The first fleet of the Round the World Yacht Race arrives at Ha Long port

Earlier than expected, at 1:20 p.m. on February 18, the first crews participating in the Clipper Race Round the World Yacht Race, 2023-2024 season, arrived at Ha Long International Passenger Port (Bai Chay Ward, Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province).

Crews of the Clipper Race Round the World Yacht Race 2023-2024 season. Photo: VNA

The first international passenger ship to dock at Ha Long port at 13:20 was the Qingdao team, followed immediately by the Zhuhai team, which docked at 13:55.

The leaders of Ha Long International Passenger Port presented flowers to the talented captains and excellent crew who helped the ship overcome many challenges on the ocean to reach Ha Long as soon as possible.

The Clipper Race Organizing Committee said that the sailing team representing Vietnam named "Ha Long Bay, Vietnam" ranked 5th in the round-the-world sailing team and will also dock at Ha Long International Cruise Port on the same day, February 18.

The 2023-2024 Round the World Yacht Race with nearly 400 sailors on 11 sailboats is divided into 8 legs with 16 individual races and 6 ocean crossings. The destination of Ha Long is in the 5th race - called the Asia- Pacific Challenge. This is a challenge for the skills, endurance and determination of the sailors.

Finished earlier than expected, after 21 days of overcoming many challenges in unpredictable conditions such as storms and intense heat, 11 racing teams traveled 4,515 nautical miles to Ha Long Bay and arrived at Ha Long International Passenger Port on February 18 and 19.

The Qingdao fleet first docked at Ha Long International Passenger Port at 1:20 p.m. Photo: VNA

Captain Henry Hallatt of the Qingdao Yachting Team said at the start of the race: There are two main challenges in this leg: the gloom and heat on one side, and the storms on the other. The storms in the Pacific come thick and fast, so spotting them early and changing course will be key, while dealing with the long hours at sea in the scorching heat will require maintaining a positive and cheerful spirit.

Captain Henry Hallatt expressed his joy at conquering and overcoming the challenge: The teams were always close together and wise decisions at key moments helped his team break away to the top of the race.

The experienced captain also appreciated the warm welcome of Ha Long International Cruise Port and assessed that the port's facilities were not inferior to the major ports they had visited. He said that Ha Long Bay is a wonderful destination, his team is eager to learn and explore more of this land. Thank you for the warm welcome from Vietnam.

Welcoming the excellent teams to the finish line, Mr. Pham Van Hiep, Director of Ha Long International Passenger Port shared: The Clipper Race round-the-world yacht race team choosing to dock at Ha Long International Passenger Port has affirmed the long-term vision in tourism development. That is, not only serving domestic tourists, but Vietnam must have a modern passenger port to become a destination for major international events.

Mr. Hiep affirmed that Ha Long International Passenger Port has been invested in a large and systematic scale, including both international and domestic marinas, a system of wharves, bridges, passenger terminals, and public buildings. The modern port is capable of receiving large passenger ships at the same time, as well as professional yacht racing teams and large-scale maritime events. Because the international port is designed with a 406 m long wharf including 6 anchors; a 130 m long, 30 m wide reception hall, capable of receiving ships with a load capacity of up to 225,000 GRT. The modern floating wharf system also ensures safety for cruise ships when anchoring overnight.

In addition, the system of wharfs, fire prevention and fighting equipment, landscape, as well as the Ha Long international passenger port terminal are impressive highlights for both domestic and international tourists when coming here. Since the end of 2023, this place has been chosen many times as a destination for international delegations.

The delegation is expected to stop in Quang Ninh until February 27 to rest, visit Ha Long Bay, and have many activities to visit, exchange, and experience other famous tourist destinations in Quang Ninh.

The Clipper Race Round the World Yacht Race coming to Ha Long, Quang Ninh is a great opportunity to promote Ha Long tourism, Ha Long World Heritage Bay and famous landmarks of Quang Ninh to the world.

The sailboat named "Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam" participating in the entire journey of the round-the-world race also helps to promote the brand of Ha Long Bay - a world natural heritage to the world.

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