CLIPPER FLEET ENJOYS IRISH HOSPITALITY IN CROSSHAVEN

The ten teams are now preparing for the final sprint of the 35,000-mile
circumnavigation from Cork to Liverpool, where the fleet will arrive on
Saturday 5 July at the height of the city’s celebrations of its status as
European Capital of Culture 2008.

After 2,080 miles of ocean racing all ten of the 68-foot yachts arrived
within 20 hours of each other, the crews happy to enjoy the warm reception
at the Royal Cork Yacht Club at the end of an arduous race across the North
Atlantic.

The penultimate contest of the 14-race Clipper 07-08 series was won by New
York, who crossed the finish line a little over an hour ahead of
second-placed Qingdao and Hull & Humber, who came third. New York has
stretched their lead over their closest British rivals to three and a half
points.

The final teams arrived overnight and were greeted with burgers and kegs of
Heineken, and celebrations have extended into a bright and breezy Sunday
afternoon as the crews enjoy their final days together in the world’s oldest
yacht club.

Nova Scotia was the final yacht to finish, crossing the line at 0754 local
time (0654 GMT) on Sunday morning. Skipper Rob McInally said, “It’s good to
finally be here. Since our fantastic send off from Nova Scotia we have
encountered all sorts of conditions; lots of fog and light airs to start
with, then some strong winds as well. We had some great hospitality in Nova
Scotia and Cork’s already giving them a good run for their money.”

Hannah Jenner, Skipper of Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper is
celebrating her 28th birthday on Sunday after finishing Race 13 in seventh
place. She is celebrating her birthday with the knowledge that her team is
guaranteed a podium position with an 11 and a half point lead over Qingdao.

Now the ten crews are enjoying some time off in County Cork and preparing
their yachts for Race 14 to Liverpool. With ten all-important points still
up for grabs, the crews are busy repairing spinnakers damaged during the
transatlantic race to ensure that they can be fully powered up as they race
up the Irish Sea to the mouth of the River Mersey next week.

This is the first time the Clipper Race, now in its sixth edition, has
visited Ireland. Fiona Buckley, General Manager of Fáilte Ireland South
West, says, “Fáilte Ireland South West is delighted to support the Clipper
arrival into Cork, and welcomes the support of Cork County Council and the
Royal Cork Yacht Club. Sailing is central to the development of tourism in
the South West and particularly in Cork and is central to the Fáilte Ireland
South West Regional Development Strategy 2008-2010.”

Race 14 starts on Thursday 3 July.