Joss Creswell

Joss Creswell

2min

In February 2025, Joss was excited to be selected by the Royal Ocean Racing Club for the Griffin Scheme, which provides a development framework for young professional offshore sailors. Through this program, he got his first taste of international Figaro 3 racing in the Italian Marina Militare Nastro Rosa 3 circuit around Italy. Sailing under the flag of the Ocean Cruising Club, he gained podium positions on two legs. Building on this success, Joss has launched a Figaro 3 campaign, including the 2025 Fig’Armor and Defi Paprec races. In 2026, Joss will be competing in the Figaro Elite championship, including the Solo Guy Cotton race, Trophée Laura Vergne, and La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec. 

Joss co-led a team of 65 sailors across some of the world's most remote oceans in the 46,000-mile Clipper Round the World Race.  He achieved eight podiums and three wins and was the highest achieving professional sailor on the race on points. He has sailed offshore with Austrian Ocean Racing (VO65) and Canada Ocean Racing (Be Water Positive IMOCA) and was part of the crew on the iconic French yacht Pen Duick VI, skippered by Marie Tabarly for the SSE Round Ireland race. In 2024, he skippered the ARC transatlantic race with a crew of eight young sailors, taking 4th place as the youngest skipper on the race.   Joss has shown that offshore racing provides a great opportunity for young people to build leadership skills while tackling a daunting challenge.   

 Fast facts:  

  • At 6’5, Joss might seem more suited to basketball than offshore racing.  

  • He does a mix of yoga and gymnastics to fold himself into the confined spaces of the nav station or bunk typically found on stripped-out long-distance racing boats. 

  • His favourite book is Jack Lagan’s ‘Barefoot Navigator’, a history of different ancient navigational cultures and a practical framework for applying these (mostly Micronesian and Polynesian) navigational techniques while sailing without GPS, compass, or sextant.  

  • How he sums up offshore racing: “Offshore racing is like playing a game of chess, in the shower, with little sleep and someone redesigning the chess board every six hours as weather files are released.” 

 Offshore racing is a wet business.  Staying warm and dry is vital to success.  Joss’ 'go to' Mustang Survival Pieces:

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