CHINA’S ‘SAILING CITY’ QINGDAO has confirmed it will continue as a Host Port and Team Partner with a Qingdao yacht entry in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race to the end of 2020 to incorporate the 2017- 18 and 2019-20 editions.
CHINA’S ‘SAILING CITY’ QINGDAO has confirmed it will continue as a Host Port and Team Partner with a Qingdao yacht entry in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race to the end of 2020 to incorporate the 2017- 18 and 2019-20 editions.
The agreement was signed on behalf of Qingdao by the Vice Mayor of the Qingdao Municipal Government and Vice President of the Qingdao Major International Sailing Events (Festivals) Organising Committee Luan Xin. Clipper Ventures CEO and Co-founder William Ward also welcomed the agreement.
The Clipper Race has boosted the development of the boat-building industry in Qingdao by commissioning its third generation of 12 identical 70-foot yachts with a local shipyard. In addition, the event has built sailing skills with 16 Chinese crew representing Qingdao, selected on each race to build experience in ocean racing. The first Chinese sailor to join the Clipper Race on board the Qingdao yacht in the 2005-06 edition was Guo Chuan, who went on to become the first Chinese person to sail solo non-stop around the world in 2013 aboard a 40-foot yacht. In the Clipper 2013-14 Race, Vicky Song participated as a crew member aboard the Qingdao yacht and became the first Chinese woman to sail around the world.
The next edition of the Clipper Race will leave the UK in late August 2017 and reach Qingdao in March 2018. www.clipperroundtheworld.com
PHOTO: CLIPPER RACE.
