Zhuhai will be a host port and team partner during the 2019-20, 2021-22 and 2023-24 editions of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

Zhuhai Jiuzhou Holdings signed the multi-billion-pound agreement relying upon its proud history of hosting the 2016 and 2017 China National Sailing Regatta and its own Jiuzhou Cup.

As a result, the city will join Sanya in Hainan Province and Qingdao of Shandong Province as Chinese stopovers on the 2019-20 Clipper Race schedule.

Partnership agreed 

The Clipper Race, held every two years since 1996, involves mostly amateur sailors circling the world in eight legs. The 40,000-nautical-mile marathon has to be completed within a year and is considered the most severe test of stamina in the world. Crews should be 18 or older and can either sign up for the entire race, or one or more legs. They are provided with a fleet of identical yachts, the Clipper 70, by the organizers.

According to the agreement, the Clipper Race fleet for the 2019-20 edition (Race 12) will be berthed at Zhuhai Jiuzhou Marina during the stopover in early 2020. It will be followed by a respite of one to two weeks to allow the crew to rest and interact with locals.

Clipper Race spans the world

The team, which will include international crew members as well as a selected Zhuhai Ambassador crew, will be skippered by a professional sailor to be named after the Zhuhai stopover.

Zhuhai has the largest, highest-level, and highest-density medium and high-end yacht production base in China. An additional 123 berths for yachts and sailboats will be completed in January 2019, adding to service levels for the event, according to Jiuzhou Holdings.

In recent years Zhuhai has been promoting its "Islands & Sails" resources to the world by holding an increasing number of global water events.

Those wishing to challenge their sailing skills in the race may apply at the official website: www.clipperroundtheworld.com.

Complicated challenges [Photos courtesy WeChat account (ID: zhuhaifabu)]