Members of sailing teams competing in the 2023-2024 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, have joined numerous sightseeing activities and cultural exchanges in Ha Long Bay of Quang Ninh province after docking at Ha Long International Cruise Port on February 18-19.

Addressing a ceremony to welcome members on February 21, Vice Director of the provincial Department of Tourism Nguyen Thuy Yen said the Clipper Race is a special event, offering an opportunity for the locality to promote the image of Ha Long Bay and local destinations.

Quang Ninh is famous for its unique nature and culture and friendly people, and Ha Long Bay – a UNESCO-recognised World Natural Heritage, she said.

Yen expressed her hope that ship crews will experience wonderful moments in Ha Long, thus introducing the beauty of Ha Long to places they visit.

Through this race, Quang Ninh wishes to introduce and promote its tourism potential and destinations, as well as opportunities and investment projects in the province to potential investors, she added.

The Clipper Race was first organised in 1996 in the UK. Since then, almost 6,000 race crew from diverse backgrounds representing more than 60 nations have undergone training and taken part in the competition.

The race, drawing nearly 400 sailors aboard 11 sailing yachts, is divided into eight legs and 16 separate races, including six ocean crossings. They can choose to either complete the full circumnavigation or opt for one or multiple legs.

Ha Long Bay is on the fifth leg within the Asia-Pacific Challenge where sailors will take part in the race and different activities during the 10-day event. Before arriving at the Vietnamese destination, the boats departed from Coral Sea Marina Resort (Airlie Beach in Whitsunday, Australia”s Queensland state).

As scheduled, the boats will leave Ha Long Bay on March 2, continuing their journey to Jiuzhou Port (Zhuhai city in China’s Guangdong province).