18 Sanya ambassadors selected for Clipper 2017-18 Race
On April 28th, the Sanya government announced the names of 18 candidates who will serve as Sanya ambassadors for the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race 2017-18, which will begin in Liverpool, UK, on August 20th.
The Ambassador Program was conceived to help promote Sanya as a tourist destination and to support the city’s long-term development strategy, which seeks to combine sports and tourism. The program will showcase Sanya as a sailing destination during this year’s race, the eleventh iteration of the event.
Candidates from a broad range of backgrounds applied to take part in the selection process. They included yacht managers, dive and travel tour guides, television presenters, CEOs, media producers, marketers, language interpreters, ocean race organizers, and sailing school staff.
Applicants underwent a combination of practical and classroom-based assessments in sailing theory, knot tying, media interviews, presentations, and on-the-water sailing.
The final 18 Sanya Ambassadors, including eight from Hainan, will travel to the UK in June to undergo four weeks of intensive training on the Clipper Race 70-foot yachts in Gosport, ahead of the race start on Sunday, August 20th in Liverpool. The rest of the Sanya team and the skipper will be announced at the upcoming Clipper Race Crew Allocation at the Portsmouth Guildhall on May 20th.
“Sanya Ambassadors will compete in and complete the race, while also serving as Sanya promoters in their interactions with other participants, organizers, and media,” said Xu Zhenling, Vice Mayor of Sanya. “They are an important source of talent for Sanya on its way to becoming the ‘capital of sailing,’ and they will help promote the level of competitiveness in sailing in Sanya.”
Sanya will make its debut as a Host Port and Team Partner after signing up for the next two Clipper Race events, through to 2020.