Together for Childhood: Team GOSH joins Clipper 2025-26 Race line-up

Gifted through a private charity supporter, the team completing the Clipper 2025-26 Race line up will represent Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH Charity).

GOSH Charity exists to support the Great Ormond Street Hospital's (GOSH) most urgent needs, over and above what the NHS can afford. GOSH provides life-changing and life-saving care to seriously ill children from across the world and, through its gifted team entry, the team hopes to promote the hospital's invaluable role in ensuring no childhood is lost to serious illness.

Leading Team GOSH is Clipper Race Skipper Oliver Irvine, from Northern Ireland, and First Mate Otto Kulow from Leipzig, Germany.

Oliver is a familiar face at Clipper Race HQ, previously a Training Skipper and 2025 Round the Island Race Skipper. Working in the sailing industry since age 16, Oliver has extensive experience sailing in the Solent, Mediterranean, South East Asia, the Caribbean and Australia - including ocean passages across the Indian, Atlantic and Tasman Sea. Oliver also has experience as an instructor in the RYA Fast Track Training Programme, training and mentoring students over the intensive course.

Receiving the news he would be leading Team GOSH around the globe, Skipper Oliver Irvine said: “It is a privilege to be able to showcase the vital work of our Team Partner GOSH - especially raising awareness of their innovative international outreach and medical research projects as we sail around the world. Care is one of our core values on board and so it is very special to be sailing with the namesake of such an impressive organisation.”

Joining Oliver in leading Team GOSH around the world is First Mate Otto Kulow, who discovered sailing at just nine years old. Quickly moving into racing and larger yachts, his solid sailing background includes spinnaker and race training, offshore deliveries from Hobart to Sydney and Sydney to Perth, and Mediterranean Skipper experience.

Most recently, he’s been a sailing instructor in Barcelona, teaching RYA Competent Crew and Day Skipper courses. Ensuring that the hospital is able to provide transformative care to children with most rare and complex conditions, GOSH Charity funds pioneering medical research, cutting-edge equipment, support services for children and their families, and the essential refurbishment and rebuilding of hospital facilities to ensure every child gets the best chance and childhood.

Long-standing GOSH charity supporter, Martin Harris, is taking part in this year’s Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and generously chose to become a Race Partner and gift the team name to GOSH Charity. Martin and his partner Zoe, whose family helped fund the Harris International Patient Centre at GOSH, said he selected GOSH Charity as a celebration of life and because he knows how many patients from around the world benefit from GOSH’s care.

Race Partner, Martin Harris said: "Following my survival of the 2004 tsunami whilst on holiday, I chose to support GOSH to 'pay forward' the gift of being able to help children survive and overcome life-changing circumstances.

"Many people are unaware that GOSH is a global healthcare provider for children, not just those based in the UK. The Clipper Race is a perfect vehicle to raise awareness for the charity, as well as celebrate its advancements in child health and conducting groundbreaking paediatric research. The Clipper Race will visit many of the key locations that GOSH are working in.

"The charity does amazing work and provides life-changing outcomes not just for children, but also takes into account that the support of the family is key in the healing process, accommodating for caregivers and parents as part of this holistic approach."

The team yacht entry, named Team GOSH, will be joining the fleet when it begins racing 40,000 nautical miles around the world next weekend, and representing the charity with its standout hull sporting the charity’s logo.

Talking about the sponsorship opportunity GOSH has received, Rachel Hughes, Head of Philanthropy and Director of Principal Gifts at GOSH Charity, said: "We are so grateful to Martin for choosing to support GOSH Charity as he embarks on this incredible adventure. By carrying our logo across the seas, he is helping to raise vital awareness of our mission to ensure no childhood is lost to serious illness. We wish Martin and all those taking part in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race the very best of luck."

GOSH is one of the top five children’s hospitals in the world and one of the most technologically advanced. Since its formation in 1852, the hospital is dedicated to children’s healthcare and to finding new and better ways to treat childhood illnesses.

GOSH is an international centre of excellence in child healthcare, and experts see around 76,000 children each year in around 250,000 admissions and appointments. Every day, around 750 seriously ill children and young people are seen at GOSH from all over the UK for life-changing treatment and care.

The GOSH team is gearing up to get underway on the Clipper 2025-26 Race next Sunday, 31 August, from Portsmouth.

Race Start festivities get underway from next Friday 29 August in Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth, with a whole host of activities, talks, opportunities to meet our competing Race Crew and even tour one of the 70ft yachts that are about to race around the world.

To find out more, including where to watch the action on Sunday 31 August, head to the Race Start page.