After an intense selection process, 12 sailors for the yacht Qingdao have been selected to represent Qingdao – the city renowned as the sailing capital of China – in the next season of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

The new season of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race will set sail from the United Kingdom in late summer 2025. During the various stages and stopovers of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, these ambassador sailors will promote Qingdao as China's sailing capital.

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race covers a total of 40,000 sea miles around the globe, passing through the world's largest oceans. The sailors will face extreme conditions like torrential winds, raging waves, scorching heat, and freezing cold. Participants can choose to join one leg, multiple legs, or all the legs of the 11-month journey around the world.

Qingdao is the longest-standing host port and team sponsor of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. The 2025–26 season will mark a two-decade partnership between the two sides.

The yacht Qingdao competes in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. [Photo/Dazhong News]