Old Pulteney Takes Taste of Wick to the World as Scottish Clipper Yacht Unveiled

Scotland’s only entry into the world’s longest round the world sailing challenge was officially revealed today (Wednesday 28^th August) as an international crew from the Clipper Round the World Race were piped on board the 70ft ‘Old Pulteney’ yacht at St Katharine Docks in London.

Led by their skipper Patrick van der Zijden – known as the ‘flying Dutchman’ but today wearing a traditional Highland kilt in honour of sponsor and ‘maritime malt’ Old Pulteney single malt Scotch whisky – the boat was then christened by Clipper founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Old Pulteney Senior Brand Manager Margaret Mary Clarke.

The Old Pulteney is one of a fleet of 12 super yachts which will depart London this Sunday (1^st September) on a year long voyage around the world, stopping in the northern French Port of Brest before a tour that will take in Rio, Cape Town, Australia, Singapore, Qingdao, San Francisco, Panama, Jamaica, New York and Londonderry – concluded by a homecoming in London in July 2014.

The crew is made up of men and women from all walks of life – from retired engineers to taxi drivers to housewives – who give up their normal lives to train and take on the adventure of a lifetime. Scots, Adam Nunn from Dundee and Charles Slater, who originates from Orkney are amongst them, along with people from twelve different countries – the UK, the US, Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Netherlands, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Portugal and Spain.

On christening the boat with Old Pulteney 12 Year Old, Sir Robin commented: ‘I am very pleased to officially launch Old Pulteney today. Their sponsorship of the Clipper Race truly cements them as the genuine ‘Maritime Malt’. As a first time team sponsor, we welcome them aboard and wish them a safe and successful journey.’

Margaret Mary Clarke added: ‘This is a thrilling day for Old Pulteney and we are extremely proud to see our boat take its place amongst the Clipper fleet as we get ready for the start of the race on Sunday. With Old Pulteney growing in popularity in markets all over the world, it’s very fitting for us to be taking a dram in such spectacular style to ports around the globe. We wish Patrick and our crew the very best of luck as they set out on their exciting voyage.’

Over 650 crew members from over 40 nationalities are set to take part in Clipper 2013-14 Race, which starts Sunday, 1 September from St Katharine Dock, London. The Clipper Race fleet is made up of twelve brand new identical ocean racers with each one sponsored by a different destination or brand.

The Clipper Race generates intense global media coverage and provides a powerful marketing platform for global brands. Old Pulteney plans to utilise this platform in each of its key territories through brand activations and awareness exercises which will be announced as the race progresses.

L-R – Skipper Patrick van der Zijden, Old Pulteney Distillery Manager Malcolm Waring, Old Pulteney Brand Manager Margaret Mary Clarke and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston

Notes

About Old Pulteney

Old Pulteney is one of the world’s finest and most distinctive single malt Scotch whiskies. Known as the ‘Maritime Malt’, it is crafted in the windswept coastal town of Wick, home to the Pulteney Distillery which is one of the most northerly on the Scottish mainland. The distillery was established in 1826 in the heart of ‘Pulteneytown’, the town created to house fishermen during Wick’s famous herring boom which drew a fleet of over 1000 boats and 7000 workers to this remote and rugged harbour.

Old Pulteney is the embodiment of this place, its people and its remarkable history. The skilled Pulteney distillery team continue to craft their whisky using the most traditional and time-honoured techniques that most others have long abandoned. This includes the uniquely shaped Pulteney stills, which are reflected in the design of the Old Pulteney bottle on shelves today.

Matured in hand-selected oak casks, the resulting whisky has been acclaimed for its excellence, its smooth drinking style and faint hint of the sea. Old Pulteney holds the coveted title of ‘World Whisky of the Year’ for 2012 in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible – one of the industry’s highest accolades. The whisky also achieved top ten status in the UK single malt market in 2012 and is flourishing in many other countries around the world.

Old Pulteney continues to celebrate all things related to its maritime heritage and is renowned for its long standing support of sailing adventure across the globe.

About Clipper Ventures Plc

Clipper Ventures Plc was established in 1995 by legendary yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world in 1968-69.  Sir Robin founded the company on the premise that sailing should be made available to everyone, regardless of age or experience. So he launched the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race in 1996. The company owns and operates its own matched fleet of ocean racing yachts and so far more than 3,000 people have competed in the eight editions of the Clipper Race to date. The company also owns the rights to the professional solo round the world VELUX 5 OCEANS race and runs a successful events division offering corporate sailing and development programmes. Today Clipper Ventures is recognised as a leading international marine events company which is focused on developing and promoting major global events such as the Clipper Race.

Clipper 13-14 Round the World Yacht Race

The Clipper 13-14 Round the World Yacht Race will start on Sunday 1 September from St Katharine Docks London, and return almost a year later after completing the 40,000 miles route, making it the world’s longest ocean race. The event was established by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston to give everyone, regardless of sailing experience, the opportunity to discover the exhilaration of ocean racing. 650 people representing more than 40 nations will compete in the Clipper 13-14 Race on twelve brand new 70-foot yachts designed by renowned naval architect Tony Castro. It’s the largest race ever. Crew members can sign up for the whole circumnavigation or one or more of eight legs. The only qualification for the race is the minimum age of 18 (there is no upper age limit) plus a thirst for adventure. The overall race is divided into individual stages and points are accumulated in a Formula 1-style scoring system. The yacht with the highest total points at the finish wins the Clipper Race Trophy.