Qingdao boasts high quality Clipper Race candidates in competition to promote City
One of long-standing Clipper Race
Team and Host Partner Qingdao’s key campaign activations is an ambassador tag
team which aims to promote the city whilst tackling the world’s oceans.
The Clipper 2017-18 Race selection
process took place recently and was a tightly
fought contest which saw a high level of candidates battling it out over an
intensive three day competition. At the end of the process fourteen candidates were selected, with six women and eight
men, ranging from aged 20 to 48, being chosen to represent Qingdao in the
upcoming race.
The selection process was documented by national broadcaster QTV with daily highlights
packages airing over three evenings, reaching a potential audience of 1.8
Million.
These future ambassadors include students,
teachers, a retired Navy Officer and a cruise ship photographer. College
student Zheng Yi is the youngest ambassador selected but despite his youth, he
is an experienced sailor, having competed in both the Qingdao Sailing Team and
Shandong Sailing Team.
Qingdao first implemented
the ambassador tag team in 2005 as a unique way of promoting the city and its
event hosting facilities, to build on its Olympic legacy and to inspire the
Chinese nation by encouraging future sailing participation.
The team of Qingdao
Ambassadors will carry the city’s image around the world via extensive regional,
national and international media exposure. Coverage extends over 18 months,
beginning at the initial crew selection process, and following each member of
the relay team’s experiences, through to the race finish.
To date the campaign has achieved far
beyond initial expectations. 41 Chinese nationals have taken part in the Clipper
Race so far with notable standouts including Guo
Chuan, the first Chinese crew member to sail in the Clipper Race. Guo went on
to set a new world record when he became the first Chinese sailor to complete a
non-stop solo circumnavigation on board his own 40ft yacht, achieved a number
of other sailing records, and is widely celebrated as the first professional
offshore Skipper in China.
After taking part in
one leg of the race in 2011- 12 race, Qingdao-born sailor Vicky Song returned
to compete in the full Clipper 2013-14 Race and made history and global media headlines
as she was the first Chinese woman to sail around the world. Vicky was
celebrated at Fortune Most Powerful Women International Summit in 2015 and has
since been pursuing a professional sailing career.
Following the success of its investment
in sailing, Qingdao invested $6 billion to help continue the development of its
overall sports industry, part of which is being invested into strategic policies
designed to promote wider sports participation, similar to the Qingdao ambassador
programme.
The Clipper 2017-18 Race will mark the
seventh-time Qingdao has entered a team and featured as a stopover during the
Clipper Race. The first real steps in
the adventure for the future Qingdao ambassadors will take place in early
summer when they visit the UK to complete their four level Clipper Race
training programme.