On May 31, New York City Sports Commissioner Kenneth J. Podziba will welcome the first of the Clipper yachts competing in the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race to North Cove Marina in Lower Manhattan. The ten internationally sponsored yachts represent cities and regions from around the world, including New York, and each boat is crewed by non-professional sailors and led by a professional skipper. The 68-foot racing yachts will arrive in New York after a fiercely fought 1,420-mile race from Jamaica.

"I am delighted that once again New York is represented by an entry in the prestigious Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and that the yacht, New York, is proudly representing our city in many ports around the world," said Commissioner Podziba. "This is a marathon of a race and I am sure all of the crew members will enjoy spending a few days on shore in our great city."

Sanctioned by the New York City Sports Commission, the US entry, New York, is competing in the Clipper Race for the third time. Currently in second place on the overall results table, New York is in a strong position to achieve an overall win. The US team is also in serious contention to win this leg of the race into their home port and break the so called 'home port curse' by becoming the first boat in the Clipper 07-08 Race to accomplish this feat.

The Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race is a 35,000-mile circumnavigation which began in Liverpool, England on September 16, 2007 and will finish there on July 5 this year to coincide with the city's celebrations as European Capital of Culture 2008. More than 400 crew drawn from all walks of life and representing 27 nationalities will compete during the race with approximately a quarter of them competing in the entire circuit of the globe. Crew members proud to represent the city of New York during this gruelling competition include 19-year-old New York native Nate Thompson and 37-year-old Justyn Comer, a resident of New York.

The Clipper Race is made up of 14 individual races. Points are awarded for each race and the winner is the team which has accumulated the most points when the fleet of 68-foot ocean racing yachts return to Liverpool in July.

The ten yachts provide a spectacular sight both racing and in port. During their stay in New York, the crews will be berthed at North Cove Marina, next to the World Financial Center in Battery Park City. As well as performing the routine maintenance required to keep these ocean racing yachts in top performance condition and shopping for provisions for the next race, the crews will also have some time to enjoy the sights, sounds and flavors of the 'Big Apple' during the stopover.

First run in 1996, the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is the creation of renowned yachtsman, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail solo non-stop around the world. Sir Robin wanted everyone to be able to experience the sheer exhilaration of ocean racing which, until then, had been the preserve of the rich and professionals. More than 1,400 people have now competed in the six Clipper Races, the circumnavigators becoming members of an elite group of sportsmen and women--more people have climbed Everest than have raced around the world in a yacht.

"Everyone who takes part in the Clipper Race has their own reason for doing so; some to experience the adrenaline rush that comes with taking on nature in the raw, some to push themselves further than they thought possible and others to compete in the largest global yacht race in the world," said Sir Robin. "More than 1,400 people have made the Clipper experience a turning point in their lives. We want people to finish the race thinking that it's the best thing they have ever done. You could join these people."

Anyone over the age of 18 can enter and there is no upper age limit. Competitors taking part, 40 percent of whom had no sailing experience before signing up, include a banker, a vicar, a farmer, a taxi driver, a stockbroker, a barrister, a housewife and a postman.

The nine teams competing alongside New York are: Liverpool 08, Hull & Humber, Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper, Durban 2010 and Beyond, westernaustralia2011.com, Uniquely Singapore, Qingdao, Jamaica, and Nova Scotia. Many of these international sponsors will be hosting educational, cultural and business initiatives during the New York stopover.

A media sail will be taking place onboard New York on Tuesday, June 3 and all media are invited. Places are limited so please register your interest early to ensure a place. Media accreditation for the Clipper 07-8 New York stopover is available by contacting zwilliamson@clipper-ventures.com. Sir Robin Knox-Johnston will be attending the New York stopover and will be available for interview.

For more information on the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, please visit www.clipperroundtheworld.com.

The New York City Sports Commission is the mayoral agency charged with attracting, facilitating and promoting professional, amateur and scholastic sports events in New York City. The Sports Commission has played an integral role in creating or developing many new sporting events, including the NFL Kickoff Live from Times Square, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series™ Champions Week, the BMC Software NYC Cycling Championship, the AVP Brooklyn Open, the NAUTICA NYC Triathlon, the NYC Half-Marathon, the Union Square Street Sessions presented by Jeep®, the Wild Onion Urban Adventure Race, and the Men's Health Urbanathlon.