Clipper 2025-26 Race | Stage 7 - Clipper Round The World Race

Subic Bay, Philippines - Qingdao, China

Stage 7: Sailing City - Qingdao Cup

Key Features: Fishing fleets, heavy fog

Stage 7 takes Race Crew from Subic Bay, Philippines to Qingdao, China. This stage sees the fleet sail out of the Philippines and into the Bashi Channel and towards a cluster of Japanese Islands, before cutting into the East China Sea and on to the Yellow Sea for its final approach into Qingdao.

In the opening days of racing, the winds will be predominantly from the east, however once into the East China Sea a variety of different weather patterns could come at them. This looks to include a northerly breeze coming down from Siberia and the Korean peninsula, creating some difficult tactical upwind racing through a very congested, heavy sea, with short chop. There is also large amount of commercial traffic at this stage of the race which will require all of the crews to pay particular attention to their navigation screens.

After a tactically tricky race, the show stopping welcome put on by our long-standing partners in Qingdao will be greatly anticipated.

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Qingdao Arrivals

Putting on a show for the home boat

Qingdao pulled out all the stops to welcome the fleet. But the reception for the home team was extra special. ✨

Qingdao Arrivals

Hiya Team Scotland

Our final podium spot for Stage 7: Sailing City - Qingdao Cup was scooped up by Heather, Millie and the team. Congratulations 🎉

Qingdao Arrivals

A podium debut for Team Tongyeong

Put your hands in the air if you’ve just got your first podium of the edition 🙌🏼 Team Tongyeong takes second place on Stage 7: Sailing City - Qingdao Cup, and the smiles speak for themselves 😄

Qingdao Arrivlas

Back to the podium for Team GOSH

Back to the podium for Team GOSH 💪 Turns out they were the ones to watch on Stage 7: Sailing City - Qingdao Cup, sweeping in on the last couple of hundred nautical miles of racing and securing the team's fifth top spot of the edition. Well done Oli, Otto and team - a tactically played race that saw you bag another ten points.

Stage 7: Sailing City - Qingdao Cup

🏆PODIUM PLACES ARE IN🏆

What an incredible debut for Tongyeong! Congratulations to Team GOSH, Tongyeong and Scotland, who all fought their way to the podium on Stage 7: Sailing City - Qingdao Cup. Find out what this means for the leaderboard after the Leg 5 Prizegiving this weekend.

Stage 7 | Scoring Gate

The results are in...

Stage 7 packed a punch! In a week long race, not only was an Ocean Sprint thrown in amongst the complex navigation, there was a Scoring Gate too. Congratulations to Teams Scotland, Yacht Club Punta del Este and Tongyeong.