Challenge Transat crews announced

At a special ceremony today at St Katherine Dock

Months of wondering who Crew Volunteers will be sailing with in this year's Challenge Transat are over for the 129 men and women taking part. At a special ceremony held this weekend at St Katherine Dock, London UK the six skippers and six mates discovered which Crew Volunteers they will be with when the event starts on 25th August 2002.

Crew Volunteers have been training with different teams for the past nine months. Throughout this time their progress has been constantly evaluated in order to assemble teams with roughly equal competitive advantages. With identical yachts, down to the cutlery in the galley, the winning boat will be a product of the teamwork of the crew who will now be working hard with their skippers and mates to develop their strategies for the race.

The six 72ft Global Challenge race yachts which will be used in the event were sailed up to London from Southampton and were met in spectacular style as they motor sailed up the Thames on a sweltering Friday afternoon. Tower Bridge was raised for the yachts, which made their way through in formation to the shouts and cheers of tourists and intrigued bystanders.

Simon Walker, managing director of race organiser Challenge Business, comments: "The weekend events in London made the race come alive for a number of the Crew Volunteers who have been eagerly waiting to find out who they will be sailing with.

"There's just four more weeks left for the Crew Volunteers to train together before the yachts take to the start line for the first race from Southampton to Boston starts, so the crews have a lot to do in terms of preparing themselves and the yachts for this race."

The skippers and mates will be joined by the following Crew Volunteers (Crew Volunteers who have expressed that they do not want
media coverage have been removed from this list).

LOGICA

Duggie Gillespie & Jasper Heikens

Both Races

Dawn Batchelor, Chris McCall, Gordon Eadie

Race One
Sarah Kafetz, Nick Skinner, Julian Turner, Rod Mercer, Chris Ancliffe, Geoff Neil, Richard Francis, Mark Westley, Chrissie Packham, Ross Kenyon

Race Two
Pat Wynne Willson, Kevan Dutchak, Anne Walker, Sarah Gage, Dennis Ward, Ian Hoy, Nigel Lidster, John Turner, Ingrid Iselin

BP EXPLORER

Alex Johnston & Trish Shaw

Both Races
Janet Pilkington, David Brooks

Race One
Rene Van der Hulst, Djan Suphi, Michael Payne, Philippa Houchin, Anne Phillipson, Hugh Mullally, Patrick Bischoff, Alan Faux

Race Two
Jim Pain, John Wilson, Joelle Beard, Diana Galpin, Colin Mather, Ben Wellman, Anne Schiettecatte, Jeannie Mclean, Frank McCallum

TEAM SpirIT

Mark Taylor & Peter Scoggins

Both Races
Claire Foreman, Matt Harrop, Peter Yarney

Race One
Brian Schopfer, David Hoch, David Martin, Peter Mantle, Kent Volosin, Claire Bishop, Paulius Laurinavicius, Paul Edwards, Michael Grigsby

Race Two
Bob Hannaford, Matt Slater, Fliss Phillips, Deborah Boorman, Lucy Watson, Garth Shephard, Stuart Baker, Hugh Sutherland

TEAM XTRM

David Melville & Steven White

Both Races
Joanne King, Richard Eary, Angus Dodd

Race One
Fiona Smyth, Bob Phillips, James Welch, Chris Morley, Jeff Lehman, Anna Dawson-Plincke, Jonathan Richards, Jez Payne, Irene Spencer, Roger Leitch

Race Two
Matt Davis, Fred Goldstein, Diana Cottrell, Shirley Austin, Emma Pontin, David Sime, Paul Arnett

SPIRIT OF HONG KONG
Ian Buchele & Duncan Jubb

Both Races
Robin Freeth, Hideki Iwamoto, Hamish Leighton, Jane Elgar

Race One
Richard Bustamante, Tracy Lasan, Joanne Moralee, Rob Sadler, Luis Vieira, Richard Smith, Kevin Rackind, Andrew Watson

Race Two
Jeff McDowell, Gilly Wraight, Peta Miller, John Cunningham, Ian Woodhead, Jeremy Gildersleve, Alistair Besly

BG GROUP
John Burfitt & Lawrence Marriot

Both Races
Michelle Clark, Tom Wright, Jonathan Chishick

Race One
Michael Wood, Jane Bould, Daniel Sims, Bruce Borowsky, David Shockley, Simon Bell, Ronan Donnelly, David Sephton, Alan Goddard, Bob Williams

Race Two
Jon Inglesfield, Ulrich Zapf, Max Sutton, John Kirkby, Colin Stewart, Gordon Mackenzie, Nigel Gildersleve, Nicky Richards, Angela Colclough