Betreff: Clipper 2002 Race Report
Absender: "Clipper _blanks" 
Empfänger: "Irvin Krumnacker" 
Datum: 24. Jun 2003 09:56

Clipper 2002 Race Report
24 June 2003

GROUNDBREAKING SUCCESS

Cape Town, SA, is notorious for strong and vicious winds. However in
contrast ask any yachtsmen who has been here and they will also tell you it
is one of the most difficult places to end a yacht race due to the calms and
the slow run into the finish.

The crews of the eight Clipper 2002 racing yachts will endorse this, having
performed the ultimate slow motion finish in what was one of the most
extraordinary sequences ever know in a Clipper race. A day and a half after
the leading pair of Bristol and Jersey finished (within a mile of each
other), we had four boats within sight of each other approaching the line
and all with a chance of taking third place. What was also of passing
significance was that it was mid afternoon and the Prize Giving was due to
start at 18:00 local time.

The afternoon progressed with the prospect of a few guests going to enjoy
more than their fair share at the Prize Giving reception as they did their
duty for the absent crews. The outcome however was extraordinary and totally
the reverse; from having just three boats alongside at 18:00 the final boat
berthed at 19:02 and not one person missed the fun.

The Prize Giving reception was hosted by the City of Cape Town at the Royal
Cape Yacht Club. It was always gong to be a landmark party, but the
uncertainties of the yacht arrivals added a touch of drama and excitement
that would have been impossible to plan.

Clipper's great friend, and past Commodore of the RCYC, Craig Middleton,
welcomed everyone to the Yacht Club, before Councillor Lydia Anderson made a
stirring welcome speech and stressed the importance of developing sailing
for the young in Africa. Sarah Bunn from loveLife introduced the two
groundBREAKERS, Zuko Mgobozi and Theo Madayi, who will be joining Cape Town
Clipper for the next race.

Launched in September 1999, loveLife seeks to promote effective HIV
prevention among young people in South Africa and is the largest programme
of its kind in the world. In promoting a _blank lifestyle brand, loveLife also
seeks to find ways to encourage the country's youth to push its limits and
reach for their dreams.

This initiative will now see two thrill-seeking loveLife groundBREAKERS,
Zuko and Theo, both 25 years of age, take part on the ultimate sailing
adventure; racing from Cape Town to Salvador in Brazil as part of the fifth
leg of Clipper 2002. Theo thanked everyone at the prize giving and said that
his introduction to the Clipper race was "awesome, quite awesome!"

Admiral Eric Green SAN, Fleet Commander of the South African Navy, then
presented the third prize for Race 12, a model ship, to Rory Gillard and the
London crew. The British Consul General, Michael Mayhew, presented Simon
Rowell and the crew of Jersey with the second prize and Councillor Anderson
presented Richard Butler and the Bristol crew with the winners' trophy and
the coveted yellow pennant.

That was Monday in Cape Town. It was a long, long day but it was also one of
the most bizarre and, ultimately, one of the most fun Mondays we will ever
have. I suspect it has set a dangerous precedent to the other days of this
exciting week in Cape Town.

Clipper _blanks Distribution
Clipper Ventures Plc
Tel: +44 (0) 2380 237088
Fax: +44 (0) 2380 237081
Email: distribution@clipper-ventures.com
Website: www.clipper-ventures.com

Clipper 2002 Round the World Yacht Race
Fleet visit to Cape Town: 22nd to 29th June