(VOVWORLD) -Members of sailing teams competing in the 2023-2024 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, have joined numerous sightseeing activities and cultural exchanges in Ha Long Bay of Quang Ninh province after docking at Ha Long International Cruise Port earlier this week.
"We came in and we did a cruise on a bay. It's great to be here, people here are so nice, everybody's so welcoming. It's wonderful," said sailor Helen Ardman.
Addressing a welcome ceremony on Wednesday, Vice Director of the provincial Department of Tourism Nguyen Thuy Yen said the Clipper Race is a special event, offering an opportunity for the locality to promote the image of Ha Long Bay and local destinations.
“Quang Ninh is famous for its unique nature and culture and friendly people, and Ha Long Bay - a UNESCO-recognized World Natural Heritage. We hope that ship crews will experience wonderful moments in Ha Long, thus introducing the beauty of Ha Long to places they visit,” she said.
The Clipper Race was first organized in 1996 in the UK. Since then, almost 6,000 race crew from diverse backgrounds representing more than 60 nations have undergone training and taken part in the competition.
Ha Long Bay is on the fifth leg within the Asia-Pacific Challenge where sailors will take part in the race and different activities during the 10-day event.