The team of sailors, led by Haverfordwest born Skipper Lou Boorman and representing the city of Tongyeong, has won the Sprint to Gyeongnam stage of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.
The video shows Team Tongyeong’s clipper arriving at its home Korean port.
Skipper Lou Boorman, took the top of the podium making history as this is the first time a round the world yacht race has ever stopped in Korea, and it was won by a Korean Team Entry.
A true test of physical and mental endurance, the Clipper Race is the only event of its kind to train people from all walks of life to become ocean racers.
At just 23 years of age, competitive sailing is well and truly in Lou’s blood, having clinched the British, Ireland and Welsh Female Champion title before taking on the role of Clipper Race skipper. After a taste of success on Stage 7 of the race, where the team took the top spot and its first podium of the edition, Lou and her First Mate, Brian Uniacke were eager for more.
Surrounded by her team, Lou said as she sailed into port: “I could not have wished for anything better; I am over the moon. We’ve worked really hard and put a lot of pressure on ourselves. Going into our home port there is a lot of pressure to perform, and we added to that pressure by playing our Joker – and we got twenty points, so I’m very proud of the team.”
For Lou, becoming a Clipper Race Skipper was both a personal and professional goal realised, citing it as the ultimate challenge for any sailor. Now halfway through the circumnavigation, she reflects on how this role has developed for her, and how this has helped grow her team. She said: “The crew have developed so much that I am beginning to give a lot of responsibility to them, and that’s really empowering for them to be stepping into those roles. It means we are progressing as a team, and we have such a great crew on board for Leg 6. Now with two wins behind us it’s the best feeling ever to move forward, everyone is so happy to be here.
“All skippers have this idea of what the race will look like, but you really don’t know until you do it. I knew that the people management aspect would be a huge part of it alongside the sailing. And sometimes the sailing does come second to the people because they are the important ones, they’re the ones that sail the boat, that suffer, and that go through these massive ranges of emotions. To lead them through that is one of the toughest things I’ve ever done, but it’s one of the most rewarding things too.”
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