The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race - Amateur Sailors & Professional Skippers:
The race was conceived in 1995 by yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (the first to sail single-handed, unassisted, and non-stop around the world) and William Ward. Together they founded Clipper Ventures which designs and promotes major marine events capable of attracting significant participation, media coverage as well as associated sponsorship revenue.

Clipper Ventures has been The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race organizer since its first race in 1996.  The event gives paying amateur crew members the chance to sail around the world on new Clipper '68 boats, designed by Dubois naval architects and built by Double Happiness Shipyards in Shanghai.  Each yacht is provided with a qualified skipper to lead each team. Crew can either sign up for the whole race, or one or more legs.


Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race comes to Qingdao:
When the starting gun went off for the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race on the 13th of September 2009, the fleet of ten sleek, stripped down 68-foot yachts embarked on a full circumnavigation of the globe.   Around 400 people, facing the challenge of a lifetime, will race 35,000 nautical miles around the world.   The Crew is composed housewives, taxi drivers, chief executives, lawyers, doctors, carpenters, truck drivers, IT specialists, marketing executives and even members of the clergy. 
 
Clipper 09-10 teams include Edinburgh Inspiring Capital, Jamaica Lightning Bolt, Uniquely Singapore, Cork, Team Finland, Qingdao, Cape Breton Island, Hull & Humber, Spirit of Australia, and California.

The Clipper 09-10 route will take them from the Humber to La Rochelle, Rio de Janeiro, South Africa, Western Australia, Singapore, Qingdao, California, Panama, Jamacia, New York, Cape Breton Island, Cork and back to the Humber, where they are due to arrive on the 17th of July 2010.  Teams should arrive at the Qingdao port between the 19th and 22nd of February 2010.  For event management and further details please contact the Qingdao International Yacht Club (QIYC).

Point your browser to the Clipper Race Viewer for live Clipper 09-10 race details.

Sources:
www.clipperventures.com
www.clipperroundtheworld.com
image © www.clipperroundtheworld.com