TPO - On the afternoon of February 18, the first sailboats in the Clipper Race around the world arrived in Ha Long Bay (Quang Ninh).
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The first international passenger ship to dock at Ha Long at 13:20 was the Qingdao team, followed by the Zhuhai team, which docked at 13:55. The UNICEF racing boat won third place in the ranking race and docked at Ha Long at 15:10. |
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The leaders of Ha Long International Passenger Port presented fresh bouquets of flowers to the talented captain and excellent crew who helped the ship overcome many challenges on the ocean to reach the finish line first. |
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Clipper Race organizers said that the Vietnamese yacht racing team 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. |
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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. |
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The Ha Long destination is part of the 5th leg of the Asia-Pacific Challenge. This is a test of the crew’s skills, endurance and determination. |
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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. |
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“There are two main challenges in this leg of the race: the gloom and heat on one side, and the storms on the other,” said Qingdao skipper Henry Hallatt. “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 staying positive and cheerful.” |
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“The teams were always close together and good decisions at key moments helped us break away to the top of the race,” said captain Henry Hallatt. |
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James Finney - captain of the Zhuhai team - expressed his excitement when coming to Vietnam for the first time and visiting the famous Ha Long Bay: "We have gone through a long, challenging and hot race. But it was great to successfully finish and be welcomed by our friends at the port. We celebrated right on the deck and hope to have more experiences in Ha Long in the future". |
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“It was really exciting to get through a pretty stressful journey,” said Dan Bodey, captain of the UNICEF team. “Ha Long Bay is beautiful and it was a pleasure to be here.” |
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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. |
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