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Severe weather delays Clipper start

The race was due to start on Monday afternoon, weather permitting

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LIVERPOOL, England -- Extreme weather conditions led to a 24-hour postponement of the first leg of the Clipper 2002 from Liverpool to Portugal.

The start of the eleven-month circumnavigation was scheduled for Sunday, but race organizers Clipper Ventures postponed the start after advice from the Liverpool Port Authority.

Race chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston said: "This was a joint decision taken by Clipper and our partners in Liverpool. The safety of our crews and supporters is paramount and today's advice was quite clear."

Captain Ron Telfer of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, added: "In light of the extreme conditions in the Mersey River and harbour entrance this was a very sound decision based on safety considerations."

The Clipper 2002, labelled the world's longest circumnavigation, takes eight identical 18m (60ft) yachts; representing Liverpool, London, New York, Bristol, Glasgow, Jersey, Cape Town and Hong Kong, on a 35,000-mile journey.

The aim of the race is to show that ocean yacht racing need not be the exclusive preserve of professional yachtsmen or an elite minority.

The first Clipper race took place in 1996 and the race has been held every two years ever since with 14 paying amateurs per yacht plus a professional skipper.

The 2002-3 race has 16 stopovers and starts and finishes in Liverpool, England.

The first 5,300 mile leg is from Liverpool to Cuba via Cascais, Portugal. The second 6,100 mile leg is from Cuba to Hawaii via Panama and the Galapagos.

The third 6,000 mile leg is from Hawaii to Hong Kong via Yokohama, Japan and Shanghai, China.

The fourth 5,400 mile leg is from Hong Kong to Mauritius, via San Fernando in the Phillippines and Singapore. The fifth 5,800 mile leg is from Mauritius to Salvador, Brazil via Cape Town.

The final 7,100 mile sixth leg is from Salvador to Liverpool via New York and the Channel Island of Jersey.

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