Keppel-sponsored Singapore yacht secures podium win in leg to Brazil in Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race

The Keppel-sponsored Singapore yacht in the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race, has come in third position in the second stage of Leg 1 of the transatlantic race from Madeira to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This places Singapore in a favourable second position in the overall race standings.

Congratulating the crew on their first podium win, Ms Wang Look Fung, Director, Group Corporate Affairs, Keppel Corporation Limited, said, "On the very first leg, our Singapore yacht has flown our flag high with the crew displaying courage, tenacity, teamwork and a strong Can-Do! spirit in meeting all the challenges out at sea.

"We extend our heartiest congratulations on a well-earned podium win and look forward to more good news. Keppelites from across the globe, together with Singaporeans, are tracking the progress of our little red boat and cheering our crew on."

Skipper Ben Bowley, 26, also commended his crew, "I think we had a really strong team spirit beforehand but the way the crew really pulled together and dealt with the situation immediately afterwards and the real Can Do!attitude that they came up with just astounded me and it's really gone a long way to galvanise what was already a strong team spirit."

30-year-old Darryl Tai, a Keppel Ambassador taking part in Leg 1, said, "The experience has taught me to look at things from other perspectives, to never give up and to have trust in your fellow team mates. Our team really did a wonderful job and really embodied the Keppel Can-Do! spirit."

Singapore had been in the lead and achieved the maximum three bonus points at the Scoring Gate when their primary steering gear broke and the crew had to turn to their secondary system. However the team's hard work and perseverance saw them through as they set about finding a solution and within hours, had fashioned a repair that enabled them to resume their race speeds and keep up the pace across the remaining 2,500 miles of the 3,800-mile race.

Clipper 11-12 will be the eighth edition of the biennial event operated by Clipper Ventures Plc and is 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 experience the exhilaration of ocean racing.

The 12-month race will see the ten-strong international Clipper fleet sail 40,000 miles around the world, including a new leg that will take the fleet from the west coast of Australia to New Zealand and then on to Australia's east coast. The fleet will then race into Marina at Keppel Bay for the Singapore stopover in January 2012.

For updates on the Race and to support the Singapore entry, visit its fan page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sgclipper.

For more information, please contact:
Eileen Tan
Executive
Group Corporate Communications
Tel: +65 6413 6430
Email: eileen.tan@kepcorp.com

This press release is also available at www.kepcorp.com