Night aerial view of Zhuhai Grand Theatre, Guangdong Province, China

Leg 5: The Asia-Pacific Challenge

Leg Summary

Renowned for its challenging conditions and energising close racing, Leg 5 is a multi-stage leg on the Clipper Race circumnavigation. With a lengthy first race followed by some fantastic shorter tactical sprinting around Asia, this leg is full of diversity.

Start
East Australia
Finish
China
Stages
2
Distance
5800mi/10,200km
Days at sea
35
Temp
16°C - 35°C

What to expect

  • Close, competitive racing

  • Navigationally challenging

  • Equator crossing ceremony

  • Explore Asia and experience vibrant stopovers

Renowned for its challenging conditions and energising close racing, Leg 5 is a multi-stage leg on the Clipper Race circumnavigation that is full of variety. Teams race over two hemispheres, face many big navigational challenges, endure both marathon sailing and short, sharp sprints and soak up the culture at Host Ports in Australia and Asia.

This leg begins by heading north from the east coast of Australia, and although it may start off upwind, the winds will slowly veer more to the east as teams head towards the Doldrums, providing great conditions for some fun, fast sailing.

One thing that’s for certain is that this leg is hot. Very hot. As teams navigate the Doldrums Corridor, there will be plenty of excitement for the equator crossing. For circumnavigators, this will mark their return to the Northern Hemisphere and there’s sure to be a visit from King Neptune on board, as he initiates the Pollywogs into Shellbacks in a fun-filled ceremony to celebrate the naval tradition.

Great spinnaker sailing will feature in the tropics, where plenty of marvellous wildlife will start to say hello; watch out for overconfident flying fish that are sure to make themselves known to all on board. As the fleet approaches the northern islands of the Philippines, they will pass through the Luzon Strait and dip into the South China Sea. This is where all crew need to keep a sharp lookout and think on their feet, with an immense amount of traffic and fishing activity to spice things up.

In addition to all the varied sailing opportunity, Leg 5 is multi-stage making it an ideal leg for those looking to discover Asia and soak up some culture.

Previously Visited

New ports are coming soon for the 2025-26 edition! Stay tuned for updates as we announce both legacy and new destinations that Race Crew will discover on the global route.

2023-2024 edition

Ha Long Bay

Vietnam

The Quang Ninh Province is home to the UNESCO World Natural Heritage site Ha Long Bay.

Ha Long Bay is a stunning destination and, unsurprisingly, northern Vietnam's number one tourism hub. Towering limestone pillars and tiny islets topped by forest rise from the emerald waters of the Gulf of Tonkin, attracting millions of tourists every year to take to the water and discover the region by taking overnight boat trips.

Clipper 2023-24 Race team Zhuhai racing under spinnaker during sunset.

2023-2024 edition

Zhuhai

China

Zhuhai is renowned for its beautiful islands and coastline with the cityscape framed by a stunning mountainous backdrop. Located on the Pearl River Estuary, it has excellent conditions for sailing and has extensive experience in hosting major events including a first time visit from the Clipper Race in 2024.

The city is also home to The New Yuan Ming Palace and there’s the opportunity for mermaid spotting along Lovers’ Road, island hopping and hiking in the nearby mountains.

A female crew member from the Clipper 2023-24 Race focuses on the bow while winching on the low side in challenging weather conditions.

Prices starting from £7,000

Build your race

Clipper 2025-26 Race: £7,000 // Clipper 2027-28 Race: £7,295

Race Legs

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Leg 1

The Atlantic Trade Winds

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Leg 2

The South Atlantic Challenge

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Leg 3

The Roaring Forties

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Leg 4

Australian Coast-to-Coast

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Leg 5

The Asia-Pacific Challenge

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Leg 6

The Mighty Pacific

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Leg 7

Americas Coast-to-coast

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Leg 8

The Atlantic Homecoming

Clipper 2023-24 Race Crew member standing on deck during night with one hand on winch and the other on her hip.Link arrow

Full Circumnavigation

FAQs

Find answers to commonly asked questions...

The time you will need varies from leg to leg. The durations quoted on our “Build Your Race” section of the website and in the information pack, are for the approximate number of sailing days, so you will need to factor in additional time at each end of your leg and also any Host Port stopovers within the leg itself. Legs 2, 3 and 4 were the shortest in the 2023-24 edition at approximately four to five weeks and most of the other legs are between six to eight weeks.

Around 30% of crew members on each team will have done little or no sailing before they train with us. Others will have a range of sailing experience which might be dinghy sailing, flotilla holidays or crew with further advanced RYA qualifications and possibly experience of looking after their own boat. The one thing you will all have in common is that you’re looking to take part in a unique challenge, test your limits and find out if you have what it takes to traverse the oceans of the world.