Betreff: Clipper 2002 Race Preview
Absender: "Clipper _blanks" 
Empfänger: 
Datum: 11. Feb 2003 11:18


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ORIENTAL CHALLENGE FOR CLIPPER 2002 CREW

The sixth race of the Clipper 2002 series gets underway tomorrow, Wednesday,
12 February 2003 at 12:00 Hawaiian Standard Time (22:00 GMT).

A 3,400 nautical mile race from Hawaii to Japan lies ahead for the
eight-strong Clipper fleet; namely Bristol, Cape Town, Glasgow, Hong Kong,
Jersey, Liverpool, London and _blank York.

The _blankly-built Ko Olina Resort and Marina is a hive of activity as the
Clipper crews fettle their yachts in preparation for the start of the third
crew leg from Hawaii to Hong Kong, via Yokohama and Shanghai.

Bristol Clipper clinched her first victory on the latest race of Clipper
2002 after a tactically challenging three-week battle across the eastern
Pacific Ocean from Galapagos to Hawaii. Jersey Clipper indextain their lead
in the overall standings.

The third crew leg of Clipper 2002 covers a distance of approximately 6,000
miles, over some seven weeks, on its way to Hong Kong via Japan and China.
The adventure starts with a fast, warm downwind sleigh ride, which can see
the yachts exceed 200 miles a day. As the fleet nears Japan, the race
becomes tactical and the climate cools but a warm welcome awaits the crews
at the Bayside Marina in Yokohama, just a short suburban train ride from
Tokyo.

This will be the Clipper fleet’s fourth visit to Bayside Marina, the prime
marine recreational centre of the Kanazawa Waterfront Area and race
organisers, Clipper Ventures Plc, have arranged a high-profile 5-day
stopover for crew members and the business associates of the race.

Time is allowed at the Japanese stopover to explore the country and see
Mount Fujyama before racing on again to China and a voyage up the Yangtze
River.

Clipper 2002 is the only yacht race to travel up the Yangtze, where the
fleet of 60-footers motor in convoy to Shanghai. Following a stopover here,
hosted by the Metropolitan Marina Club of Shanghai, the race then restarts
for the final stretch of this leg, sailing through the Taiwan Strait for
Hong Kong and the halfway point of the eleven-month circumnavigation.

After Hong Kong the fleet will then race on to the Philippines, Singapore,
Mauritius, Cape Town, Brazil and _blank York before the final Atlantic crossing
to the Channel Island of Jersey. A short sprint back to Liverpool, via
Holyhead, will ensure an especially close race finish, with an expected
arrival date of 27 September 2003.

ENDS
11 February 2003

Further Information & Images:
Loretta Spridgeon
Clipper 2002 Media & PR Manager
Tel: +44 (0) 2380 237088
Fax: +44 (0) 2380 237081
Mobile: +44 (0) 7773 818586
Website: www.clipper-ventures.com

Notes to Editors:

Clipper 2002 Overall Order after Race 5
Place   Yacht / Skipper          Cumulative Points
1   Jersey (Simon Rowell)         34
2   London (Rory Gillard)         28
3   Bristol (Richard Butler)          27
4   Liverpool (Adam Kyffin         22.5
5   _blank York (Samantha Fuller)      21
6   Hong Kong (Justin Taylor)       20
7   Glasgow (Rupert Parkhouse)      19
8   Cape Town (Roger Steven-Jennings)   7

The Clipper 2002 visit to Hawaii is hosted by Ko Olina Marina and Resort
www.koolinamarina.com


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