Clipper Round the World – Design in Motion

About This Project

In 2015 and again in 2017, I designed Visit Seattle’s entries into the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, a grueling 40,000-nautical-mile endurance race that turns amateur crews into ocean-crossing warriors. My job was to turn those boats—and their crews—into bold, unforgettable expressions of Seattle’s spirit.

Each campaign included a full visual system across the hull, mainsail, spinnaker, and crew apparel. The first boat debuted in the 2015–16 race; the second, launched in 2017–18, built on lessons learned to push visibility, contrast, and global legibility even further. Think: skyline silhouettes, high-vis graphics, layered typography—made to be seen from sea, drone, and dock alike.

I also designed the crew gear, giving racers a unified look that extended Seattle’s brand into every port. Jackets, layering pieces, and racewear featured consistent color stories and iconography—turning the crew into a literal extension of the brand, waving the flag (and wearing it) from Rio to Qingdao to Cape Town.

These weren’t just yachts—they were mobile brand ambassadors, stopping in more than a dozen international ports and drawing attention to Seattle as a center of innovation, adventure, and resilience. And it worked: in the 2017–18 race, Visit Seattle finished second overall, a massive leap in visibility, press, and pride.

Seattle also hosted the race as a stopover city, turning Bell Harbor Marina into a hub of international coverage. The boats, the crews, and the visuals all helped tell one unified story—one of motion, creativity, and pushing boundaries.

It was brand work. It was sports marketing. It was uniform design. And it was 40,000 miles of visibility, cutting across oceans and continents. Still the longest ad I’ve ever created—and one of the boldest.