A gala dinner and prize-giving ceremony for Race 7 of the Clipper Round the World Race, called ‘Da Nang - New Discovery of Asia’, took place at the Furama Resort Danang on Monday evening.

Addressing the ceremony, the Race Chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston said “I want to thank the city and its partners for creating such a warm welcome.  It has been thoroughly appreciated by us all, especially the crews.  I am very impressed by the beauty of this city with its many tourist attractions, as well as by the hospitability and friendliness of the local people.” 

With regard to the tough Airlie-Da Nang race, Sir Robin remarked “This has indeed been a tough race, right from the start.  5,500 nautical miles through a wide range of challenging conditions.  Strong winds pushed them on until they lessened, briefly, in the doldrums although for an uncharacteristically short time.” 

Race winner Derry-Londonderry-Doire (Photo: www.clipperroundtheworld.com)

He also highlighted the significance of the race in demonstrating the human ability to conquer nature and feel free in the ocean.  He expressed his hope that more Vietnamese sailors would take the opportunity to participate in future races in order to conquer the oceans.

The municipal People’s Committee (PC) Vice Chairman, Mr Dang Viet Dung, expressed the honour Da Nang has felt at being an official race sponsor and host port for the ongoing race.  He also proudly pointed out that Da Nang was the first locality in Southeast Asia to participate in the race with its team named 'Da Nang-Viet Nam'. 

He added “The race is a great opportunity to advertise the images of the landscapes, people and culture of Da Nang, and of Viet Nam as a whole, to the world.  It will help to open up many cooperative, trading and cultural exchange opportunities for domestic businesses.”

During the evening, municipal PC Chairman Huynh Duc Tho presented a cup and a trophy pennant to the race winners Derry-Londonderry-Doire, with the second and third prizes going to Garmin and GREAT Britain respectively. The Visit Seattle team were named winners of the Race 7 Stormhoek Social Spirit Award.

The Clipper Venture company and Mrs Wendy Tuck, skipper of the Da Nang-Viet Nam boat, presented a model of the Da Nang-Viet Nam racing yacht to the city leaders.

The home team Da Nang-Viet Nam were invited onto the stage to show off their specially made ao dais, the traditional Vietnamese outfits, which had been specially tailored for each team member.

For more photos of last night’s event, please visit at http://baodanang.vn/english/photo-news/201602/photos-of-clipper-race-gala-dinner-and-prize-giving-2470799/