CLIPPER 2017-18 RACE START

The biggest ever edition of the Clipper Race, got underway on the River Mersey, Liverpool, in front of thousands of spectators, and was nothing short of spectacular.

With a short inshore circuit getting the race underway, Dare to Lead led the way over the line on the course’s return loop with Garmin less than half a boat length behind. Greenings and PSP Logistics struggled in the light airs and strong tide and HotelPlanner.com faltered on the start line but received one of the loudest cheers as it rounded the mark and is now back in amongst the fleet.

After the excitement of starting in front of the masses, the test of endurance is now underway as the twelve-strong Clipper Race fleet heads 6,400 nM, the equivalent distance of ten Fastnet Races, through the Atlantic Ocean towards Punta del Este, Uruguay.

Liverpool Mayor, Joe Anderson hosted a business networking and celebratory event to witness the Race Start overlooking the River Mersey. Key representatives from local Liverpool businesses, Clipper Race Partners and both national and international delegations, were in attendance to see the action unfold on the river and learned of the opportunities available to them in Liverpool as part of the new Liverpool 2018 campaign.

The Liverpool 2018 campaign aims to attract audiences of millions of people, create significant economic impact and push Liverpool to the top of the ‘must-visit’ cities in 2018.

The Clipper 2017-18 Race Finish will be part of Eighteen for 18 – a series of internationally significant events, exhibitions, seasons and performances which will shine a light on the importance of culture within the ongoing renaissance of the city, and how it will play a key role in the blueprint for the success of the Liverpool City Region moving forward.

• To get to know the teams and learn about the Clipper 2017-18 Race, please download our official race magazine here

• To sign up for our ‘Daily Race Updates’ featuring blogs from across the fleet, click here

• The Race Viewer is now live! You can now keep track of all the teams and their progress by following this link. Warning… it can become quite additive!