Welsh sailor leads team to landmark round-the-world race victory

A sailor from west Wales has led her team to victory in an international round-the-world yacht race, securing a landmark win into a South Korean port.

Lou Boorman, from Haverfordwest, skippered Team Tongyeong to first place as crews in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race arrived in Tongyeong this week.

The result marks a historic moment for the race, as it is the first time the event has stopped in South Korea — and the first time a Korean-backed team has won into its home port.

Speaking after crossing the finish line at the end of Stage 8: Sprint to Gyeongnam, Boorman said the result was a major achievement for the crew.

“We did it, we performed under the pressure! To get a win, into our Home Port, I can die happy!” she said.

Team Tongyeong took a calculated risk during the stage by playing its “Joker” card — a race strategy that doubles points for that leg — a move that paid off with a maximum haul of 20 points.

At just 23, Boorman is one of the youngest skippers in the race. She has previously won British, Irish and Welsh female sailing titles before taking on the challenge of leading an amateur crew around the world.

The Clipper Race is unique in that it trains people from all backgrounds — many with no prior sailing experience — to take part in an 11-month, 40,000-nautical-mile circumnavigation.

Participants face extreme conditions, from freezing temperatures in the North Pacific to intense heat at the equator.

Boorman said the team’s success reflected months of hard work and growing confidence among the crew.

‘Over the moon’

“I could not have wished for anything better; I am over the moon,” she said. “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.”

She added that leading the crew had been one of the most challenging aspects of the race.

“Sometimes the sailing does come second to the people because they are the important ones… 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.”

The fleet will now remain in Tongyeong for a week of events before continuing across the North Pacific towards Seattle as the race enters its final stages.

More information and the race leaderboard can be found here.