A Bermudian will get the opportunity of a lifetime as an ‘ambassador crew’ on board Bermuda’s debut team entry in this year’s Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.Bermuda is a host port and team partner for the 40,000-nautical-mile sailing race, now under way as eleven Clipper 70 ocean-racing yachts cross the Atlantic in the first leg from Portugal to Uruguay. Under the Clipper Race partnership, the Bermuda Tourism Authority is offering a local resident the chance to compete in the final leg next summer as crew on oard GoToBermuda.Applications are now open and should be submitted to clipper@bermudatourism.com by October 10. The selected candidate will join GoToBermuda in New York on June 22 next year, racing with the GoToBermuda team first to the island by early July, then to Derry-Londonderry, Northern Ireland on July 9 and on to the grand finale in London on August 8. “Crew need to be team players, willing to roll up their sleeves and tackle any task required, on deck or below deck,” said Della Parsons, the Clipper race crew recruitment director who added that Clipper Race teams are made up of a professional skipper and mate, and crew from all over the globe. “Everyone is trained to do all duties in a watch system around the clock, and living conditions are fairly basic,” Parsons added. “Crew also need to be reasonably fit because the race will be demanding, as will the four weeks of training.”The BTA is working with the Clipper race and numerous local organisations, including sailing clubs, the Bermuda Sloop Foundation, Endeavour programme, Bermuda Sea Cadets, Raleigh Bermuda, Outward Bound, the Bermuda Police Service and Royal Bermuda Regiment, to identify individuals who have what it takes to participate on the trans-Atlantic voyage. Candidates must be 18 or older, and while sailing experience is a plus, it is not necessary.The successful crew member must undergo four levels of rigorous training in the UK next month.“It will be a very challenging, but incredible, adventure and a fantastic opportunity for a Bermudian to wave the flag for our island,” said Kevin Dallas, the BTA CEO. The BTA will cover the cost of the crew member’s entry fee, travel, and accommodation costs, along with medical insurance, visas, and any additional needed kit supplies.Clipper Race representatives made a site visit to Bermuda last week, meeting BTA team members and touring the City of Hamilton, including the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (RBYC), where the race fleet will be berthed during its stopover. Hamilton is one of 15 host ports, along with Portimão, Portugal; Cape Town, South Africa; Fremantle, Australia; and Qingdao, China.“Bermuda has a vivid sailing heritage and a wealth of knowledge in hosting such high-profile events, so we know we are in good hands,” said Laura Ayres, Clipper race head of partnerships. “And our partnership with Bermuda goes beyond the stopover in July 2020. “Over the course of eleven months, the crew on the GoToBermuda team will be flying their adopted country’s flag as they sail around the world.”For more information about applying, contact clipper@bermudatourism.com