The twelve Clipper 70s will be joined by four Clipper 68s on the start line on Saturday to compete against more than 1500 competitors.

Clipper Events has mustered the record breaking 16-strong entry in the RTI for a range of clients including the title sponsor.

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The current Clipper Race fleet which already has one circumnavigation of over 40,000 miles under its belt, and will set off from London in just over two months for the 2015-16 series, will host 144 guests from JP Morgan Asset Management, with each team led by one of the current Clipper 2015-16 Race skippers.

JP Morgan Asset Management vice president Henry Gates, said: “We are extremely excited and have been planning this for months now so we are ready to go. Clipper Events skippers and staff have been extremely welcoming to us and it’s amazing that we are going to have all twelve of the Clipper 70’s out and racing against each other.

“We are looking forward to pitting our sailing skills against each other across the JP Morgan fleet. Clipper Events has been really attentive, very relaxed and thorough in organising and briefing the team, especially with people who in some cases have no previous sailing experience at all. We are looking forward to the 5am start and watching the sun rise on the Solent to start racing.”

The global financial service will be racing on the Clipper 70 fleet against four Clipper 68’s, chartered by private clients and companies Standard Chartered Bank and the RTI official clothing partner, Henri Lloyd.

Clipper Race founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston said: “This is Britain’s largest sailing participation event and our fleet of twelve new Clipper 70’s and four Clipper 68’s will be up against some seriously fast yachts as well as some intense competition between themselves.

“The prospect of racing against nearly 1600 boats in a crowded course of the 50 miles around the Isle of Wight really makes this one of the most exciting days in the sailing calendar. I wish them all an exhilarating day of competitive racing.”

This will be the eleventh time that Clipper Events has entered the RTI, the largest single sailing race in the world and the fourth largest participation sporting event in the UK.

You can watch all the action from the 84th RTI on race website.