THE first yacht race between Britain and Hong Kong will take place in 1996 with the yachts arriving in the territory just prior to the 1997 handover.
World famous yachtsman Robin Knox-Johnson, recent winner of the Jules Verne Trophy for his non-stop circumnavigation of the world in 75 days on the catamaran Enza, has signed up as one of the organisers of the event which will be run by the experienced ocean racing company World Cruising Ltd and launched at a boat show in Britain next month.
The organisers hope the arrival of the boats in Hong Kong will help focus attention on the handover.
''In the run-up to June, 1997, all eyes will be on this remarkable centre of finance, trade and industry,'' said spokeswoman Chris Jenkins.
''The Hong Kong challenge will forge new links between Europe, the Americas and the Far East.'' The race will leave London in October, 1996, with the fleet sailing to the British yachting centre of Cowes on the Isle of Wight before the competition begins in earnest.
The first port of call will be in Portugal then on to the Canary Islands followed by a trans-Atlantic crossing to the Panama Canal.