Hull & Humber takes pride of place at the Great Yorkshire Show - 15 July 2009
Following a remarkable journey from Gosport to the heart of Yorkshire, Hull & Humber took centre stage this week at the 151st Great Yorkshire Show.
Weighing in at over 30 tons, 68 feet long, 18 feet wide and almost as high, the transportation of the yacht was a carefully coordinated affair involving the crew, Clipper 09-10 Official Logistics Partner PSP, Humberside and North Yorkshire police and the boat’s host at the show, Welcome to Yorkshire.
The journey to the show began, as expected, on water, as skipper Piers Dudin and some of his crew sailed the yacht from Clipper’s headquarters in Gosport, Hampshire to the boat’s homeport of Hull and Humber. Pulling alongside in Hull’s Albert Dock, the crew immediately set to work cleaning the boat and stripping off many of the external deck fittings in preparation for the next stage of the journey, a 60-mile overland trip to Harrogate.
With the 90-foot mast removed, the boat was lifted out and placed on a flat bed trailer and transported under police escort to the agricultural showground.
Hull & Humber’s presence at the show was arranged by Welcome to Yorkshire, the tourism agency funded by the yacht’s sponsor, Yorkshire Forward.
Welcome to Yorkshire’s Chief Executive, Gary Verity, said, “We wanted to bring the yacht to the people of Yorkshire and Humber and wish her and her crew the very best of luck as she sets off on a tremendous journey to put Yorkshire and Humber on the map as an international tourist destination.”
Clipper Race founder and chairman, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston officially unveiled the star attraction at the start of the show and encouraged the local visitors to get behind their entry in the race.
Sir Robin said, "It is wonderful to see Hull & Humber taking pride of place at the Great Yorkshire Show. The boat will be showcasing Hull and Humber around the world for the next year, reminding people of what the region has to offer. I am sure that her presence here will help drum up interest in this imaginative promotion. I hope that the people of Yorkshire and North East Lincolnshire will throw their support behind their entry as the yacht circumnavigates the globe.”
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