Dad and daughter compete in gruelling yacht race

A father and daughter from Surrey have competed against each other in a gruelling round-the-world yacht race.

Professional sailor Jade Golder and her dad, Gary, raced in the Clipper 2025-26 Round the World Yacht Race, which finished at the end of July.

The round-the-world race says it is "unlike others" as it is open to people with no previous sailing experience, though they must complete intensive training before taking part.

Gary said he was inspired to enter the contest, which is split into eight legs, after watching Jade race the full 40,000 nautical miles in last year's Clipper.

"When it got to the end, I was amazed with how they became part of something huge," he said.

The 62-year-old, from Cranleigh, competed against his daughter for the second half of the route this year, racing from Australia to Portsmouth (via the Philippines, China, US, Panama and Scotland).

"It's still early days, but it has definitely given me the desire to keep doing stuff," he added.

"It's easy to get into a samey routine - and I want that to change. I don't know what it is yet, but I want to do something."

Jade said competing in the 2023 - 2024 Clipper Race as a crew member had made her a "different person".

"It changed my life, the people I met and the experiences I had," she said.

This year she returned as a professional first mate, having gained professional qualifications and more experience.

Jade said she and her dad had their own parallel family competition, which they called the Golder Cup after their surname.

"It was pretty competitive - we both wanted to be on that pontoon first to wave the other one in!

"In the end, it was 4-3 to him," she added.

Gary said "one of the most amazing moments of the whole race" for him was the last race to England that his team won.

"But the race into Subic Bay, Philippines, was even better," he continued.

"Our team had failed dismally after taking a gamble with some trade winds which didn't appear. We ended up being in very last place, but Jade won."

"I was so proud. It was very emotional."

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