Sir Robin spearheads GREAT Britain campaign

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, LSC president, round the world yachtsman and adventurer, launched the GREAT Britain campaign today in London part of an initiative to promote international tourism and trade. Standing alongside the legendary Suhaili ahead of the Jubilee River Pageant at St Katharine Docks, London, the Clipper Ventures chairman said: “I am really pleased that we are able to support the GREAT Britain campaign in this way. It combines my two great passions: sailing and promoting the UK, especially in this Olympic year, building on our heritage as a great maritime trading nation. I also regard it as a great honour that the Clipper Race has been selected as an iconic British event to be featured in this global campaign.”

Clipper Ventures makes the dream of ocean racing come true for thousands of ordinary people through the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race which is used as a global platform to promote British business, trade and tourism.

Sir Robin and the Clipper Race will feature prominently in distinctive posters and other promotional materials under the banner ‘ADVENTURE IS GREAT BRITAIN’ which will be promoted at race venues, events, on the web and in social media, including a short video. A 48-sheet poster campaign featuring Sir Robin and the Clipper race is being run in London to support today’s launch.

The campaign Facebook page is at: http://www.facebook.com/ThisisGREATBritain

Sir Robin has restored Suhaili and brought it up to St Katharine Docks, London, to participate in the Avenue of Sail in this weekend’s Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. However, on Sunday (3 June) his Clipper Race fleet of ten matched 68-foot ocean racing yachts will be 3,000 miles away in the United States, where it will parade past the Statue of Liberty with the lead boats flying distinctive Union Jack GREAT Britain branded spinnaker sails, en route to the heart of New York’s financial district for an intense 5-day promotional campaign.“While I am in London participating in the Avenue of Sail in the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on Sunday, the Clipper Race will be flying the flag in New York. It will be quite a spectacle to see the fleet coming up the Hudson with the two lead yachts flying vast GREAT Britain spinnakers,” added Sir Robin.Following his participation in the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on Sunday, Sir Robin will fly out to New York to get behind the GREAT Britain campaign there at a series of Clipper Race trade and tourism promotion events.