Victoria BC on board for Clipper 05-06 Race

by Loretta Spridgeon on 11 Jun 2005 Clipper Ventures PLC has selected the port of Victoria, British Columbia, as the first ever Canadian stopover for the prestigious Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race.

The AIM listed company chaired by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston also announced that Victoria, The Garden City, will sponsor one of the ten yacht entries in the competitive event.

The Clipper 05-06 Race sets sail on Sunday, 18 September 2005 from Liverpool (UK) and returns some 10 months later after 35,000 nautical miles of intense competition on the high seas.

The sole Canadian stopover is scheduled for Saturday, 25 March 2006, with the 10-strong fleet of identical 68ft racers berthing in Victoria BC for 10 days, before heading to Panama City on the penultimate leg of the race.

In addition to Victoria being a host port for the Clipper 05-06 Race, the race line-up will include a yacht named ‘Victoria, Canada’ on the start line. The Canadian entry will face strong competition from a formidable international field including race title defenders Jersey (Channel Islands), as well as Liverpool (UK), Durban (South Africa), Fremantle (Western Australia), Singapore, Glasgow (Scotland), Qingdao (China) and New York (USA).

‘I am delighted to be able to announce that Victoria BC will be having a yacht named after their city in the Clipper 05-06 Round the World Race,’ noted Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Chairman of Clipper Ventures and the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world.

‘The harbour in Victoria is one of the most spectacular in the world and there is tremendous enthusiasm for this yacht which will represent the whole of Canada.’

Tourism Victoria President & CEO, Lorne Whyte, added: ‘One of the major benefits to Victoria from this event lies in the destination awareness we will gain from the extensive global media coverage. It is estimated that the Clipper 05-06 Race will generate in excess of $100 US million in media value. We look forward to showcasing Victoria’s incredible harbour on the world stage.’

The Royal Victoria Yacht Club will be the host yacht club during the Canadian stopover and will provide race support for the event. The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority will provide berthing and general support for the race village and 10 day stopover.

Clipper 05-06, the fifth running of the company’s flagship event, will be divided into seven individual crew legs as international teams fight for the prestigious ‘Clipper Cup.’ The ‘Victoria, Canada’ yacht will be skippered by Ewan Hind (27) from Brixham in Devon (UK), and there are selected berths available for Canadians interested in sailing as crew members on various legs of the race.

Participation in each leg costs approximately $16,000 CDN and the main requirement for prospective crew members is the burning desire to represent their nation around the globe, as comprehensive Clipper training will prepare competitors for the challenges ahead.

If you are thinking about doing something special and would like to become a crew member on Clipper 05-06, or the next race in 2007-08, please visit www.clipper-ventures.com or contact the UK team on +44 23 8023 7088 for further information.

Local enquiries can be addressed to: Tourism Victoria’s Media Relations Coordinator Heather Follis at (250) 414-4477.