GREAT Britain yacht entry set for launch in Trafalgar Square

Back to archive

The 70-foot ocean racing yacht GREAT Britain will be launched in land-locked Trafalgar Square by Sports Minister Hugh Robertson tomorrow (Wednesday), where it will remain on public display until Sunday evening 4 August, allowing anyone interested in the race a rare opportunity to get a close encounter with a new Clipper 70 ocean racer out of the water.

This evening it will be transferred by road in a major operation which will see the 30 ton 70-foot yacht transported on the back of a specialist trailer in a convoy under police escort which will pass landmarks such as Big Ben, pass Downing Street on Whitehall (on the wrong side of the road) and finally against a one-way system to arrive in Trafalgar Square just after midnight. A large team will be awaiting her arrival to insert a mast and build a surrounding structure ready for the 9.30am launch on Wednesday morning.

The GREAT Britain yacht will sail back into the capital with the rest of the 12-strong Clipper Race fleet over the August Bank Holiday weekend to spend a week in St Katharine Docks, central London’s only marina, prior to departing from Tower Bridge on the Thames on Sunday 1 September on its 40,000-mile race around the world; the fleet will return to London almost 11 months later in July 2014.

To keep up to date with the Clipper 70’s visit to Trafalgar Square, follow our Social Media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. #ClipperRaceLondon #ClipperRaceisGREAT