THE CLIPPER RACE AND UNICEF CELEBRATE 10 YEARS OF PARTNERSHIP WITH £2M RAISED TO HELP UNICEF PROTECT CHILDHOOD WORLDWIDE
PORTSMOUTH, 6th August 2026 – On Saturday July 25th, the Clipper Race crews completed the Clipper 2025-26 Race, marking a decade of partnership with leading child rights organisation, UNICEF, as a team and charity partner.
Over 10 years of partnership the Clipper Race crews have raised an incredible £2,013,968.00 to help UNICEF build systems that protect children and create lasting change to make childhood unstoppable. UNICEF works in over 190 countries around the world, protecting children’s rights and providing life-changing support, such as healthcare and vaccinations, clean water and nutrition and safe spaces to play and learn.
To celebrate the Clipper Race’s commitment towards UNICEF’s work for children around the world, Team UNICEF’s crew members have shared their journeys from over the years in a short film featuring UNICEF UK Ambassador Dermot O’Leary.
Dermot O’Leary, UNICEF UK Ambassador said: “The Team UNICEF yacht has circumnavigated the globe five times. And every time that bow hits the water, it’s carrying the work of thousands of people who are doing something real – from getting vaccines where they’re needed, to making sure kids can learn and grow in safe spaces.”
Guy Waites, Team UNICEF Skipper of 2025-26 said:
“To be the skipper of the UNICEF team is a remarkably humbling role, having grown up in a world where the basics of life were quite simply taken for granted; peace, education, food, water, a loving family… it’s almost unfathomable what some children in the world contend with.
The goal for the ten teams racing round the world in this most recent edition of the race was to reach the incredible target of two million pounds raised by the Clipper Race since our first collaboration with UNICEF ten years ago. The great news is that we’ve hit that target thanks to some inspired fundraising by all the teams and their amazing supporters!”
This year’s race raised £345,596 for UNICEF throughout the Clipper 2025-26 Race, with Team Seattle awarded Charity Champion by Clipper at the race end event. They raised an impressive £10,000 on the last day of sailing, totalling £67,700 towards UNICEF’s mission to tackle the world’s toughest challenges facing children, making it ready for them to thrive.
The global route included Portsmouth (UK), Puerto Sherry (Spain), Cape Town (South Africa), Fremantle (Australia), Airlie Beach (Australia), Subic Bay (Philippines), Qingdao (China) and Tongyeong City (Korea), Seattle (USA), Panama (Pacific), Washington, DC (USA) and Oban (Scotland) before arriving in Portsmouth (UK) on Saturday.
Clipper Race’s Team UNICEF yacht, affectionately known as the ‘Big Blue Boat’, circumnavigated the globe for its fifth time and finished the race in 6th place; a testament to the team’s immense skill and perseverance while driving funding to build a better future for children worldwide.
Philip Goodwin, Chief Executive at UNICEF UK, said: “Congratulations to the Clipper Race crews on completing one of the most challenging global adventures, championing child rights along the way. Their incredible fundraising efforts really will make a huge difference to support UNICEF’s work ensuring children around the world have happy, healthy, and safe childhoods.”
George Best, Head of Partnerships at Clipper, said:
“Partnerships are at their most powerful when they create meaningful impact beyond the event itself. Raising £345,596 for UNICEF throughout the Clipper 2025-26 Race demonstrates what can be achieved when our Race Crews, Partners, Host Ports and supporters unite behind a common purpose.
Every pound raised will help UNICEF continue its vital work for children across the globe, and I’m immensely proud of everyone who has played a part in reaching this remarkable milestone. As the final donations continue to arrive, this achievement is a fitting testament to the generosity and spirit of our global Clipper Race community.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, product or service.
Download film here and images from the 2025-26 race end here.
For more information, please contact UNICEF UK Media team at [email protected] or 0207 375 6030.
About The Clipper Race
The Clipper Race is unique in that it takes ordinary people and trains them to become ocean racers, with no previous sailing experience required. A fleet of ten identical purpose-built Clipper Race yachts are led by a professional Race Skipper and First Mate, with up to 22 non-professional Race Crew on board, racing around the clock for up to 30 days at a time. Race Crew can choose to take on one, a combination or all of the eight legs that form the 40,000nm global route.
The Clipper Race is the brainchild of sailing legend Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who wanted to break down barriers to ocean racing. Founded over 30 years ago and now in its fourteenth edition, the first ever Clipper Race set off in 1996 and over 7,000 people have been introduced to ocean racing through it.
https://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/
About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.
The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) raises funds for UNICEF’s emergency and development work for children. We also promote and protect children’s rights in the UK and internationally. We are a UK charity, entirely funded by supporters.
United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK), Registered Charity No. 1072612 (England & Wales), SC043677 (Scotland).
For more information visit unicef.org.uk. Follow UNICEF UK on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.