The 40,000-nautical mile, 11-month Clipper 2019-20 Round the World Yacht Race set sail from St. Katharine Docks in London on September 1st, 2019.

 

78“Visit Sanya, China” team stepped into the limelight for the departure ceremony.

 

After a triumphant debut entry in the 2017-18 race, Sanya’s Clipper 2019-20 team yacht entry, “Visit Sanya, China,” along with ten other matched Clipper 70-foot ocean racing yachts, headed in procession down the River Thames to embark on the twelfth edition of the epic 40,000-nautical-mile global sailing challenge.

 

All the boats will have Ambassadors on board during each leg of the race. Scott Draper and Bai Wei will be the inaugural Leg 1 Ambassadors for “Visit Sanya, China.” They will work, live, and compete together in challenging yet highly rewarding situations against everything that Mother Nature has to throw at them.

 

9Scott Draper, one of the Sanya Ambassadors to compete the Leg 1 of the race

 

10

Bai Wei, one of the Sanya Ambassadors to compete the Leg 1 of the race

 

11

 

The day of the start of the race began with crew farewell ceremonies. In their outward appearance during the ceremony, the crew of “Visit Sanya, China” seemed well prepared, in high spirits, and good at working together. Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, founder of the Clipper Round-the-World Yacht Race, bid farewell to the “Visit Sanya, China” crew. He wished them a safe voyage in the year-long round-the-world ocean race.

 

12Miss. Zhang Xiaodong (the person standing second from the right), President of the China Sailing Association, was in London to cheer for the Chinese teams.

 

Miss. Zhang Xiaodong, President of the China Sailing Association, was in London to cheer for the Chinese teams. She said: “In recent years, sailing has developed rapidly in China. The Clipper 2019-20 Race is set to be the biggest in terms of Chinese involvement in the event’s 23-year history. For the first time there will be three Chinese teams competing, which will help Qingdao, Sanya, and Zhuhai promote their cities around the world. It’s good to let the world know that sailing in China is developing and more and more Chinese people are beginning to sail.”

 

14Seumas Kellock, Scottish Clipper Race skipper of Visit Sanya, China

 

Race 1 is a 1,175-nautical-mile race to Portimão, Portugal. Commenting on the conditions that the fleet is expecting to face during the first race, Scottish Clipper Race skipper of “Visit Sanya, China,” Seumas Kellock, said, ” I feel very good about our chances of success in the Clipper Race. Everyone has worked incredibly hard and I think and we’re certainly going to give it our best shot.”

 

1516

 

Following a grueling selection process, eighteen adventure seekers, including a graphic designer, a CEO, bilingual event host, a snowboard instructor student and engineer, two reserves, plus one media crew member were chosen to form the tag-team of ambassadors who will race on board the “Visit Sanya, China” team.

 

17Sanya Ambassadors

 

During the race start period, the Sanya organizing committee organized a series of events and activities at the race village at St. Katharine Docks in London, including a Clipper Race book sales charity donation to The United Nations Children’s Fund, an official naming ceremony, a Sanya tourism promotional salon,  “Visit Sanya, China” team’s visit to London’s oldest football club, and a “Lucky Tourist” recruitment event offering a free trip to Sanya to a lucky winner. These events are part of Sanya’s effort in stopover cities to enhance awareness of Sanya and heighten the city’s reputation in international tourism markets.

 

18192021

 

The Clipper 2019-20 Race started at St. Katharine Docks in London on September 1st, 2019, with the 40,000-nautical-mile global route to include fifteen stopovers in Punta del Este, Cape Town, Fremantle, the Whitsundays, Sanya, Zhuhai, and Qingdao. The Clipper Race fleet is expected to arrive in Sanya in February 2020.