At a press conference on Tuesday it was announced that the 8^th leg of the 2015 - 2016 Clipper Round the World Race will begin from Airlie Beach, Australia, on 18 January and end in Da Nang on 17 February.  The leg will take ‘Da Nang - New Discovery of Asia’ as its name. 

Addressing the press event, the municipal People’s Committee Vice Chairman, Mr Dang Viet Dung, proudly stated that Da Nang is the first locality in Southeast Asia to participate in the race and that the international event will be a great opportunity for the city to advertise its image to the world.

The Da Nang-Viet Nam team's racing yacht

During an online meeting with the city leader during the press conference, the Da Nang-Viet Nam team’s skipper Wendy Tuck said that she and all crew members were very eager to set sail to Da Nang.

The Australian skipper said that after the first 6 races her team was currently ranked 7^th amongst the 12 participating teams.  However, she said that her team was showing significant improvement as the race progressed.  They won Race 5 from Sydney to Hobart and were honoured with the Stormhoek Social Spirit Award in Race 4 from Albany to Sydney. 

In reply, Vice Chairman Dung thanked Mrs Tuck and all the crew members for their great efforts during the difficult journey.  He hoped that the team would be amongst the leaders when they arrive in Da Nang. 

The Clipper Race fleet is expected to stay in Da Nang from 17 - 27 February.  During that period, visitors will have the opportunity to participate in various arts and support programmes in order to help them understand more about the culture and people of Da Nang.