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About

Chris Faris

It was my brother, Kevin Faris, who introduced me to sailing on the Columbia River in Washington state, on his Coronado 15 in the early 1980's.  But it wasn't until I was in college that my passion for sailing took off, first with classes on Seattle's Green Lake on fun (but tippy!) El Toro plywood boats...and from there crewing for my good friends Neil Stewart/Betty Kruger on their Passport 42 out of Shilshole Bay.  From near/offshore racing, chartering and cruising, from the Pacific, Atlantic, Great Lakes, Caribbean, and English Channel,  I've had the opportunity to advance my sailing skills on many different types of vessels: RS500, J-22, Colgate 26, J-100, T-10, J-35, Hunter 360,  Beneteau 36.7, Cal40, Jeanneau 501, Beneteau F5-45, and most recently, the  Clipper 68 & 70.   

 

I hold a USCG 50-Ton Masters license and US Sailing Keelboat Instructor certification as well as Safety At Sea and American Red Cross AED/CPR certifications.

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I would like to give a special 'thank you' to all my mates who over the years have made me a better sailor, and who's friendship and love of the sea, I will always cherish:

  • Clyde/Connie Bell - S/V Cat's Paw

  • Thomas/Sandy Buus - S/V Family Affair

  • Bob Cohen - S/V Perspicacity

  • Ken Faris (Father) - Crowley Maritime Corp.

  • Blair Jones - S/V Imp

  • David Hughes - S/V Barracuda

  • Paul Michael - S/V Family Affair

  • Rorke Miller - Sweetwater Captain's Training

  • Neil Steward/Betty Kruger - S/V Europa

  • Kurt Thomsen & Team - Columbia Yacht Club & Sailing School

  • Allen Veenstra / Graham Sauser - Chicago Sailing

Clipper Race History

The Clipper Round the World Race is the brainchild of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world.  The first Clipper Race took place in 1996, with nearly 6,000 Race Crew from all walks of life and more than 60 nations having since trained and raced in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.  This is the only race in the world where the organizers supply a fleet of eleven identical racing yachts, each with a fully qualified skipper and first mate to safely guide the crew. To compete, each competitor must complete four levels of intense ocean racer training.  To get Sir Robin's perspective, listen to his narration of The Oceans are Our Race Track.

My Clipper Race

1

My Race Beginning

My race began in the spring of 2019, when I was originally going to do the 2021-2022 version of the Clipper Race...well before we had any inkling that we would be beset by a global pandemic!

2

My Race Execution

The 2023-2024 Clipper Race is composed of 8 legs around the world, composed of 11 identical boats, 11 skippers/first mates,  and over 700 crew, from around the world!  For the next 11 months we will circle the globe, cross 6 oceans and travel over 40,000 kilometers!

3

My Race Philanthropy

Philanthropy is an important tenet of the Clipper Race.  From our sustainability pledge to the  community service events the crews do in port, we focus on building a better world.  I am dedicated to raising $40,000 ($1 for each kilometer around the world) for UNICEF and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

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