Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race underway

8:42 PM Sun 13 Sep 2009 GMT

'Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race' Clipper Ventures Plc &copy

More than 100,000 people lined the banks of the Humber to watch the start of the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race today. As the cannon fired, the ten internationally sponsored yachts crossed the start line at 1400 BST (1300 GMT) to the roar of the crowds at the beginning of their 35,000-mile challenge.

Edinburgh Inspiring Capital led the charge across the line, followed by the Irish entry, Cork, and Spirit of Australia. The first race takes the fleet from the east coast of the UK to La Rochelle, France. The northerly breeze at the start and the weather conditions forecast for the next few days indicate that the 780-mile race will be a fast one.

By the time the fleet had rounded the second mark Cork had overtaken the Scottish boat, Team Finland had moved up from sixth place to second and Edinburgh Inspiring Capital had dropped back to third.

Before the race start the world renowned RAF display team, the Red Arrows, drew gasps and applause with their display of precision flying, the Hawk jets flying just two metres apart during some of the formations. On the ground the Band of the Royal Marines played as the home team, Hull & Humber, left Hull Marina to join the rest of the fleet on the river.

Addressing the tens of thousands of people who had turned up to witness the spectacle, Terry Hodgkinson, Chairman of Hull & Humber's sponsor, Yorkshire Forward, said, 'This event is about much more than sailing. It's about bringing in trade and tourism to Britain and, in particular, to a place on the Humber. It's great to see so many people having such a grand time.

'May I give my best wishes to al the crews and wish them the very best of luck. I hope that we can do better with our boat than we did last time, but it's not about winning it's about changing people's lives. That's why we have invested in it and I'm very proud to be the chairman of the organisation that has put money into this. I want to say a big thank you and watch out for the gun at the start!'

The Clipper Race is the only race in the world where the crews come from all walks of life, all ages and with all levels of experience. Prior to their training, some 40 percent of the crews had never stepped aboard a sailing yacht before. Race start day was an emotional experience for the crew and their families and friends who had come to support them on their challenge of a lifetime.

Skipper of the home team, Piers Dudin, said, 'This has been a fantastic week, not only for us but for the whole fleet. Hull and Humberside should be really proud of the show that they have put on. I would like to say a big thanks to Terry Hodgkinson, Dan Wilkinson and the team at Yorkshire Forward for all the work they have put in.

'Danny Watson (skipper of Hull & Humber, Clipper 07-08) and his team did really well last year and so he hasn't done us any favours this time round with their second place performance. He has established a really strong legacy with Hull & Humber and it is something that we will keep working on.'

Ahead lies a ten-month-long, 35,000-mile course that will take the race to France before crossing to Brazil, South Africa, Australia, Singapore, China, California, Panama, Jamaica, New York, Cape Breton Island, Cork and the Netherlands. The race will make its triumphant return to the Humber on 17 July 2010.

The Clipper Race is the brainchild of legendary yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail non-stop single handed around the world. He wanted to open the sport of long distance sailing to all and allow others to experience the challenges of ocean racing.

'The reception on the Humber has been simply fantastic,' said Sir Robin. 'The enthusiasm from the city, Yorkshire Forward and, most especially, from the people has been incredible. It is wonderful to see the interest they are taking in ordinary people going out to do something quite extraordinary.'

More than 400 crews have signed up for Clipper 09-10. Some will complete a full circumnavigation while others will race one or a combination of the seven legs available.