Newcastle tea and coffee expert Ringtons is keeping the crew of the GREAT Britain team entry well stocked during the Clipper 2017-18 Race, thanks to a donation of 33,000 Ringtons Gold Tea Bags.
Battling against eleven other teams in the Clipper Race, GREAT Britain’s crew are able to enjoy a proper British cuppa throughout the eight legs of the eleven-month race, thanks to the donation by one of the country’s oldest tea merchants.
The modern 70-foot ocean racing yacht, GREAT Britain, set sail from Liverpool’s Albert Dock on 20 August 2017 with thousands of Ringtons tea bags on board for the 20 crew members making up Leg 1 of the race to Punta del Este in Uruguay, South America. Supporters, friends and family will make sure tea caddies don’t run out throughout the 40,000-nautical mile race by topping up supplies of Ringtons tea at each host port.
The Clipper Race is the brainchild of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world almost 50 years ago. The race sees around 700 amateur crew members racing across five oceans and six continents during the gruelling expedition.
Daniel Smith, Ringtons Tea Buyer and Blender and fifth generation of Ringtons founding Smith family said: “There’s nothing more British than a nice cup of tea, and traditional Clipper boats have a long-standing history within the tea industry as one of the earliest vessels used to transport tea from China in the 1800s. So, when the opportunity arose to donate Ringtons Tea to the GREAT Britain team entry in the eleventh edition of the Clipper Race we thought it was a fantastic way to make sure the crew have a refreshing, comforting or celebratory cup of tea when needed. Leg 1 of the race covers 6,360 nautical miles and we calculated the 20 crew members would go through six cups each every day, or around 4,000 cups during this five-week phase alone, so we are delighted to not only be keeping the team hydrated with a familiar reminder of home, but we’re also hoping our award-wining Gold Tea Bags will help the team win gold at the end of the race too.”
Each Clipper Race yacht boasts a fully qualified skipper to safely guide the crew, with some participants doing the full 11-month race and others completing individual Legs. Applications to take part in the race come from far and wide, with each crew member completing a rigorous training course prior to setting sail with the race culminating in a hero’s welcome back at Liverpool Albert Docks in July 2018.
Ringtons was established in 1907 by Samuel Smith who delivered tea to households throughout the north east via horse and cart. Today the family-business operates throughout the UK via it’s doorstep delivery service, business-to-business division Ringtons Beverages for Business and online store.