Last chance to win Stormhoek Social Spirit Award

In two days’ time the 14th and final stage of the Clipper 2015-16 Race gets underway from Den Helder to London with all positions still to be decided in the overall standings.

However it’s not just on the water that the competition is hot because for race supporters this also means it’s the final opportunity to nominate your team for the Stormhoek Social Spirit Award.

Visit Seattle won the award for the third time in Den Helder after encouraging people to get behind the team with shout outs on Periscope at the departure ceremony in Derry-Londonderry, in crew diaries and on Facebook. With one race remaining, it makes Skipper Huw Fernie and his crew the frontrunners in the race to become the overall winner of the award for the entire series and the prize of a party on the pontoon in St Katharine Docks at Race Finish next Saturday.

The Stormhoek Social Spirit Award was introduced to celebrate the team spirit, camaraderie and strong sense of seamanship that comes from being on the Clipper Race as crew members work together to sail around the world and form bonds which will last a lifetime.

So far the award has been won by the following teams:

Race 1 - IchorCoal
Race 2 - Garmin
Race 3 - Visit Seattle
Race 4 - Da Nang – Viet Nam
Race 5 - Da Nang – Viet Nam
Race 6 - Mission Performance
Race 7 – Visit Seattle
Race 8 - LMAX Exchange
Race 9 - Clipper Race family
Race 10 - PSP Logistics
Race 11 - ClipperTelemed+
Race 12 - Derry~Londonderry~Doire
Race 13 – Visit Seattle

During the summer carnival at Willemsoord in Den Helder, Stormhoek Wines provided crew with wine for the arrivals and public Prize-Giving on Sunday from its ‘Vive le Vin’ truck at the festival.

Lise Ewins, Stormhoek Wines Marketing Manager, who was present throughout the event, said: “Everyone here can feel the positive energy that the crew has brought to the festival. You can tell that with one race to go before the circumnavigation is complete, the realisation of the magnitude of this achievement is starting to sink in and the social spirit has certainly been flowing with the party in full swing.

“Race 14 is the last chance to win the Stormhoek Social Spirit Award on this race and throughout the last eleven months we have been impressed with every team at one stage or another. Almost every race there have been at least two or three teams who would have been worthy winners, we are faced with the difficult task of deciding between them depending on the strength of the nominations.

"The passion we see from followers on our Facebook page when they nominate their teams shows how much the race and the award means to everyone following the race, never mind the crew on board. Good luck to all the teams for Race 14. We look forward to toasting your remarkable feat in London on Saturday.”

Stormhoek is sponsoring a party worth £2,000 for the overall winner of the award on Saturday in St Katharine Docks between 1530 – 1830.

To nominate your team, ‘like’ the Stormhoek WinesFacebook page and leave a comment about which team you are voting for and why.