SAR-backed yacht joins world race

The SAR is to sponsor the boat Spirit of Hong Kong to compete in a round-the-world yacht race.

In the 2002-2003 New World Challenge, boats sail 24,500km against prevailing winds and currents.

Setting out in May from San Francisco, they sail to Yokohama and then to Hong Kong before heading to Singapore, Cape Town and Buenos Aires and returning to San Francisco.

For the first time, Hong Kong people will be recruited as amateur crew. Race organisers say they will be looking for average people - from teachers and truck drivers to businessmen.

InvestHK, which is behind the sponsorship deal, is a new government agency set up to attract investment to Hong Kong. It has already sponsored the Spirit of Hong Kong in the BT Global round-the-world race that began in September and will finish in June.

The 35-metre steel vessel, which was built in Guangdong by a Hong Kong company, won the fastest-boat award in the first leg of the BT Global Challenge.