Two Sussex sailors on a round-the-world race have been banned from landing at a Singapore port amid fears about the Sars virus.

Polly Pratt, 29, from Brighton, and Rupert Parkhouse, 33, from Chichester, are taking part in the Clipper 2002 race.

The fleet of clippers had planned to stay at the Republic of Singapore Yacht Clubhouse when they arrived tomorrow but will instead be forced to dock at Batam Island off the coast.

Two crew members were quarantined in Hong Kong when the fleet set off on the latest leg of the race because they had high temperatures. They have since recovered and will rejoin their crew members within the next few days.

Although none of the fleet members is believed to have contracted Sars, travelling through China, Japan and Hong Kong has made the Singapore yacht club wary of inviting them to stay.

Polly used a satellite phone to call The Argus from on board her yacht the Bristol Clipper yesterday.

She said: "It is difficult to know what is going on in the world when we are travelling around so much. We had heard little about the virus before we arrived in Japan but when we got there it was clear something very serious was going on because everybody was wearing face masks.

"Sars was all anybody onshore wanted to talk about. The wives of ex-pats out there were so scared they may contract it they had flown home."

In Hong Kong, the fleet was due to join yachts from across the world to take part in a separate three-day race to the Philippines. The contest was cancelled because of fears it may spread Sars, which has so far killed 366 people worldwide.

Many crew members had also planned to meet their families in Hong Kong but British nationals were not recommended to travel there.

Polly said: "Everyone was very disappointed. Luckily I was able to meet my sister in Thailand for a week."

Polly was almost quarantined in Thailand but instead was merely screened for symptoms of the deadly Sars virus.

Now sailing in the South China Sea, Polly and Rupert are hoping they can stock up on enough food at Batam Island to keep them going until they reach Mauritius at the end of May.

Polly said: "We have been told a medical boat will meet us in Mauritius before we can go ashore. We are all feeling in good health but we are slightly worried. Sars is not having an impact on our daily lives but we are obviously right in the thick of things."

Polly and Rupert are on board one of eight clippers taking part in the global circumnavigation, which is due to finish in September.