The first teams competing in the 2023-24 Clipper Round of the World Yacht Race on Sunday docked at Ha Long International Cruise Port in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam.

According to the organizer of the race, Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh is on the fifth leg of the 2023-24 race, which includes eight legs with 16 individual races and six ocean crossings. 

The remaining teams will come to Quang Ninh on Monday.

The teams will stay in the province until Tuesday next week.

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race draws nearly 400 sailors aboard 11 sailing yachts with the ‘Ha Long Bay – Vietnam’ team from Quang Ninh Province representing Vietnam.

The Vietnamese team won the fourth leg of the race: the Marlow Roaring Forties challenge.

In the previous Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, the ‘Ha Long Bay – Vietnam’ team ranked third despite joining the race for the first time, contributing to introducing the UNESCO-recognized Ha Long Bay and tourism in Quang Ninh and Vietnam as a whole to the world.

James Finney, captain of the Zhuhai team from China, expressed his excitement at arriving in Vietnam, specifically the famed Ha Long Bay.

“We have gone through a long, challenging journey but it is wonderful when we finish [the previous legs] and are welcomed right at the port," Finney said.

“We celebrated on deck and hope to have more experiences in Ha Long."

Director of the Ha Long International Cruise Port Pham Van Hiep said the arrival of the teams of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race in the port urged Vietnam to modernize its ports to serve international events.

The Clipper Race was launched in 1996 in the UK.

The race gathers entrepreneurs, celebrities, tourism experts, and social activists with global influence.

To date, more than 50 cities worldwide have been destinations for the race.

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