Clipper buys sailing school
After announcing the biggest expansion in its 23-year history, when it opened a new Chinese-based division in November, Clipper Ventures has bought the reputable offshore sailing school Hamble School of Yachting.
The organisers of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race say that its new division in China, set up to meet the country’s growing participation in offshore sailing, will benefit significantly from the school’s extensive training experience.
Clipper Race chairman Sir Robin Knoxjohnston explains that the purchase of one of the RYA’S leading sailing schools is part of a wider strategy to develop Clipper Ventures’s offering within the offshore sailing industry.
CEO William Ward told us: “Clipper Ventures has bought Hamble School of Yachting primarily as a standalone sailing school, but the team’s expertise will also be used to help establish and develop the Clipper China training centres. We are planning to place instructors in China, but may also utilise the option to bring instructors over to train in the Solent.”
“This a very exciting move, especially given the growing opportunities to lead the industry in China,” says Chris Rushton, principal of Hamble School of Yachting.
In addition to running its own academies, Clipper China is building its own one-design keelboats and offshore racing yacht fleets.
“We have trained over 5,000 sailors to participate in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race over the past two decades,” Ward comments. “However, the potential for sailing in China means it could take us just a couple of years to train the same number again.”