Nguyen Tran Minh An from Da Nang, a crew member on the Da Nang-Viet Nam boat, is the first Vietnamese citizen to ever compete in a Clipper Round the World Race.

A very happy Nguyen Tran Minh An

The 29-year-old has worked as a tug boat driver at the Da Nang Port for 3 years, but he has no previous experience of ocean yacht racing.

After completing 4 weeks of training at the race’s Australian base in Sydney, An was selected to take part in the race and represent his home city as it promotes its image to the world.

An joined the Da Nang-Viet Nam crew for the Da Nang New Discovery of Asia Race from Airlie Beach, Australia, to Da Nang.  Thanks to the great efforts of 50-year-old Australian skipper Wendy Tuck and all the crew during their 28 days at sea, they finished the race in 6^th place.

Many big challenges faced An and his teamates during the race.  The harsh weather and rough seas, with strong winds and high waves, made An feel tired and exhausted.  He even experienced hypoglycemia, or low blood glucose, because he could not eat the dried food.  In addition, An and his teamates found sleep difficult during their journey through the Philippine Sea because the bad weather caused by the north-east monsoon made their boat shake regularly.

An said “Words cannot express how happy I was to see the Cham Islands when the Da Nang-Viet Nam boat was nearing Da Nang.  I then felt ready to cry when my teammates and I received such a warm welcome from the city’s leaders and local residents, and especially from my family members, including my paternal grandmother and parents, as our boat docked at the Han River Port.”

An is very happy to have participated in the Clipper Race on board the Da Nang-Viet Nam boat.  He was able to help the other crew members and international friends understand more about Da Nang and Viet Nam as a whole.

An added “I would like to thank the city’s leaders for giving me the opportunity to participate in this international event and for allowing me to enjoy such a delightful and exciting experience.  I will do my utmost to fulfil my assigned task of introducing Da Nang’s land and its culture to our international friends.”

An also remarked “Apart from fulfilling the lofty task assigned to me by the city’s authorities and its residents, my great efforts during the race have proved that Vietnamese people are ready to face up to big challenges head on, even though we are shorter than most other people in the world!”