SIX GREENINGS CREW TO JOIN HOTELPLANNER.COM FOR LEG 3

With HotelPlanner.com making good speed towards Port Elizabeth to drop off injured crew member, Greg Adams,arrangements are currently being made for Greenings crew members, who are wanting to resume Leg 3, to join Skipper Conall Morrison and his team before they continue their onward journey to Fremantle.

After discussions between the Clipper Race Office and Greenings crew members that are in Cape Town, the following will be flying out to Port Elizabeth today to join HotelPlanner.com: Jemma Cowley, Jenny Hall, Jeremy Hill, Paul Stevens, Jon Freeman and Janette Potgieter.

HotelPlanner.com skipper, Conall Morrison, said: "I feel privileged to have six Greenings crew members coming to join HotelPlanner.com. We have lost a very competent watch leader in Greg Adams but I am very pleased to have the six crew joining from what has been the fastest team in the race. I have met some of them in training and others as friends of our current crew, I a excited and happy to be heading out into the southern ocean again with a full crew."

Jon Freeman, who is participating in Legs 3 and 8, said: “It feels amazing to actually be able to do what we came here to do, which is cross the Southern Ocean. I’m terribly sad that we cannot do that on Greenings but looking forward to being on with Conall and to kind of being thrown in at the deep end with the new crew! It’s going to be an interesting experience but I’m looking forward to it and loving the fact that there will be several of my mates from the crew as well.”

Paul Stevens, who signed up for two legs, said “I sent a message to my parents last night to let them know that I’m the happiest man in the world at the moment because I’m back in the race. Two-and-a-half years after signing up for what was Legs 3 and 4 and now I’m back on it again. One minute you’re off, the next minute you’re on, so I’m really happy.”

Jemma Cowley, who will be able to resume her circumnavigation, said: “What has happened to us takes a while to hit us. The important thing for me is that I’m really grateful to get this opportunity to get back on the race and I think that will help me get over the shock that I have had. Very, very excited – I just want to go ahead and do it!”

Jenny Hall who is also looking to sail around the world said: “I am genuinely so excited and so made up that we’ve been able to make this happen. For a lot of us we can carry on with our dreams that we set out to do so I’m going to grab this opportunity and make the most of it.”

Janette Potgieter, who was part of the winning Leg 2 crew on board Greenings and is looking to continue the Clipper Race for Legs 3 and 4, said: “Thinking that you’re not going to do it and then all of a sudden we learned that we could do it. I honestly do not think that there are any words that can express how I feel but I’m really looking forward to it.”

Jeremy Hill (Legs 2 and 3) said: “I’m feeling very positive about the opportunity to continue on with the race. It took me about two ticks of the clock to figure that it was the right thing to do to carry on. It’s a wonderful opportunity and I’m looking forward to getting to know the new crew and new Skipper.”

HotelPlanner.com is expected to arrive in to Port Elizabeth between 0200 – 0600 UTC (0400 – 0800 local time) on Sunday 5 November subject to weather conditions. The current plan is for the team to depart again later that day following an extensive check regarding provisions for all crew and further updates will be provided on the Clipper Race website.

The Clipper Race Office is continuing to support those Greenings crew members that are not resuming Leg 3 and discussing options on how to get them, and future leggers, back in to the Clipper Race.