McLeish sees Glasgow Clipper race out of Durban

The crew of the Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper welcomed Alex McLeish, manager of Scotland’s national football team on board during the yacht's stop-over in Durban. 

 

McLeish visited the Glasgow crew prior to the start of the third leg of the Clipper 07/08 Round the World Yacht Race to congratulate them on their hat-trick of podium finishes in the series so far.  He spent half an hour with skipper, Hannah Jenner and the crew, looking over the 68-foot yacht along with Gordon Smith and George Peat of the Scottish Football Association who were in South Africa for the preliminary draw of the FIFA 2010 World Cup.

 

Hannah and the crew also received a letter of support from First Minister Alex Salmond, who wrote: “I am following the Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper in the 2007-08 Clipper Race with great interest and I congratulate your team on their achievements thus far.  By embarking on this remarkable journey, your team is acting as an ambassador for the city of Glasgow and for all of Scotland.  With your efforts and the recent bid win for Glasgow to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games, there is remarkable opportunity for Glasgow to create a lasting sporting legacy and to create a strong reputation for sporting excellence on the international stage.”

 

This, the third leg of leg of Clipper 07-08, is a 4,220 mile test of endurance from Durban in South Africa to Freemantle in Western Australia, and is set to be the most gruelling leg yet as the Glasgow crew battle with towering waves and strong winds.  It is also likely to be one of the most thrilling, where the yacht can expect reach speeds of up to 30 knots.

 

As the crew made final preparations for this demanding leg across the infamous Southern Ocean, skipper Hannah Jenner said: “We’re very, very excited and we’re obviously going to try to get the boat on the podium again.  We’ve had the biggest crew changeover so far so there are a few nervous looking people who’ve got no idea what to expect just yet.  We just want to get off the dock, get started and get settled in, but we’re really looking forward to it.”

 

As the fleet leaves the South African coast and heads into the treacherous waters of the Southern Ocean, the Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper is currently in second place in but as results stand, the team are at the top of the overall leader board, half a point ahead of their nearest rivals, Liverpool ‘08. 

 

The fleet is due to arrive on 16 December (approximately) in Fremantle, Western Australia.

 

 

 

 

Clipper 07-08 route: Liverpool - La Rochelle – Salvador da Bahia – Durban – Fremantle – Singapore – Qingdao – Hawaii – Santa Cruz – Panama – Jamaica – New York – Nova Scotia – Cork – Liverpool

 

High-resolution images of the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race are available for free media use at: http://www.w-w-i.com/clipper_0708_race/

 

 

 

Heather Ewing, Communications Coordinator: Mobile in Durban: +27 (0) 7977 54639  Email: hewing@clipper-ventures.com

 

or

 

Zoe Williamson, Communications Coordinator Tel: +44 (0) 2392 526000  Mobile in UK: +44 (0) 7793 417751  Email: zwilliamson@clipper-ventures.com

 

For further information about Clipper 07-08 and to register for daily media updates log on to: www.clipperroundtheworld.com