Clipper Ventures Choose Henri-Lloyd For Clipper 05-06 Race

Leading sailing clothing manufacturer, Henri-Lloyd, has been appointed as Official Technical Clothing Supplier to the Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race.

Clipper Ventures Plc, the AIM-listed events company chaired by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, gave careful consideration to a number of clothing manufacturers and selected Henri-Lloyd “due to their position at the forefront of protection for sailors and their pioneering technical and safety innovations in the technical clothing arena.”

Clipper 05-06, setting sail on Sunday, 18 September 2005 from Liverpool (UK), will break with the established format of the four Clipper Round the World Yacht Races run so far. The race will involve a ten-strong fleet of brand new Dubois 68 yachts, which are innovative in their design and capabilities, and the Clipper 05-06 crews will also face a newly challenging route.

All the participating crew in each of the ten rival teams will be supplied with Henri-Lloyd’s award winning GORE-TEX® Ocean Racer range of foul weather gear, which will offer them superior protection and comfort during their circumnavigation.

In addition to the Ocean Racer suits, crews will be given the option to purchase at a special rate the Henri Lloyd One Piece Suit. This suit is the professional’s choice and will stand the crews in excellent stead to handle even the most extreme conditions, especially those that may be experienced on the race’s Southern Ocean legs.

Clipper 05-06 crews will also be supplied with Henri-Lloyd Breeze Jackets, shore shirts, and other technical clothing, whilst race followers will be able to choose from the Henri-Lloyd “Official Clipper 05-06 Collection.” As Official Technical Clothing Supplier, the Manchester-based company will showcase its collection at selected stopover ports around the world.

Paul Strzelecki, Joint Chief Executive of Henri-Lloyd, said: "We are delighted to continue our successful partnership with Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Clipper Ventures. The Clipper 05-06 race provides an excellent platform to showcase the performance of our technical sailing clothing at the forefront of the ocean racing arena."

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail solo non-stop around the globe, added: “Following our successful partnership with Henri Lloyd on the last Clipper Series, we are once again proud to be providing our crew with such an excellent range of technical clothing. Official race clothing provides the chance for supporters all around the world to be part of the race and I’m certain that the new Clipper 05-06 range will appeal strongly to both our courageous crews and their many supporters.” ENDS 1, June 2004