Edinburgh vies to rule the waves

Published on Sunday 5 July 2009 22:12

EDINBURGH is set to fly the flag for Scotland in the famous Clipper round-the-world yacht race.

The capital is expected to step in to sponsor the nation's entry into the ten-month race, following the surprise withdrawal of Glasgow.

The Edinburgh Clipper, complete with "inspiring capital" branding, is expected to be unveiled at Leith Docks within days, once the sponsorship deal is signed with tourism leaders in the city and race organisers. The move, understood to have been backed by the city council and Scottish Government, follows months of talks to rescue Scotland's participation in the Clipper after marketing bosses in Glasgow called a halt to any further investment in the race.

Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the Duke of Edinburgh is due to visit Leith Docks next month to help launch the Edinburgh Clipper, which will effectively become a floating billboard for the city.

A source close to the Edinburgh bid said: "A huge opportunity opened up when Glasgow pulled out of the race.

"The Clipper is incredibly well known around the world and television coverage of the last race was thought to have been seen by more than 200 million people."

Clipper organisers had earlier clinched a sponsorship deal with the malt whisky brand Benromach, which had backed Hannah Jenner, the former Glasgow skipper who helped the yacht snatch third place in the race.

The Glasgow yacht hit the headlines in 2007 when crew member David Jack fell into the sea off the South African coast and was dramatically rescued.

Glasgow's "Scotland with Style" Clipper earned the city huge exposure, taking part in four races, and stopping off in glamorous locales in the United States, China, Australia, Brazil, South Africa and Singapore.

A spokeswoman for the Glasgow City Marketing Bureau confirmed that it had decided not to renew its sponsorship deal after reviewing future marketing activities, and after eight years of involvement with the race.

The Clipper offers non- professional sailors the chance to pay to take part in a round-the-world race.

The event features some 35,000 miles of ocean racing and involves about 400 crew members in total.

The race is contested by ten 68ft yachts, each sponsored by a city, region or country.

There are up to 17 crew on each yacht, led by a professional skipper, with a maximum ten of the crew taking part in the entire race, and the remainder signing up for one or more of the legs.

Teams from Singapore, Hull, Cape Breton Island, Cork and California have already signed up to take part in the 2009-10 Clipper.

The next race, which starts in Humberside in mid-September, is due to call at Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, China, California, the Caribbean, New York and Sydney, before finishing back in the Humber in July 2010.

The ten-month event features around 14 individual races, each with ten points on offer for first place, down to one for last.