Vietnam to participate in world's longest ocean race
by Julia Wall-Clarke 21 Jul 2015 13:28 BST
21 July 2015
Beach in the city of Da Nang, Vietnam © Clipper Ventures
Agreement has been reached with the Vietnamese city of Da Nang to be the South East Asia host city of the 2015-16 edition of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. It will be the tenth edition of the famous biennial event which is the longest ocean race around the planet at more than 40,000 nautical miles. The city will not only host the fleet of twelve identical 70-foot ocean racing yachts but will also have an entry in the race supported by local businesses and government.
Da Nang's debut is the first time Vietnam has participated in the unique global race which is crewed by amateur sailors who are trained to race with professional skippers across the world's most challenging oceans. Teams are sponsored by a major destination, consumer and business brands; they benefit from the high profile global marketing platform created by the Clipper Race which has a successful track record for boosting international trade, investment, economic impact and tourism, together with enhanced social, cultural and diplomatic relations.
The contracts will be signed at a ceremony in Vietnam next week when full details of the agreement will be released.
About the Race
The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is the world's longest ocean adventure and is also regarded as one of the toughest endurance challenges on the planet. At 40,000 miles and taking almost a year to complete, it consists of twelve teams competing against each other on the world's largest matched fleet of 70-foot ocean racing yachts.
The Clipper Race was established in 1996 by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world in 1968-69. His aim was to allow anyone, regardless of previous sailing experience, the chance to embrace the thrill of ocean racing; it is the only event of its kind for amateur sailors. Around 40 per cent of crew are novices and have never sailed before starting a comprehensive training programme ahead of their adventure.
This unique challenge brings together everyone from chief executives to taxi drivers, nurses and firemen, farmers, airline pilots and students, from age 18 upwards, to take on Mother Nature's toughest conditions. There is no upper age limit, the oldest competitor to date was 74.
Whether they choose to take on the whole circumnavigation or compete in one or more of eight individual legs, all our crew achieve something remarkable as they conquer some of the world's most challenging oceans.
The overall route is split into a series of global races and a maximum 12 points going to first place descending to 1 point for twelfth place. The team with the highest cumulative points at the end of the final race wins the series, and the Clipper Race trophy.
In the 2013-14 edition of this biennial challenge, 670 people from more than 40 different nationalities took part, and over 3,300 novice sailors have been transformed into ocean racers throughout Clipper Race history so far. The next race starts on 30 August 2015 from St Katharine Docks, London.
To mark this tenth edition of the race, the Clipper Race is proud to support Unicef as our Official Race Charity. Unicef operates in 190 countries around the world, including every country on the Clipper Race route, and ensures more of the world's children are fed, vaccinated, educated and protected than any other organisation.
www.clipperroundtheworld.com