2017-18 Clipper Race: Kiwi Clipper Race crew prepare for Sydney Hobart
by Grace Kitching 22 Dec 2017 18:36 PST
26 December 2017
Clipper Round the World Yacht Race © onEdition
The Clipper Race fleet is making its final preparations ahead of participating in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The involvement in the 73rd edition of the iconic offshore yacht race corresponds to Race 5 in the 2017-18 edition of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.
26 of the 28 nationalities represented in this year's Sydney Hobart race can be found in the Clipper Race crew, with five of the intrepid crew members hailing from New Zealand all excited to be taking part in one of the most competitive regattas.
Sydney is the second stop on the All-Australian Leg with the crew having sailed over 17,000 miles to date. Starting in Liverpool, back in August, the route has taken in Punta del Este, Cape Town and Fremantle; after completing the race to Hobart the fleet will compete in the final stage of the Leg by racing up to the Whitsundays. From here they will continue onto Sanya, Qingdao, Seattle, Panama, New York and Derry-Londonderry before sailing back into Liverpool in July 2018 to complete the 40,000 nautical mile, 11 month circumnavigation.
Keith Williams is participating in Legs 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 on board Unicef. He is a 62 year old Event Manager from Panmure, New Zealand.
Greg Glover is a circumnavigator on board HotelPlanner.com. He is a 56 year old Farmer from Hamilton, Waikato, New Zealand.
Thomas Boys is participating in Legs 4 and 5 on board Nasdaq. He is a 31 year old Builder from Auckland, New Zealand.
Steve Schoultz has already sailed over 17,000 miles completing Legs 1, 2, and 3 and the first stage of Leg 4 to Sydney on board Liverpool 2018. He is a 51 year old Sustainability Specialist from Cambridge, Waikato, New Zealand.
Bronwyn McAllister is taking on Legs 4 and 5 on board Visit Seattle. She is a 42 year old Surveyor from Gore, New Zealand.
All crew are in the final preparation stages and will be spending the last few days in Sydney prepping their yachts ahead of the Boxing Day Start at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.