For the crew of the Australian entry in the 2005-2006 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, friendly rivalry with the Liverpool 08 Clipper has already begun in the light of England’s victory over Australia in the Ashes on Monday.

The Ashes win for England and Wales has added to the tensions that the crews have faced building up to the race as crew are preparing their yachts and saying goodbye to loved ones.

David Pryce, skipper of the Australian yacht, ‘Westernaustralia.com’
said “We’re obviously disappointed about the loss in the Ashes but we
hope to emulate the camaraderie and good sportsmanship shown from both sides throughout the series. The key to success in the Clipper Race is obviously going to be a strong competitive edge but above all great teamwork.”

Tim Magee skipper of Liverpool 08 commented: “As a passionate sports fan and a patriotic Englishman, watching the boys bring home the Ashes was a great occasion. I hope we can do the same on Liverpool 08 in ten months time.”

The ten 68-foot Dubois racing yachts will compete in 7 legs over a
period of 10 months finishing July 1st 2006. Crew members are from all walks of life and go through months of rigorous training to make the grade for the hardships of big ocean sailing.

The race starts on the Mersey on Sunday as part of the Liverpool 08
European City of Culture campaign. The yachts are each sponsored by a city worldwide and include: Durban, New York, Singapore and Qingdao, the sailing destination for the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

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