SKIPPERS WELCOME REALLOCATED GREENINGS CREW

The Clipper Race family, including all Race Skippers, have pulled together following the news that the Greenings yacht, formally registered as CV24, would be taking no further part in the 2017-18 edition.

In a true display of unity and Clipper Race spirit, each of the eleven remaining Skippers, and their crews, have offered to welcome former Greenings crew members on board to compete as part of their respective teams for the remaining legs of the series.

In one such example, speaking from on board shortly after the incident, GREAT Britain Skipper Andy Burns said: “Any of the team looking for a boat to continue the race on will be welcomed with open arms by none other than GREAT Britain. Because that’s what we do best.”

Six Greenings crew members were able to continue Race 3: Dell Latitude Rugged Race on board HotelPlanner.com after the team diverted to Port Elizabeth, South Africa, and since then, efforts have been continuing to reallocate Greenings crew members, who will be competing in future legs, across the fleet to ensure that they can continue their Clipper Race journey.

Race Director, Mark Light, said: “It’s been fantastic to see such a positive story emerge from what has been a very unfortunate incident.

“It’s been important for us to get the Greenings crew back on the water to compete in the Clipper Race and we have been speaking to crew members who are due to complete future legs to find out what their preferences are for continuing.

“I’d like to thank everybody for their patience whilst this process has taken place and I am delighted to confirm we have been able to find space for everybody wishing to continue with the race.”

Each of the remaining eleven teams will have at least one new Greenings crew member joining. The affected crew members have now been informed which teams they will be joining and the Clipper Race website will be updated over the next week to reflect this.

Managing Director of Greenings, Andrew Greening, said: “Despite the yacht (CV24) taking no further part in the Clipper 2017-18 Race, I’m pleased to see that the Greenings team ethos will live on throughout the fleet and we will continue to support our crew members who have been reallocated to other teams. I’ve always said that there is something special about this team and whilst they may be continuing their respective journeys on board different yachts, I’m sure that they will continue to maintain that close bond that they have already forged and I look forward to seeing them at future stopovers.”

Skippers and crew members from the remaining eleven Clipper Race teams will be informed shortly on details of which former Greenings crew members will be joining their teams so that efforts can be made to integrate them as quickly and as smoothly as possible.