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Harrogate man nears completion of epic world yacht race

Tuesday, 18 June 2024 12:02

Sean McPartland has been contesting the Clipper Round the World Race.

A Harrogate resident is now in Washington DC as he edges ever-closer to the end of his 40,000-mile yacht race around the world.

53-year-old Sean McPartland is part of the ‘Dare to Lead’ team which is contesting the Clipper Round the World Race.

The event sees teams race 40,000 nautical miles on a 70-foot ocean racing yacht, with teams made of both experienced sailors and complete beginners.

And his team have just completed their 12th inidividual race, having raced from Panama to Washington DC.

The crew have moved up two places in the rankings and now sit in fourth before they race to Oban in Scotland - the penultimate stop in the 11-month race.

Writing on his blog upon reaching land, Sean said:

“Now it really feels like we are heading home, direction North East virtually a straight line to UK with a stop over in DC.

“The whole crew worked hard which paid off as we passed Isles and managed to move up 2 places to 4th. This one felt like a real victory.”

The race is made up of eight legs, with between 13 and 16 individual races including six ocean crossings.

Leg 8 is billed as the ‘homecoming leg’ and will see crews race back to Portsmouth where the race began in September last year.

Sean added:

“When going on an adventure like this it tests us both physically and mentally to the limits of breaking.

“We all need to see the big picture and enjoy the journey as well as the destination. Time is our biggest enemy and our greatest friend.”

You can track Sean's progress here. Sean is also fundraising for Unicef and his JustGiving page can be found here.

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