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Welcome to Fierce Turtle

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The Author Oakland CA End of Leg 6 2012
Hello & welcome to this advisory blog. My name's Mark Burkes and, despite the adjacent evidence to the contrary, sometimes I smile - and even shave!

​I write this blog to help Clipper Crew in training that might be hungry for tips, tricks and advice.
I'm an RYA Yachtmaster Instructor (Ocean), with over 160,000 miles logged. I've been lucky (or stupid) enough to race in the Southern Ocean seven times and I've sailed across all the planet's oceans more than once over the last 25 years.

​I now work as a professional sailing instructor, delivery skipper and jobbing writer, having contributed to several blogs online and also mainstream publications including Yachting World.

My Clipper Experience

Already a sailing instructor for 10 years, my first experience of the Clipper Race was when I circumnavigated in the 2011/12 Race doubling as race crew,  'Clipper Race Management Intern' and Media Crew. I also helped out the maintenance guys in port - although they may consider that a bit of a stretch!

In 2012, after our race returned, I started working as a freelance Training Mate and then Training Skipper at Clipper's Gosport base. I continue to work there as a freelance training skipper.

In 2013/14 I was invited to join CV27 Team Garmin as Relief Race Skipper. I joined for Leg 4 and Leg 5 and raced from Albany WA to Sydney, competed in the Rolex Sydney Hobart and then raced on to Brisbane and finally Singapore. In 2019/20 I was skipper of WTC Logistics for legs 1 - 4.
We are Independent:  Fierce Turtle is neither connected nor affiliated to the splendid folk at Clipper Ventures. It is an independent blog created for crew by crew. I hope it helps you in preparing for the Race of Your Life!