Experts from a Keighley firm are offering to do all they can to speed up repairs to the damaged Team Philips catamaran which snapped in sea trials for a round-the-world trip.

Michael Cooke, managing director of Aerovac, based in Sandbeds, has contacted the Team Philips crew offering a free batch of materials needed to repair the vessel.

The firm has been heavily involved in the building of the Team Philip catamaran for two years. It provided vacuum bagging and plastic sheeting which helped to make the lightweight structures used to construct the 120ft-long catamaran. Team Philips said today that the materials supplied by Aerovacs were not to blame for the problems suffered by the catamaran.

Immediately after the hulls were damaged just off the Isles of Scilly more than two weeks ago, Mr Cooke wrote to Team Philip's skipper, Pete Goss, offering assistance.

He told Mr Goss: "I want you to know that everyone at Aerovac is right behind you and we are proud to be involved with this marvellous adventure."

He also offered the free materials needed to help repair the racer.

The initial target was the Jules Verne record of 71 days, for a non-stop circumnavigation of the globe. The ultimate aim is victory in The Race, the "no rules - no limits" race around the world which begins at the stroke of midnight on December 31.

The catamaran is being repaired to make sure there is time for another set of trials before both targets are met.

Adam Black, the firm's technical sales office manager, said: "We have been involved with this project for the last two years. This is a large project for us and we are very proud to be involved in it."

A spokeswoman for Team Philips said today: "We are delighted with the support we have received from Aerovac. Their expertise and commitment to the project has been great all the time they have been involved."

The trials have been delayed until the repairs to Team Philips are nearing completion - expected to be at the end of the month.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.