RNS Number:0981Q
Clipper Ventures PLC
17 January 2002



PORT OF LIVERPOOL TO HOST THE CLIPPER 2002 AROUND-THE-WORLD YACHT RACE &
SPONSOR LIVERPOOL CLIPPER



Clipper Ventures plc, the AIM-listed ocean racing and marine events company
chaired by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, and Liverpool City Council, today announce
that Liverpool will host the start and finish of the Clipper 2002
Around-The-World Yacht Race. The world's longest competitive circumnavigation
will begin from the city's historic Albert Dock on Sunday 27th October 2002
and return eleven months and 35,000 nautical miles later in September 2003.



The hosting deal will generate #200,000 for Clipper Ventures and the City
Council will spend additional funds on related dockside events, marketing and
infrastructure. This is Liverpool's first around-the-world yacht race, the
convention being to start from England's south coast.



In a separate deal, Liverpool will also be helping to sponsor one of the
race's eight, identical 60ft racing yachts. It will bear the name Liverpool
Clipper. The City Council will assist Clipper Ventures to secure ten local
businesses prepared to sponsor Liverpool Clipper to the tune of #25,000 each.
In return, the sponsors will be offered a host of advertising and promotional
opportunities in the UK and worldwide. The City Council will also be
furnishing pre- and post-race crew hospitality and financing three, single-leg
crew places for deserving local citizens at a cost of #7,000 each.



Liverpool Clipper will be competing against the yachts of Bristol, Glasgow and
Cape Town plus those of four other cities which will declare in the next two
months. Each one will carry a professional, paid skipper and a volunteer crew
of 15. Each crewmember who joins for the six-leg, 16-port circumnavigation
pays #26,500. Alternatively, crew can participate in just one of the legs.
Around 60 per cent of crew berths have already been taken. Beginners may apply
as training is provided.



Clipper Ventures chairman, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, says: "The value of the
port hosting and yacht sponsorship deals - if fully underwritten - could
amount to around half a million pounds. This would be good business for the
company. In addition, starting Clipper 2002 from Liverpool for the first time
is exciting as it gives us the opportunity to introduce ocean racing to an
entirely new audience.



"Liverpool's involvement is in keeping with its rich maritime history and we
wish the crew of Liverpool Clipper every success when they set sail from their
home port on October 27th."



Councillor Mike Storey, Leader of Liverpool City Council, says: "We're
delighted to host Clipper 2002 because of the benefits such an event brings to
the city's growing tourist industry and our bid to become the European Capital
of Culture in 2008. We're striving to build upon the success of Albert Dock's
transformation and are committed to high-profile promotion for Clipper 2002
and other leading events."





Editors' notes



The Clipper Around-the-World racing series began in 1996 and has been run
every second year since, making Liverpool in October 2002 the fourth race. The
last race finished in Portsmouth last September, and was won by Bristol
Clipper, with Jersey Clipper second, London Clipper third, and Liverpool
Clipper fourth.



Clipper Ventures plc also owns the rights to "Around Alone" a solo
circumnavigation race for top-flight professional sailors. The event is held
every four years and the next one, marking the event's 20th anniversary, will
start in autumn 2002 from Newport, Rhode Island, USA.



Liverpool's Albert Dock was designed and built by Jesse Hartley for a sum of #
514, 475 8s 1d. It was opened by Prince Albert in 1846 and helped Liverpool to
become port-of-choice for the British Empire. However, in the age of steam,
ships required deeper moorings and from 1890 onwards, the Albert Dock's
traffic declined. It was closed in 1972. Following an extensive #100m+
refurbishment by the Arrowcraft Group in partnership with Merseyside
Development Corporation, Albert Dock was transformed into the UK's number-one
heritage attraction. It contains Britain's largest group of grade-one-listed
buildings.



Further information from:



Ashley Nield, Woodside Communications: tel 020 7435 0901 or 07730 435 420

Richard Cooper, Clipper Ventures plc: tel 02380 237088 or 07967 730776

Mike Doran, Liverpool City Council Newscentre: tel 0151 225 5582 or
0780 145 3918

Loretta Spridgeon / Sue Warden-Owen,MHL Press & Publicity:
Tel 01489 575227 or 07773 818586 or 07770 596111
Clipper Ventures (LSE:CLV)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2024 to Jul 2024 Click Here for more Clipper Ventures Charts.
Clipper Ventures (LSE:CLV)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jul 2023 to Jul 2024 Click Here for more Clipper Ventures Charts.