Visit Seattle yacht christened in London naming ceremony

The Visit Seattle yacht has officially been named ahead of its ocean-racing debut in the Clipper 2015-16 Race.

The yacht which will represent the Emerald city, Washington State, with Seattle aiming to promote itself globally as a leading international tourism and business destination during the global series.

The yacht was named by Ralph Morton, Executive Director of the Seattle Sports Commission, and Clipper Race Founder and Chairman, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, in the champagne ceremony at St Katharine Docks, London.

Ralph said: "The yacht looks fantastic in the colour of the Emerald City, and the crew are going to be wonderful ambassadors for us as they sail round the world. We wish them fair winds and safe travels on their journey."

The race feet will stop in Seattle at the end of the Mighty Pacific leg from Qingdao, China, giving the opportunity for crew members to explore the Pacific Northwest.

The Visit Seattle team will be led by British Skipper Huw Fernie, 32. He said: "We have been doing lots of final preparations, including making the boat as light as possible through weight-saving in the name of racing. We are ready to go. The question is, who can stop us from winning?"

Visit Seattle crew member Lucy O'Connor said: "We learnt a lot more about Seattle today from meeting Ralph. We heard about it having the best wine after California, and that it is a hub for craft beer making, so we are all looking forward to visiting our home port.