Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister welcomes Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race fleet in spectacular arrival ceremony

Dr Lee Boon Yang, Chairman of Keppel Corporation, and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the founder and Chairman of the Clipper Race, ignited the ‘Torch of Passion’, setting in motion the welcome celebrations for the fleet, and guest of honour, Mr Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs, presented the Singapore Cup to the winning crew from Gold Coast Australia. The team is led by Tasmanian yachtsman, Richard Hewson.

Deborah Miller, from Surfer’s Paradise on the Gold Coast, who joined the team in her home port and will race with them to California, said, “It was awesome to be welcomed in Singapore with such grand festivities.

“As we entered Keppel Bay people were lined up everywhere along the marina shouting and waiving their Singaporean flags. I got to shake the Deputy Prime Minister’s hand, which was very exciting and now I’m really looking forward to catch up with family and friends that are waiting for me.”

Clipper 11-12 is the eighth edition of the event which is ‘raced by people like you’. Deborah, a nurse, and her fellow crew who include an engineer, a sales assistant, a management consultant, a researcher and an army officer, have put their everyday lives on hold to compete in the challenge of a lifetime.

The Gold Coast Australia crew were presented with the Keppel-sponsored Singapore Cup after beating Derry-Londonderry by just 79 minutes. The Northern Ireland team and third placed Geraldton Western Australia, who also secured their first podium position of the competition were handed their first pennants of the campaign to fly proudly from the forestay of their boats.

This is the fourth visit of the fleet to Keppel Bay, whose skyline is now dominated by the curving towers of the stunning new Reflections at Keppel Bay development, designed by master architect Daniel Libeskind. Residents, who have this month begun moving in to the new buildings, also took part in the celebrations, cheering as the yachts sailed past into the marina, while others on boats sounded horns.

Speaking at the welcome celebrations, Dr Lee said, “The Clipper Race has been an excellent platform to showcase Singapore and Keppel round the world. And with the world following the Clipper Race fleet to our island in the sun this morning, it will present Singapore as a regional sailing hub and a destination for world sporting events such as the Southeast Asian Games, which Singapore will host also for the fourth time in 2015.”

Keppel Corporation is Team Sponsor for the Singapore yacht and Official Host Port for the Singapore stopover. The Singapore Tourism Board is Supporting Partner for the Singapore stopover. Keppel Bay Sailing Academy (KBSA) is also the only accredited training centre for the Clipper Race outside of the UK and the first sailing academy in Singapore to provide sailing courses that are accredited by the internationally recognised Royal Yachting Association (RYA).

As part of the Group’s commitment to nurture talents, three Keppel Ambassadors – Darryl Tai, Celina Chan and Karel Vandegehuchte – are sponsored to crew on board the Singapore yacht on different race legs.

Dr Lee added, “The Clipper Race has enabled us to build on our people development initiatives through which we challenge Keppelites, as we call ourselves, to have a global mindset and a Can-Do! spirit to grow beyond. We have sponsored a total of 12 employees to date to crew on board Singapore and our Keppel Ambassadors have flown both the Singapore and Keppel flags high around the world.”

The Clipper Race Chairman, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston said, “This is the fourth time that there has been a Singapore entry in the Clipper Race and over the eight years we have witnessed the Caribbean and Reflections at Keppel Bay developments around the marina rise from the ground. But it’s not only the growth of Keppel’s premium developments that impresses, every race we return to see their award-winning marina fill and grow. Of course, with the race we visit a huge number of impressive marinas around the world, but it is rare to find a marina which manages to combine efficiency and style whilst caring for its environment, so it was great to hear that Keppel was awarded the Green Maritime Company 2011 award.

“It’s not only Marina at Keppel Bay and its residences that have grown over the span of our partnership with Keppel. The Clipper Race has also grown, with more than 40 nationalities represented among the crews and we have a growing number of international partners with a variety of marketing and business aims. Each race sees our sponsors using our platform in new ways to achieve return on their objectives.”

In Singapore a busy programme of sailing and shore-side events will enable the sponsors of the Clipper Race to leverage their partnership with the event to develop and build on trade, tourism, education and cultural links. The Clipper Race will host a networking event at the British High Commission to introduce trade opportunities with their partners to Singaporean businesses.

The fleet will set sail from Marina at Keppel Bay on Saturday 4 February, bound for Qingdao, China.