Clipper race heading for Qingdao

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race fleet has set sail from Keppel Bay, Singapore, and is due to arrive in Qingdao, Shandong province, between Feb 19-22.

The 2,600-mile event will take the sailors through weather ranging from light winds and searing heat to strong headwinds and counter currents which produce extremely choppy seas and bone-numbingly cold conditions.

Various activities have been organized to celebrate the arrival of the yachts during their time in the coastal city Qingdao, the host city for the Beijing Olympics sailing competition, as their appearance coincides with Lunar New Year, the most popular Chinese festival.