’s why we’re here to help anyone struggling with life - and provide everyone with the skills to help prevent suicide.
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Earlier this year I was saddened by the news that a friend's daughter ... a proper little world-conquering firecracker I had the privilege to meet ... had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and required an aggressive course of chemotherapy.
Eleanor has since been given the all-clear but her parents, Amie and Stuart, continue to raise money for 3 childhood cancer charities in the UK to help other families facing the same struggle.
EveryStepForEleanor will donate funds to three incredible organisations:
• Action Medical Research – funding life-changing research to give children a better future for over 70 years
• Young Lives vs Cancer – offering practical and emotional support to families, including free accommodation near hospitals
• The Royal Marsden McElwain Ward – where Eleanor is receiving the most compassionate, expert care
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Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, I will withdraw funds directly. It's the most efficient way to donate and saves time and costs.
Direct sponsorhip ...
Racing yachts around the world is not a cheap endeavour and while I recognise that I've had a privileged career that has afforded me the opportunity to participate in this race, I've still had to move out of my house, sell possessions and pack the rest into storage to help cover the costs ... and hopefully to keep the adventure going a little longer on my return ...
I will be trying to write a blog about the Clipper Race plus some of my other travels (although I'm already behind since I no longer have a PC easily accessible ...)
If you want to follow along, I hope to periodically add some content at:
The Unfinished Journey - www.theunfinishedjourney.com
Any “sponsorship” contributions ... from companies or individuals ... are genuinely greatly appreciated ... so if you wish to make a specific direct sponsorship contribution please do get in touch with me directly and I can record this against the item (unless you ask me not to). Some ideas of potential sponsorship can be seen here:
https://theunfinishedjourney.com/sponsors-supporters-thanks/
No Going Back ...
For some context on the race, take a look at the trailer for "No Going Back", a 5 part documentary of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race 2023-24, currently available to view on Amazon Prime:
It took me over 20 years of dreaming to reach this point and to finally have the opportunity to step on board our Team Warrant race yacht in August ... and from that point on, there will be No Going Back ...
What's next for me ...?
Who knows ... but if all goes well and I complete the circumnavigation by July next year, I'm pretty certain I'll be a different person ... and will want to make the most of my time ...
Funds and health permitting ... one of my crewmates and I are already talking about and idea of adventure biking the Pan American Highway 30,000 km from Alaska to Ushuaia ...
