Clipper fleet bids farewell to Asia at start of Race 7

       At 1530 local time (0730 GMT) on Sunday a horn sounded across Fuschan Bay, Qingdao, signalling the start of Race 7 of the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race to Hawaii. The race restart marked the end of a successful stopover in Qingdao’s Olympic Sailing Centre and a dress rehearsal for the sailing events of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

       The ten-strong international fleet crossed the start line in approximately ten knots of breeze from the south west flying their Yankee One headsails at the start of the 4,400-mile race across the Pacific from China to Hawaii. Hull & Humber managed to sneak across the line first followed by Liverpool 08, the only boat that approached the line on a port tack. Tens of thousands of spectators lined the city’s waterfront to watch the send-off for the Clipper fleet after a week-long visit that has generated unprecedented media attention. During the stopover 80,000 Qingdao citizens visited the marina to view the yachts and many of them returned to see the international teams set sail on Sunday. In sub-zero temperatures, the ten teams tacked up to the first mark in front of the Chinese sailing city’s breakwater crammed with local residents. The home boat, Qingdao, managed to thrill the crowds by taking the lead as they headed off towards the island of Chaolian Dao to the east of Qingdao.

       The order over the start line in Qingdao was as follows:

       Hull & Humber

       Liverpool 08

       Qingdao

       Nova Scotia

       Glasgow: Scotland with style Clipper

       Uniquely Singapore

       westernaustralia2011.com

       New York

       Durban 2010 and Beyond

       Jamaica