Tower Bridge lift marks start of Clipper Round The World race

The Qindao and Derry-Londonderry-Doire clipper racing yachts sail past Tower Bridge after leaving St Katharine Docks
Carl Court/Getty Images
Laura Proto30 August 2015

Colourful yachts passed beneath Tower Bridge this afternoon to mark the beginning of the Clipper Round The World race.

The 12 teams of international amateur sailors boarded their vessels in front of thousands of spectators alongside the River Thames ahead of their 40,000 nautical mile global race.

The yachts were moored in St Katharine Dock for the official opening ceremony before team Great Britain led the fleet under Tower Bridge, which lifted to salute the crews.

The vessels will make their way along the Thames in the Parade of Sail, followed by spectator boats and the RNLI, before the race gets underway at 12.30pm tomorrow near Southend.

Peter Thornton, Great Britain skipper, said: “Representing Great Britain is an incredible feeling and a great honour.

Tower Bridge lifted to salute the crews at the start of the race Carl Court/Getty Images
Carl Court/Getty Images

“It was a pleasure to visit Number 10 Downing Street with the crew ahead of the race start, and everyone is feeling very proud.

“We really can’t wait to get out there into the Atlantic Ocean and get this thing started.”

The race, which finishes in London in July next year, features 700 participants over the eight stages, with the skipper the only professional on board each yacht.

The Clipper 70 racing yachts wait in St Katharine Docks Carl Court/Getty Images
Carl Court/Getty Images

The first leg of the race takes the teams 5,000 nautical miles across the Atlantic Ocean to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

After stopover, the teams will embark on their journey to Cape Town, South Africa, before heading onwards to Albany in Western Australia.

The fourth leg of the race, around the coast of Australia, is known for its constant changing conditions and will push crews mentally and physically.

The Garmin and the Mission Performance clipper 70 racing yachts sail in front of Tower Bridge Carl Court/Getty Images
Carl Court/Getty Images

After leaving Australia, the teams will make their way to Da Nang, Vietnam, before stopping over in Quingdao, China and then pushing on to Seattle, USA.

The final two legs of the race will take crews to Panama, New York, Derry-Londonderry and Den Helder before arriving back at St Katharine Docks on July 30 next year.

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