Clipper Round the World Yacht Race to return to Oban after tourism boosting debut visit last summer
by Clipper Race 31 Mar 2025 11:42 BST
The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race will be returning to Oban to "bring global focus on the area as a great place to visit and invest" as the West Coast town is announced as a port on the event's 2025-26 edition.
The Clipper Race's eleven strong fleet will sail into Oban in summer 2026. A 200 strong crew of adventurers, including over 50 nationalities, and 150 professions, will descend on the town for its international sailing festival. This news follows the successful stop last year when Oban appeared on the same international route as major cities such as Cape Town, Washington, DC and Qingdao (China).
Those who take on the Clipper Race need no previous sailing experience before being intensively trained to face the record breaking 40,000 nautical mile race around the world. On the Race Crew roster this year are five participants living in Scotland, some of which will have the honour of sailing into their home country.
Stirling born Clipper Race Deputy Race Director, Max Rivers, was a Skipper on the 2023-24 edition, and had the chance of sailing into his home country last year. Max says: "The West Coast of Scotland has some of the best sailing in the world, and it was an honour to share the most gorgeous parts of the nation with my global crew. Having grown up sailing in and around Oban, I relished the opportunity to sail there again with the Clipper Race.
"Our arrival and departure in the Firth of Lorn didn't disappoint with its amazing wind and scenery, making it truly one of the most memorable sailing locations in the world. And to top it off the town was an amazing host with brilliant events and spectacular hospitality. Oban put on a superb stopover, and I am delighted that our next intake of international crew will get to enjoy all that the town has to offer in 2026."
It is estimated that hosting the Clipper 2023-24 Race gave a boost of £2m in revenue to Oban from Clipper Race crew and their families alone, with the thousands of additional visitors sure to have driven further economic impact. During the ten-day stopover in June 2024, crew immersed themselves in all that the town has to offer, including a visit to Dunollie Castle, whisky tastings at Oban Distillery and even fitting in a trip to nearby Lismore. They also took part in Gaelic lessons and a shinty taster session. With such a diverse offering of activities for tourists, it was no wonder that the town was awarded Scotland's Town of the Year in October 2024.
Building on the successes of the 2023-24 edition, the town is hoping to put on an even bigger festival of culture for Race Crew and their families next year. Jim Lynch, Leader of Argyll and Bute Council said: "It's fantastic news that the Clipper Race is returning to Oban. It's a huge, international event and so is a welcome opportunity to attract people to Oban, and Argyll and Bute more widely, and to bring global focus on the area as a great place to visit and invest."
Clipper Ventures Head of Partnerships, Kate Ashley, added: "This partnership with Oban means we will once again see this Scottish 'Town of the Year' sit alongside major international cities on our race route. Oban, with its rich maritime history and warm hospitality, is the perfect destination to welcome our adventurous crew after a tough ocean crossing.
"Our event brings with it a global audience and in the 30 years since the Clipper Race launched its first circumnavigation, we've seen many collaborations develop into broader partnerships which can include a team entry. A Scottish named yacht in our event would give brands an international platform as our fleet sails to 14 destinations around the world and we are currently working to make this a possibility."
The arrival of the Clipper Race fleet into a destination brings with it a diverse following of fans - many visiting a port for the first time. A testament to this, 87% of people who visited Oban for the 2024 'Festival of the Sea' event came from outside of the area, with 80% of visitors stating the Clipper Race as being the primary driver for their visit.
Joining forces with the council to host what is set to be another community showstopper of an event, Andrew Spence, Chief Executive of Bid4Oban, said: "Bid4Oban Ltd is delighted that once again the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race has chosen Oban to be a Host Port on its 2025-26 edition. Following a successful visit in 2024, along with Argyll and Bute council, Oban demonstrated its expertise in hosting such a prestigious event. The welcome afforded by Oban and its residents was second to none and we look forward to welcoming all the crews from around the world. We will once again showcase Scotland at its best with numerous events and activities planned."
The fleet is expected to arrive into port in early summer 2026. The stopover will be a midway point of Leg 8: The Atlantic Homecoming, which will see Race Crew take on a furious downwind battle as they make the 3,900nm crossing from North America towards the Race Finish port of Portsmouth, UK. Along with Oban, other ports that have been announced so far for the Clipper 2025-26 Race are Portsmouth (UK - the event's Race Start and Finish location), Cape Town (South Africa), Tongyeong (Korea) and Qingdao (China). Further port announcements are due in the next month.