January 15, 2026

Colin Thomson

Role: Crew

Perth-born sailor Colin Thomson has wrapped up his Clipper Round the World Yacht Race campaign after completing the first four legs of the global event.

Now based in London, Colin said he first noticed the Clipper race advertised in the UK years ago before finally signing up.

While he originally planned to sail the entire circumnavigation, he's changed his mind and his adventure will end here in the Whitsundays.

Remarkably, Colin began the race with no sailing background.

"I came in with no sailing experience,” he said, explaining he joined to learn through Clipper’s intensive training program. “I thought this was a good way to learn how to sail, to do all the training and to get up to this level.”

Training in the UK proved challenging. “We went out in a storm in the English Channel… I think eight people were puking,” he said.

Primarily a watch leader, Colin worked primarily on the foredeck, describing it as “quite hectic,” before finishing his campaign and heading on a holiday around Australia, before going back to the UK.