Sanya tourism promoted at Race 4 Prize Giving of Clipper 2017-18 Race in Sydney

It has been a thrilling first stage of the All-Australian Leg of the Clipper 2017-18 Race and the fleet came together to celebrate the achievements of Race 4 at a rapturous Prize Giving ceremony at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) in Sydney.

Over 450 of the Clipper Race family were greeted to The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Village at the CYCA with crew, skippers and supporters with a soulful summer soundtrack and drinks reception ahead of a welcome address from CEO of the CYCA, Karen Grega, and Commodore John Markos.

The Commodore praised the teams on their performance racing in to Sydney during the arrival window and said: “It’s a great pleasure to welcome you to the CYCA. It’s a terrific honour that the Clipper Race will be participating in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and add so much colour. It’s a great privilege to welcome you and I’d like the Clipper Race crew to treat this club as your home. Congratulations to you all on getting here!”

Race 4: The ClipperTelemed+ Tasman Test has featured some of the closest ever Clipper Race finishes that kept Race Viewer addicts on the edge of their seats throughout and a sensational home town victory for Sydney Skipper, Wendy Tuck, on board Sanya Serenity Coast who claimed the maximum twelve points.

The winning skipper and her crew took to the stage to collect their 1st Place pennant as a congratulatory message from the Vice Mayor of Sanya, Xu Zhenling, was read out to the warriors of Sanya Serenity Coast: “I would like to extend my warmest congratulations on your great win of Race 4. Over the past months led by Skipper Wendy, you have been sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, across the Equator, through numerous tough tests.

“Your outstanding achievement has shown the spirit of Sanya and the charm of the Clipper Race. I am sincerely proud of all of you. All the Sanya people are proud of all of you too.

“China has a saying, thus ride the wind and cleave the wave and set sail to cross the sea. It is the best chance to achieve your dreams and aspirations. Ms. Wendy and all crew, we are waiting for you in February in Sanya next year – please be ready for the big applause from Sanya people.”

The Clipper Race is about more than just sailing, and for the first time since the inception of the Stormhoek Social Spirit Award the bulk of the votes came from the supporters of only five teams – with just one or two votes separating them. In the end, it was Sanya Serenity Coast who claimed yet another prize on a highly successful night for the team with Stormhoek Wines’ Bernard Fontannaz explaining: “It gives us great pleasure to award the Race 4 Stormhoek Social Spirit Award to the team that stays serene under pressure.”

Skipper Wendy Tuck said that the award had come as a complete surprise but was greatly appreciated: “It’s so important to the team as we’ve had so many good results so far, but we’ve also lost races, so just for the crew to keep pushing and just keep trying and never give up – that’s what my team did, they never gave up. To win the Social Spirit Award really does make a difference as it shows that that there are so many people behind us and supporting us.”

Race 4 marked a huge milestone for the Official Charity Partner, Unicef, as it was announced that over half of the fundraising target of £400,000 has already been raised by the Clipper Race family before the fleet is even halfway around its eleven-month circumnavigation. The total raised so far for this race is £206,896.21 meaning that more than half a million pounds has been raised for Unicef since becoming a partner ahead of the Clipper 2015-16 Race.

At the Sanya booth, members of the Sanya Tourism Development Commission brought souvenirs, gifts and snacks to visitors who showed interest in Sanya and its rich marine tourism resources.

In the next two weeks, the Sanya Tourism Development Commission will work to promote Sanya tourism and its marine tourism resources at the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race Village to sailing lovers from around the world.